CFRW articles for September 2000
October is breast cancer awareness month in Canada. A reduction in breast cancer risk by even 1/3 means that nearly 200,000 Canadian women who are with us today but statistically could expect to be killed by breast cancer will instead live on. Several times this number of women would be spared the disease and the often difficult treatments. The study concludes that this large number of lives could by saved through moderating alcohol intake, engaging in regular vigorous exercise, and eating more veggies. The conclusion can be drawn that actions such as eating your veggies or engaging in regular intercourse can (through decreasing breast cancer risk) save more lives than have been lost in the cumulative total of all firearm misuses in all of Canadian history.
If the farmer had been allowed to carry a conveniently sized firearm of sufficient magazine capacity, it is doubtful that even a whole herd of deer could have ended his life.
...yet cancer research receives far less funding each year than does the bloated Firearms Act. See also: October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - breast cancer alone kills 1 in every 26 Canadian women When will our government recognize that the Firearms Act saves no lives and that such a costly effort would be more appropriately directed towards a cure for cancer?
Later in life, as our Prime Minister, he oversaw the growth of Canada's national debt from $17 billion to more than $200 billion. With interest and contributions from intervening Prime Ministers, it's now about $600 billion. Not even our projected $20 billion surplus will dent it. Firearm owning farmers might well ask, "Why should I pay your debt?"
Just one quote from Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz: "We have 60,000 people a year who die as a result of cancer. We spend about $16 million a year on research in that area. We have spent close to $300 million this year alone on a gun registry that has no measurable benefit, will not save lives or do anything that will help Canadians. If we were to put that money into cancer research, just think what that would accomplish.". In return for his diligent efforts, Mr. Breitkreuz was unbelievably offered such lame talking points as "Canadians can already see the positive impact of Bill C-68 and continue to strongly support the government's position." The only positive impact C-68 is likely to make is in millions of Canadian trash cans on the day it's finally repealed. Winter is approaching, so get your free copy of C-68 by calling 1 800 400 1447 - word on the street has it that C-68's dry and knotty language makes for excellent tinder, though regrettably the single ply paper that the Firearms Act is printed on is apparently too coarse for other appropriate uses.
The problem in distinguishing a prohibited vs restricted firearm I can sypathize with, as the firearm laws are so complex that identifying a firearm's legal classification could take years or even a Supreme Court case. A gun owner in Canada making that same lapse of knowledge could (and probably would) be criminalized for their mistake. However, the cops could have differentiated between the fully automatic/semiautomatic version in a few seconds by simply unloading the gun (assuming they were sufficiently trained to unload a gun they can't even identify) and then working the bolt while holding the trigger down. If police cannot reliably make easy distinctions such as semi/fully automatic, how are they expected to distinguish between a legally unregistered 'antique firearm' and an illegal unregistered 'restricted firearm'? Will the law abiding be arrested or shot alongside the criminals due to lack of adequate police training? Incidentally, a firearm similar to a prohibited fully automatic Tec-9 (same caliber, similar magazine capacity, also full auto) may be manufactured by the layperson using commonly available materials and tools. You need a special permit to do so if you intend to remain on the right side of the law.
...and rightly so. Worst case scenario: criminals actually DO obey the proposed law - and use real axes or knives instead of toy guns. Alternate worst case scenario: kids start smuggling toy guns. Under our young offender's act, many children are actually immune from the law. Well, it could happen. And it's certainly much more likely than the 'best' case scenario, which is apparently a successful elimination of all toy guns from the hands of criminals and toy-possessing "young-offenders" alike.
Hmn. OK, 9mm Lugers are nearly antique handguns that are regulated the same as other handguns and weren't 'banned' last time I checked, unless the barrel is less than 105mm in which case Canadians who possessed it before a certain date would be 'allowed' to continue owning it. Taking the barrel off would suffice to make it legal for the other 29.5 million Canadians, provided it was semi-automatic. Normally Lugers are not fully automatic, so it's not likely to be a 'machine pistol' either though it's possible that it might have been legal even if it was fully automatic. UPDATE: Police now admit the gun (if we can assume that's what it is) is not a Luger, might not be fully automatic (and hence might not be a machine pistol or "sub-machine pistol"(sic) and might not actually be prohibited, or 'banned' as it has been euphemistically termed. Hopefully the so-called gun is not another remote control, or one of those dreaded heart monitors...
Is it just me, or do some of our police seem hard-pressed to distinguish between real criminals and ordinary citizens these days?
Let that be a warning to all you criminals wearing heart monitors. Or uh pocket organizers, or I suppose even bras that aren't strapless... I think I'll take this opportunity to protect myself from such potentially lethal annoyances by noting that I have a shoulder holster for my pocket organizer, as do several of the people I work with in the Internet industry. Furthermore, when riding my motorcycle, as I am wont to do from time to time, I sometimes discover that I am forced to place items inside my jacket in order to prevent them from falling off the seat. Also, I er sometimes get this bulge in my nether regions and I feel rather strongly that police shouldn't be grabbing at it willy-nilly...
Canadian Firearms Center spam campaign expands to postal mail too --Montreal Gazette via CFD
OTTAWA - The federal governmentis expanding its advertising campaign explaining firearms regulations by sending 12-page bilingual pamphlets to the country's 11.5 million households. Most are to receive the booklet in the mail next week. The pamphlet mailout is expected to cost nearly $2.1 million, the Canadian Firearms Centre said yesterday. The mailout will supplement the television advertising blitz running [ed: $] during the Olympic Games. Jan. 1 is the deadline for firearms-owners to ensure they are licensed. Violations are punishable by jail terms. [ed: and confiscation without compensation, and prohibitions on legally owning firearms for periods of many years.] Owners are required to register all their weapons by the end of 2002. [ED: Don't register your firearms until the end of 2002, as our government is unlikely to last that long and the next government will no doubt take more care to secure and safeguard our heritage of freedom to own lawfully purchased private property. Incidentally, "weapons" don't need to be registered. Axes, baseball bats, pipes, pikes, knives, broken beer bottles, explosives, traps, toxins, molotov cocktails, spears and swords are not required to be registered. Not all firearms must be registered either - join the NFA to learn more. IF YOU APPLY FOR THEIR LICENSE, APPLY FOR A PAL (possession AND acquisition, more like the old FAC) NOT A POL AS PALs PROVIDE VERY DIFFERENT LEGAL COVERAGE AND COULD SAVE YOU FROM BEING PROSECUTED UNDER SOME OF THE MORE ARCANE TWISTS OF THE FIREARMS ACT. The licenses are about the same price to renew.]
..."The kindergarten introduced the license scheme after finding that prohibition ... was not working" No word yet on who will steal the toys from those unfortunate kids who allow their license to lapse.
Contrary to the Canadian Firearms Center's TV spam, it apparently is not illegal to BUY or offer to buy ammunition if you don't have a license -- only to SELL or offer to sell ammunition to a person who doesn't have a license. This might have been done so police could attempt to entrap suspected ammunition vendors without breaking the letter of the law. Ammunition entrapment duty is likely to be almost as popular as traffic patrol, as by definition each arrest is likely to be an 'armed criminal' with some degree of public support.
Content warning: mass slaughter, gun control, etc.
The federal Liberals reportedly have more cash on hand than does their closest competitor, the Canadian Alliance. The thing about money is that it allows a party to convey their point of view to the public - an important thing to do if that party plans to win an election. Firearm owners might want to consider doing a little something to help out the Alliance financially. The Alliance is a registered political party, so you will receive a tax credit for most donations. For example, a $25.00 donation will garner you an $18.75 tax credit, actually costing you only $6.25. Even a $100 donation would cost you only $25.00 by the time you figure in the tax credit of $75.00. If you can't spare the dollars, consider donating your time or special skills to the cause. Contact the Alliance or the NFA to volunteer in the upcoming campaign. The election might not happen this year, but then again it might. Why wait for the Liberals to gain the initiative?
Using only the money that has been squandered on the Firearms Act to date, the entire Canadian Olympic budget could have been increased more than fivefold.
The Alberta Frontier Shootists Society can be found here. Participants seeking a permit-reduced existence might want to consider using an antique firearm as they are exempt from the licensing and registration provisions of the Firearms Act.
Cynthia Meyer finished highest among Canadian shooters, garnering a 5th place finish in Women's Double Trap. For those of you who might be interested in going to the Olympics someday, Winchester has an online primer dealing with the various clay sports
Well, CBC and CTV anyways. An interesting article.
A modest proposal --Calgary Sun Editorial via CFD
Prime Minister, we're here to help. We realize, from your point of view, it would be wrong to make it illegal to become a member of a criminal organization in Canada. Such as a biker gang. As you have noted, it would be wrong to pass such a law and then use the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to protect it from a Charter challenge as a violation of freedom of association. Of course, we might suggest it is time for a little drastic action. More than 150 people have been murdered in Quebec over the past six years as a result of a vicious turf/drug war between rival biker gangs. And bikers and other other members of organized crime are gearing up their activities in other provinces -- such as Alberta. But hey, we understand every civil libertarian in the country has gone berserk ever since Quebec Public Security Minister Serge Menard suggested the idea after Le Journal de Montreal reporter Michel Auger almost died after he was shot in the back five times in broad daylight. The brutal act came a day after his latest expose on organized crime. So, here's a modest proposal for you, built upon the brilliant, inescapable logic of your very own Firearms Act. Ready? Let's register and license members of biker gangs, et al. -- just like you're registering and licensing rifles these days. All every law-abiding member of a designated biker gang or similar organization will have to do is register with the government. You know, do the sort of stuff you're now requiring hunters and farmers to do if they own rifles -- photo ID them, fill out lots of forms stating where they live, answer questions about their personal background, mental state, etc. Why, you could even charge a fee. And wouldn't it be great to have government bureaucrats devoted to chasing down bikers who are reluctant to register, just as they're now doing with gun owners? Then your bureaucrats would get to know what wonderful people bike gang members are. Indeed, as you Liberals always remind us, just as the police would like to know how many guns are registered in a house when they answer a domestic call, we're sure they'd also like to know how many bikers are registered in the house as well. Especially in Quebec. Prime Minister, we license cars, don't we? Why not biker gangs? (CFRW ED: Actually, if I were forced to choose between biker gang scum or Annie's minions... well... Bike gang members haven't threatened to forcibly detain me for years and stigmatize me for decades if I don't buy their permit so I can register my property with them. Though that IS an interesting racket, eh? Bike gang members haven't tried to take property from me without compensation. On the other hand, Chretien's gang taxes me just shy of death each April, and in return I get... the Firearms Act?! Bike gang members don't reach into my wallet with "user fees" for services I don't want or need. Bike gang members don't have the authority to "inspect" my home on short or no notice, take "any thing" and arrest, remove and detain members of my household should my property not be stored according to their liking. Normally we call that kinds of thing a "home invasion" and allow the homeowner to defend his or her family from the criminals. I've never heard of a biker gang capable of threatening the survival of an entire industry. Bike gang members know the law better than virtually all CFC employees. I've never heard of an incident where a bike gang member promised something at one price, couldn't deliver, then had the nerve to ask for hundreds of millions more money for their failure. Finally, I understand that many bike gang members are familiar with firearms, which is more than I can say for most of the undertrained, inexperienced and frankly incompetent Firearms Act workers I've met.)
This thing is incredibly fast, graphically based, and quite intuitive. Well done, Norma.
According to the Canadian Firearms Center, the Firearms Act has been used to refuse 332 firearm sales as of September 2 2000 - at a cost of $979,000 per firearm even using the outdated government figure of $325 million in Firearms Act expenses to date. It takes just a few hours and less than $50 to manufacture a variety of rudimentary firearms regardless of what laws might forbid it. The Firearms Act millions could have been utilized to target the 38 killers known to be on the lam in our country with up to eight million dollars in law enforcement for every one of 'em. It's time for a government that will abandon the Liberals' mickey mouse firearm registry system and begin to pay more attention to catching actual criminals.
I'm told that my own firearm license should be expected in another 'three to four weeks' since there are no problems with it. Why, that's no more than 12 months from the date when I applied for the license. Even considering a 'best-case' three months processing time, obviously there will be legions of Canadians who simply cannot get a license by the 'deadline' even if they apply today. December 1 of this year is a good date to apply, as that will get your application in before the deadline and the so-called '28 day' waiting period. Whether you apply for a license or not is your own choice - but remember the you do NOT need to register your firearms until late December 2002. At that time, hopefully we will have a government in power that views 'gun control' as a serious issue to be addressed in an adult manner and with proper preparation.
Got a video problem on that old 8086 laptop? Your CPM compatible isn't? Experienced professionals in this situation often recommend a Mach 3 heat sink. A good backstop, glasses, gloves, and a rake are de rigeur for this exercise.
Canada spends less each year on its amateur athletes than on the registration system for their firearms.
You probably already gathered that to get to the Olympics as a shooter, you need to go through more ammo each year than some people would believe is sold annually in your province. You need visual acuity on a level usually found only in birds of prey. But a reduced heart rate, targeted bodybuilding, cardio and endurance workouts are also crucial when going for the gold, says Olympic gold medalist Nancy Johnson.
A passing of the torch for two of Canada's Olympic shooters --Canoe
It is expected to be the last Olympics for four time Olympian Sue Nattrass and five time Olympian George Leary. Dr Nattrass ended up ninth overall in Women's trap, just two misses shy of the final. This is the first year for Women's Trap in the history of the Olympics. Leary is hanging up the Berettas to give more time to his family and ease the financial burden of a $15,000 per year ammunition bill. Slam! sports has published the shooting medal winners here Canada has yet to win a medal in shooting at this Olympiad. As of the 18th at 14:53h Sydney time, China is currently leading in the shooting medal standings with 5 medals (2G,1S,2B), followed by France (1G,1S), Australia (1G,1B), then Lithuania and the USA with one gold medal each.
Day 1 of the Olympics brings Canadian shooters Sharon Bowes and Cari Johnson into competition for Women's 10m air rifle. See the dot underneath the question mark at the end of this sentence? That's about the size of the bullseye they're expected to hit at 10m. Meanwhile, a qualifying round will begin in Men's Trap, an event in which George Leary will recycle some clays for Canada. Best wishes to all Olympians!
Despite the official rejection, the individual could purchase and store or carry (NOT concealed) an unloaded 'antique firearm' handgun with no paperwork, training or permits at all. According to a letter I received from them last week, the Canadian Firearms Center has exhausted their entire supply of "How does the Firearms Act affect me if I own antique firearms?" fact sheets. The answer to that question, sensibly enough, is: not much, provided I don't misuse it in a criminal manner. Of couse, the definition of an antique firearm is in itself vague, illogical and tricky territory...
But don't worry - the newly criminal cops can't actually kill you - unless they feel that their life is somehow threatened by you while committing their criminal act. Like for instance if you happen to be cleaning a firearm when they illegally break into your home. Sheer lunacy. What we need in this country are a few more good cops - perhaps even some who are also firearm owners - not more criminals.
Incidentally, the 900,000 license figure is way optimistic even according to the Canadian Firearms Center's own statistics page. Less than 300,000 of the new firearms licenses have been issued to Canada's 7 million firearm owners. The Canadian Firearms Center, as per its usual extreme "culture of tardiness" is currently backlogged on an equal number of license and registration applications.
Are you a member of a group that Anne McLellan does not favor? (Most of us firearm owners are now nodding our heads in agreement) Under Mr. Menard's plan, you could be deemed a criminal just for holding membership in any group which the government deems to be undesirable. Non-compliant firearms groups perhaps? Suspending the Constitution is a very drastic measure which can easily be abused by an unscrupulous government. Not to mention ignored by the targeted members of the groups in question, who could simply renounce membership in the prohibited group and take out memberships in a different group such as the federal Liberal party. Justice Minister McLellan has pointed out that Italy is currently the only country in the world in which mere membership in a group can be a criminal offence.
Under the Firearms Act, the injured reporter would likely not have been granted a permit to carry a reasonably sized firearm for personal defence even though threats had been made against his life. The ongoing biker war provides a large number of Canada's firearm homicides. "Controlling" tens of millions of firearms by laying a piece of paper beside them and prosecuting their owner for a wide variety of concocted "offenses" is at the same time more expensive and much less effective than capturing real criminals. About 20 police officers are working on this important case - an insignificant number compared with the several hundred officers who are busily registering legitimately owned firearms. Registration of handguns has been a cumbersome and ineffective tactic since its inception in the 1930s.
...but its announced broadcast schedule does not cover the shooting sports at all. Shooting is one of the few sports snubbed in this manner by the CBC. Before the CBC existed, before the invention of radio, before there was Canada, before even the 'discovery' of this continent, someone somewhere was enjoying the summer sun while shooting for score. CBC's Olympics broadcast schedule starts here. As the CBC notes on their Olympic history page, "...all was not pure athleticism in Olympia. The Games were also a political hotbed..."
It's an older link and has been covered in the Canadian Firearms Digest (you ARE subscribed to that email list, aren't you...? The free subscription link is above) but the tale is a gripping one that reveals deficiencies that need to be set right.
Processing delays threaten safety of applicants
Did you fill out a firearms registration form in Burnaby, Surrey, or New Westminster BC between July 17th and July 19th? Police want to know, because those forms went missing along with the vehicle they were carelessly stored in during an "Outreach" session. Call 1-800-731-4000, extension 9501 to find out whether criminals have YOUR firearms registration form. Why the delay? Simple - the Canadian Firearms Center is running a backlog of unentered mail and applications. They don't know what applications have gone missing until they open all applications made before the date of a known loss of forms. This backlog is not just annoying and incompetent - it means that criminals have a month or two to use your registration information as they see fit (hmn, a little shopping spree perhaps... after all, that's how they got your information in the first place) WITH NO WARNING TO YOU that your application has been stolen. If you apply to register firearms, be aware that criminals can find out where your guns are before the government does. Register your guns to the government? Maybe (but not until your're legally required to do so, in the closing days of 2002). Register your guns - and your girlfriend - to thieves? Uh-uh.
Firearms Information Rally - Sept 26, Kingston Ontario --From CFD V3#454
In support of Freedom of Speech and Ownership of Private Property - Steelworkers Hall 206 Concession St. Kingston, Ontario
September 26 (Tuesday), 2000 at 6:30 PM What you should know before
you register! The objectives of this Information Rally are: a.. To inform firearms owners of the requirements and dangers of Bill C-68: The Firearms Act. b. To encourage firearms owners to be responsible, law-abiding citizens. c. To repeal and replace Bill C-68 with effective legislation that reduces crime and saves lives. d. To encourage firearms users and organizations to unite in the defence of the shooting sports. For Further Information, Contact One of the Following: Alan Harper 613-542-2992 Sponsors Napanee Gun Club, Napanee; Frontenac Rifle & Pistol Club, Kingston; National Firearms Association; Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters;
Canadian Sports Shooting Association (formerly Ontario Handgun Association); Canadian Institute for Legislative Action. Please distribute through all firearms groups and union memberships.
Sawed off shotguns are prohibited firearms in Canada. The boy is charged with "possession of a firearm dangerous to the public peace, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a concealed weapon and careless use of a firearm" according to the article. The article mentioned that the boy's parents might be charged only with "unsafe storage" so apparently the parents possessed the firearm legally. On the other hand, someone sawed off the barrel of the sawed off shotgun, creating a prohibited firearm from a so-called "non-restricted" firearm. The law states that this five minute hacksaw job is a very serious crime unless done by a government-approved manufacturer or person. Did the boy manufacture a prohibited firearm? Are police not laying charges for manufacturing a prohibited firearm?
Rather generous of them, except that your friend's cousin's neighbor will probably at least give you a few bucks for your old firearms, won't ask you to get transport permits, and is far less likely to criminally charge you for some obscure violation of the new transport or storage regulations. Incidentally, in order to get a transport permit for a restricted or prohibited firearm (any firearm the government says is restricted or prohibited, plus any handgun and some rifles and shotguns) you need to first obtain a registration certificate for that firearm... which in turn requires a license... which you can't actually get for any prohibited firearm unless you've already got the registration certificate... it takes about a year to obtain the license for those types of firearms in my experience... by which time, this amnesty will be over....... er... then you need to familiarize yourself with the transport and storage regulations so as to fend off arrest and criminal prosecution... Or you could just sell the firearm to your buddy's friend with less effort, less risk of arrest, and a dollar or two for your trouble. If you really want to give away your property, consign the firearm or donate it to the NFA and let them fight this silly law using the proceeds of its sale. The NFA can also advise you on areas such as 'antique firearms' which might mean that your firearm does not have to be registered at all - and might even mean that your firearm can be de-registered if you have already registered the firearm.
Tax revolt spreads as fuel runs dry --National Post, No tea party in Britain as fuel tax protest sparks rationing, school closures --National Post
According to the Regulations prescribing antique firearms, this pre-1898 Colt apparently ain't an antique. It is therefore a restricted firearm and cannot be fired from horseback (or even moved, whether by horse, by car or by foot, without complying with extensive regulations) unless the government issues a formal permission slip. Just why is the Lone Ranger's Colt not an antique in Canada? After all, the gun is clearly historically significant. It is also quite old, being shipped to its first owner in 1893. No, our government in their wisdom has decided that it's not an antique because (drum roll please) it's fires the .45 Colt cartridge. Were this gun chambered in .41 Colt, .44 Colt, .455 Colt, .476 Eley, or another 'non-exempted from prescription by regulation' caliber, THEN it would be considered an antique firearm. Heigh-ho, Liberals - Away! Incidentally, Jean Chretien is not old enough to be considered an antique under the Firearms Act regardless of his caliber.
When most of us came into this world, it was legal for Canadians to purchase a machinegun provided that they first passed a background check and completed some paperwork. Today these same firearms are prohibited and for the most part cannot be purchased legally. This of course does not prevent criminals - law-breakers by definition - from obtaining such firearms. Not one legally owned fully automatic firearm has ever been used in any crime of violence in all of Canadian history. It seems that criminal possession of firearms, not possession of firearms by the law abiding, is the problem. It is less effective to over-regulate a population of law abiding people (making criminals out of many of them in the process) than to catch the handful of real criminals who actually commit crimes using firearms.
Prohibition without actually prohibiting - it's the new fad of governments. Jack up the prices, slam in some new restrictions and paperwork, and you've got "control" -- or do you?
Aussie firearm regulation protester arrested for possessing ... stock
The Aussie firerm regulation saga is getting sillier as time goes on. Here's the story as conveyed to me by the arrested party, Martin Essenberg: "On the 24 August 2000 five Police officers with a warrent searched my home and found and CONFISCATED one .22 BARREL and the STOCK of one .22 semi- auto rifle. Yesterday (11 September 2000) the Police were directed to proceed with prosecution. I was summonsed to appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on the 5 October 2000 for POSSESSION OF A WEAPON WHILE UNLICENCED- that weapon is the STOCK (and NOTHING more) of a .22 rifle. It seems that I am a dangerous person with an unlicenced piece of wood. The .22 barrel confiscated during the same search will be returned to me and I will NOT be charged with its possession." --Martin Essenberg [Ed: (emphasis in story mine) This is possibly the silliest gun control strategem in the world at the moment. Confiscating lumber...?! It does, after all, grow on trees...]
Thieves hit gun registry office --Edmonton Sun via Deja
PUBLICATION: The Edmonton Sun DATE: 2000.09.11 SECTION: News PAGE: 8 THIEVES HIT GUN REGISTRY OFFICE
An Edmonton building that houses Ottawa's gun registry office in Alberta was broken into last week, say police. Cops said there were several reports of break and enters at the 10909 Jasper Ave. building on Sept. 4 and 5 at various offices, including that of the Easter Seal Ability Council in suite 400 and the Employabilities Association
in suite 402. The office of Alberta's Chief Firearms Officer is in suite 720, but it was not clear yesterday whether anything from there was taken. Cops said thieves appear to have pried open the building's main door on the night of Sept. 4. Police were first called at 10:30 p.m., then again at 1:30 a.m., 7:55 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. the following day. Police said the building's occupants called when they discovered the thefts that likely all occurred on Labour Day. Cops yesterday didn't have a record of what items were stolen or from which
offices. An official with the gun registry office was not available for comment yesterday. [CFRW ed: If you have registered a firearm, your property and your household could be in peril. The registry offices maintain personal information about all registered firearms and their owners, including addresses, type and number of firearm, and loved ones. It's bad enough when the government attempts to take your things without compensation, but when their lax security allows this sort of thing to occur, one must shake one's head.]
Shooting at people on the street and possessing fully automatic firearms ARE prohibited. Unless you've already owned one legally since the '70s you can't buy a machinegun legally. Killers rarely care what other laws they break during the commission of their ultimate crimes, as the penalty for murder is (and rightly so) greater than the penalty for breaking a firearm law or two.
Prostitutes, mistresses, 2nd residence lovers, one night stands discriminated against in gun license questions?
Guess who the feds DON'T want to know about... yet? The current wording on the form asks applicants to identify their cohabitating significant other of three months or more, along with all other such individuals (if any) during the previous two years. Remember, these licenses are only good for five years, so this is an ongoing intrusion into your life. This information is apparently required so the gun cops can explain to the applicant's significant other(s) (or ex-so's) how to narc on the applicant should they ever harbor some sort of ill will towards the applicant. This is somehow claimed to improve public safety. But... what about liasons UNDER 3 months in duration? They're exempt. So, if an applicant has had a dozen spectacularly stormy eight week relationships during the past two years, they need not disclose any of their odd relationships. On the other hand, a person who has been happily married for thirty years would have to identify their spouse and allow them to be interviewed by gun cops. The alternatives are to surrender the firearms, sell them without paperwork (illegal, depending on the firearm) or face prosecution when the gun cops fail to issue the required license. How to stop this silliness? Simple - spouses (who are not being paid for their time and cannot be forced to work for the government for free) can simply refuse to answer any questions. When it winds up in court, who looks silly - the nice married couple with the firearms, or the gun cop who wouldn't take no for an answer? An army of resolute housewives could put the final nails in the coffin of the troubled Firearms Act.
Newly single? Divorced? Blind date 2 years ago not go so well? Enquiring gun cops want to know. If you don't tell them, you can go to jail or be legally required to surrender your property. If you do tell them, your property can be seized. But will the gun cops answer these questions themselves? Ask them and see how far you get. Usually they will stop answering the questions around the time you get to schedule II, which asks (in nicer language of course) for the address(es) and telephone number(s) of their former cohabitants, but your mileage may vary.
From the article: "Controls such as the banning of handguns after the Dunblane tragedy have had no effect on the number of illegally held guns that are smuggled into the country..."
The UN is currently pressing for schemes resembling C-68 to be implemented in all the world's nations. I doubt that even the historically stoic populace of the former Soviet Union would still their disquiet in the face of such injustice - after all, the last time something similar happened there, Stalin was at the helm and millions died.
The riding had been viewed as a probable win for the Tories - as it indeed might have been had they not installed a C-68 supporter as their candidate.
Organized crime recently got a boost and a new market area with the introduction of the Firearms Act. Whether that also counts as a destabilizing force is a judgement call, but it seems to have had the effect of adding hundreds of thousands to the formal ranks of the Opposition. Participate in the political process or don't complain when it becomes overrun by criminals with a hidden agenda. It's only $10 to purchase a membership in any federal political party.
Canadian Firearms Center cuts into clays market?
With the critical migratory waterfowl hunting season upon us, it seems that the Canadian Firearms Center is attempting to gain market share previously held by the makers of clay pigeons. Yes, the CFC is issuing free 'eFAL' firearm license application CDROMs to those who request them. To get yours call 1 800 731 4000 and don't let them hear your friends shouting "pull!" in the background. Order some for your friends too! Defective CDROMs are unusable for their intended purpose but could come in handy for a bit of scattergun practice. A word of caution: these items are not biodegrable though they are reusable in that the fragments make dandy .22 targets. Be environmentally friendly and remember to pick up whatever is left afterwards. Defective CDs should probably be returned to the Firearms Center so that they can evaluate the cause of failure. Firearm license applications can also be ordered on paper through the same number. Unused bits of this high-grade paper are apparently favored as wads for muzzleloading shotguns.
In most western countries, violent crimes are linked more to alcohol consumption than to any class of weapons. Perhaps South Africa's proposed new firearm laws should be replaced with safe storage regulations for the Presidential wine cellars?
The "warning signs" claimed by the FBI in their report include having "access to weapons" at home. Presumably, this includes all children whose parents have knives or blunt objects in the home, since knives, baseball bats and the like tend to be represented in the majority of violent crimes. This of course covers the FBI's bases so that they can point and say "see" but is ridiculous from a statistical standpoint (sample size of 18 incidents extended to population of several hundred million... One could be led to conclude that all North Americans are probably male using that kind of sample size) and meaningless in terms of public safety.
My own license application has been in process since October 1999, with no outcome as yet. I'm apparently forced to use an unregulated antique firearm for hunting purposes this year unless the CFC can pull my license out of their hat (or wherever it is that they have inserted it) within the next few days.
The UN has been aggressively pushing to heavily restrict or prohibit most firearms, making scenarios such as this one frighteningly more possible.
Under the arcane prohibition provisions of the Firearms Act, Ramsay had received a 10 year prohibition on possession of firearms even though his alleged crime did not involve a firearm.
Pulse check
September 5 Winnipeg Sun, page 8, Feedback phone-in readers poll: "The national gun registry is a waste of time and resources for police." 90% of respondents agreed, 10% disagreed with 383 calls taken in total.
The Canadian Firearms Center has recently confirmed to me that no license, training, registration, etc is required to legally build, acquire or possess a matchlock, flintlock, or wheellock long arm for personal use. This solves the problem of what I am to hunt waterfowl with this year, as I do not own a shotgun and cannot legally purchase a non-antique firearm until the local CFO finishes issuing my FPAL - a process which has taken since last October but which I'm now told shouldn't take longer than three more months. Hmn. Anyways, getting back to the matchlock, I think that something along the lines of a homemade reproduction of a 15th century matchlock in 12 gauge would do nicely - and it will still allow me to use standard wads. If you're interested in making your own matchlock, you'll of course require a source of 'slow match'. Basically, that can be made by soaking a cotton or hemp wick or rope in a saturated black powder solution for a few minutes. For more info on slow match, check out The Slow Match Web Site No black powder? Hey, it happens. After first obtaining any necessary training and permits, let J D Tuccile show you how to make your own powder. Dangerous Labs also has the pro method available. No saltpeter? Also not a problem if you don't mind a little muck. Charcoal is easily made, and sulfur is available either at the drugstore or as fertilizer. With a little work, you too can build your own guns and ammo. Makes you wonder why the government figures that its legislation can affect criminal misuse of firearms at all. For those who would like to try a matchlock but don't want to make their own, Loyalist Arms of Nova Scotia is one of the few remaining Canadian firearm manufacturers and could even be the only matchlock manufacturer in the country.
The article segment on Kushi Samuels states, "Most of the shell casings at the scene were 6.35 calibre, used in automatic weapons. There were also casings from a 9mm Luger pistol." That would probably be 6.35mm unless the offender were toting some sort of rocket launcher or cannon. The print version of the Digest went a step further and listed the other set of casings as ".9mm Luger" - which would be the smallest caliber cartridge I am aware of at about 1/3 the bore diameter of the pipsqueak 2.7mm Colibri. I suspect they meant that the other casings were 10 times larger at 9mm.
To register or not --Winnipeg Sun Letter to the Editor
Throughout my summer travels in the riding, the No. 1 question brought to my attention was: Should I register my firearms?
My answer has always been: "I don't advocate that you break the law, but what's the hurry? You have until the end of the year to get a possession certificate. The law says that you have until the end of 2003 to register your firearms." The Liberal government is spending your money to entice you to register yourself through what they call their outreach program which incidentally, is a flop from coast to coast. Canadians aren't that stupid, after all. This so-called crime control initiative has cost the taxpayer almost half a billion dollars. This year's budget saw more new money put into gun registration than policing. It's time to call another federal election, Jean. Inky Mark, MP Ottawa (And the sooner the better.)
If anyone does this, my advice would be to use firearms which are LEGALLY unregistered even under the new laws. Don't give police an excuse to seize your newly illegal firearms - that's what the law is designed to do. Show them your newly LEGAL firearms instead and watch the fireworks fly.
For more on the speedy sport of fastdraw, check out The Fastdraw Resource Center.
800,000 people lost their lives in the subsequent Rwanda massacres. The UN has been hypocritically bleating for increased regulation of firearms.
Cops' support of gun law wavers - Police want money to enforce C-68 --Winnipeg Sun
September 3, 2000 By GREG Di CRESCE -- Police Reporter - In the wake of dwindling police support for Canada's contentious gun registration law, rank-and-file Manitoba cops hope Ottawa will take their concerns more seriously. "I hope they see this as a wake-up call. We feel that in the past, they haven't been very genuine in their support of policing both municipally and federally," said Boyd Campbell, president of the Manitoba Police Association. Officially, the Canadian Police Asso-ciation backs Ottawa's gun registry, but members were asked at a Halifax convention Friday whether they wanted to debate continuing to support it. Slightly more than 50% voted to hold off debating the hot issue until next March. "And I can tell you we in Manitoba voted to debate the issue this meeting, as I believe most of the other Western associations did," Campbell said yesterday in a phone interview from Halifax. "I expect we'll not be setting aside this debate in March. For the federal government, meanwhile, sand is running out of the hour glass," he said. Bill C-68, passed by Par-liament in 1995, requires that gun owners get licences by the end of this year and register their firearms by Jan. 1, 2003. Campbell said the feds promised the cost of establishing the gun registry wouldn't cut into their overall commitment to policing.
"But I'm not convinced it hasn't. And if they go ahead as planned and get all the long guns registered, what is going to happen when we need more time and people to administer and enter in the data," he said. Some $328 million has been spent during the last five years setting up the system, which still isn't fully functional. Carl Shier, Winnipeg Police Association president, said the decision to delay didn't surprise him, nor did the close vote.
FRUSTRATING DELAY
"It's a decision that keeps the association at the table. And they are probably thinking it's better to be there than on the outside looking in," he said. The delay has angered the gun control critic with the Canadian Alliance, which has called for tanking the registry. "If the police want public support, they need to display more backbone themselves," Gary Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, Sask., told Canadian Press on Friday. "If the law is useless they should have the courage to say so." In a statement released Friday, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police reaffirmed its support of the gun registry.
--With files from CP
Prince William photographed with precision rifle
The September 12 edition of the Globe supermarket tabloid shows the Prince sporting a ghillie suit and cradling what appears to be a scoped (is there any other type?) L96A1. Members of the Welsh Guards accompanied the Prince into the jungles of Belize on an exercise during which these photos were snapped. The photographs are shown on the cover and on pages 24 and 25 of the magazine, where a predominantly negative article tut-tuts William's 'risk-taking'. The Prince is no stranger to firearms despite his youthful 18 years. He made headlines recently when he hunted deer with his brother Harry and their father.
..and please vote for someone who will lift those silly ITAR export permit requirements on firearms and parts destined for Canada.
The tories had previously vowed to oppose the long gun registry but maintain the 'handgun' registry - an inaccurate bureaucracy that the Liberals admitted (in the House) has saved not one documented life since its inception in the 1930s. It's not clear from the report, but hopefully they're taking the old deadwood away along with the new. Another recently released party document indicates that they're considering registration of sex offenders instead of firearms. But C-68 isn't just about the registry - what about search without probable cause and the rest of it?
Yep, they mean us. Or rather, our current federal government and their silly schemes. Note that the author of the above article knows the Firearms Act search provisions better than the cops who showed up at my door for an impromptu search. Make of that what you will. See bottom article this month for the latest story of cops tripped up through ignorance of the richly complex and humorous folds of the Firearms Act.
Guess what some of the more 'technically inclined' at the Canadian Firearms Center have been working on for the past month? Yes, their much-hyped, often delayed eFAL 'application' is now finally available - and after all these weeks of anticipation, the "eFAL" turns out to be nothing more than an Adobe PDF file! Is this their emergency plan B, or just how many weeks does it take our government employees to convert a two page form from one electronic format (after all, the paper applications were presumably drawn up on a computer in the first place) to another??? Prospective applicants would be better off obtaining hardcopies of the license application forms (available by calling 1 800 731 4000) - unless, that is, you want to use YOUR ink and paper to print all those delicately shaded boxes? I thought not. More silliness from the CFC.
Does anyone want some syrup to go with that waffle?
The CBC article notes that demonstrations have taken place on either side of this issue, but fails to mention that the demonstrations against the firearms Act were and continue to be thousands of times larger than those in defense of the failed act.
