in E News CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION August 30, 2013
CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION / CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
TEAM CSSA E-NEWS – August 30, 2013
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COMMENTARY: HARVARD GUN CONTROL STUDY RESURFACES SIX YEARS LATER
For reasons that appear unclear, the great Harvard gun control study by Dr. Gary Mauser and lawyer Don Kates has gone viral across the continent – again.
Google shows lots of web sites are carrying a story this week that appears to be news. But, the study cited by Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy was actually released in 2007. Mauser and Kates produced the carefully researched and footnoted paper entitled, Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide? A Review of International and Some Domestic Evidence.
www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jlpp/Vol30_No2_KatesMauseronline.pdf
While the study may not technically be “news” in 2013, there is every reason to revisit it. Perhaps this is an indication that our society didn’t have the stomach for the conclusions made by Mauser and Kates in 2007, but the masses have matured enough to accept it now, some six years later. If John Q. Citizen is prepared to consider that gun control doesn’t work, it would indeed be reason to celebrate.
In light of such studies conducted under the harsh glare of the scientific method, the anti-gun groups and left-leaning media stubbornly ignore the facts. The Harvard study and many others provide evidence that escalating gun control does not curtail gun crime. It further concludes that systematic government disarmament of the masses has the opposite effect.
Recent stats compiled by the Library of Parliament reveal that scrapping the gun registry in April 2012 did not increase firearms crime in Canada. While it’s too early to suggest there is a trend, some provinces report a drop in firearms crimes since the registry was axed. As we predicted, there was no pent-up crime wave lying in wait for the Harper government’s sensible initiative. We now implore the government to scrap the other hollow legislative encumbrances that gun owners detest.
It is notable that Quebec – the sole province fighting to keep its registry data – reported more firearms crime since April 2012, even with its registry still intact. Statistically and morally, there is no argument to either retain the registry or build a new one.
Could it be the dog days of summer that have taken the hot air out of the gun-haters? The anti-gun messengers have all but disappeared in recent months. The sum total of media outreach from the Coalition for Gun Control brain-trust is a half-hearted media release that warns it will intervene before the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) to support Quebec’s attempt to preserve its registry database. Meanwhile, the SCC has so far shown no interest in listening to Quebec’s feeble plea.
The Province of Quebec and the Coalition both ignore the fact that Quebec firearms owners have exchanged tens of thousands of guns. The CSSA launched “The Great Canadian Gun Registry Shuffle” exactly a year ago to illustrate that the registry data is hopelessly incomplete and outdated.
The gun-haters’ targets have left the building. The Province and the Coalition know that, too, but they need an action item to win Quebeckers’ hearts, minds, votes and wallets. Canadians everywhere have reported shuffling more than half a million guns, and there must be well over a million firearms we don’t know about that have found new homes.
The Canadian public is coming around to understanding that gun control doesn’t reduce crime. Soon they will take the plunge and admit that gun control creates crime. Take a bow, responsible firearms owners – you are helping to educate a nation.
Small wonder that anti-gun groups have fallen silent in recent months. Could it be they’re running out of ammunition?
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HARVARD STUDY SHOOTS HOLES IN GUN CONTROL: Once again, a study from an organization that you would never accuse of being “gun-loving” or “right-wing” seems to disprove the myth that the availability of handguns increases murder rates. In fact, it doesn’t.
The Harvard study attempts to answer the question of whether or not banning firearms would reduce murders and suicides. Researchers looked at crime data from several European countries and found that countries with higher gun ownership often had lower murder rates.
Russia, for example, enforces very strict gun control on its people, but its murder rate remains quite high. In fact, the murder rate in Russia is four times higher than in the “gun-ridden” United States, cites the study. “Homicide results suggest that where guns are scarce other weapons are substituted in killings.” In other words, the elimination of guns does not eliminate murder, and in the case of gun-controlled Russia, murder rates are quite high.
The study revealed several European countries with significant gun ownership, like Norway, Finland, Germany and France – had remarkably low murder rates. Contrast that with Luxembourg, “where handguns are totally banned and ownership of any kind of gun is minimal, had a murder rate nine times higher than Germany in 2002.”
The study found no evidence to suggest that the availability of guns contributes to higher murder rates anywhere in the world. ”Of course, it may be speculated that murder rates around the world would be higher if guns were more available. But there is simply no evidence to support this.”
Further, the report cited, “the determinants of murder and suicide are basic social, economic, and cultural factors, not the prevalence of some form of deadly mechanism.” Meaning, it’s not guns that kill people. People kill people. (Small Government Times.com — August 20, 2013)
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YET MORE COVERAGE ON THE HARVARD STUDY: A Harvard study titled “Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide?” is sure to put gun control advocates into a tizzy after it validated what has long been known among second amendment supporters, that gun control does not reduce crime.
The Harvard study looked at figures for “intentional deaths” throughout continental Europe and juxtaposes them with similar data from the US. When they did, they were shocked to discover that contrary to the popular liberal mantra, gun control did not reduce crime and actually may have helped increase murder and suicide rates.
Among the examples cited by the study was Russia, where the rate of gun ownership is 4,000 per 100,000 inhabitants the murder rate was 20.52 per 100,000. By contrast, Finland where the rate of gun ownership is significantly higher at 39,000 per 100,000 the murder rate was almost nonexistent at 1.98 per 100,000.
While some might say Western Europe has a different culture in America, the Harvard study found similar trends when examining murders in the United States. Gun control supporters around the world frequently attempt to claim that America is the most violent nation because of the Second Amendment and its easy accessibility to firearms. However, the study reveals that America actually comes in seventh place when it comes to murders, behind Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Polaris and the Ukraine. Gun control advocates have also claimed that a person is more likely to be killed by their own weapon than they are by a stranger. However, these figures are arrived at by including suicide attempts. In the suicide category, America comes in number 22.
Showing the stark difference between gun control versus the Second Amendment, in Russia were handguns are banned, the murder rate is 30.6 per 100,000, while in the US the rate is a mere 7.8.
The Harvard study is simply another in a long line of research that validates that gun bans actually increase the murder and violent crime rate. Professor John Lott Jr., conducted a study of crime rates in the United States by County back in the 1990s. His research caused him to publish the results in his book “More Guns, Less Crime,” which was just released in a new edition this year. Lott has frequently criticized gun control proponents noting that the statistics they quote are frequently dishonest.
One of the frequent claims made by gun control supporters, including the president is that 40 percent of gun sales do not go through a background check.
Lott noted that over 90 percent of the 40 percent number involved inheritances and gifts between family members such as a father passing a firearm down to his son or daughter.
He also noted the study was conducted before the Brady bill was passed and researchers only interviewed 250 gun purchasers, asking them if they had gone through a background check.
Another claim is that background checks have prevented 1.7 million people who were denied by the check from buying a gun.
Lott says while that number may sound impressive, the majority of those 1.7 million were false positives resulting from people having similar names to someone who is prohibited from owning a gun. “The late senator Ted Kennedy was on the no-fly list five times because his name sounded similar to a terrorist. Using Obama’s logic about the 1.7 million felons stopped from buying guns, we would have to say DHS stopped five terrorists from boarding a plane each time Kennedy’s name came up. Of course, that is absurd.” (By Matthew Patrick – Finance Post – August 28, 2013)
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SPORT SHOOTING EVENTS
SHOOTERS LOOK SHARP IN CALGARY: Shooters from Langley Rod & Gun Club brought home two gold medals from the 2013 Canadian National Pistol Championship held in Calgary on the weekend of August 2-4. Dorothy Ludwig of Langley is the 2013 Canadian National Women Airpistol Champion, and Jessica Auton of Langley is the 2013 Canadian National Junior Women Airpistol Champion. Jessica is 16 years old and competed against shooters from 16 to 20 years old from almost every province in Canada. (Aldergrove Star — August 21, 2013)
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OTTAWA COMPETITION ON THE HORIZON: The National Capital Region Rifle Association will be holding its annual Fall Shoot from Friday September 20 through Sunday September 22, 2013, at the Connaught Ranges in Ottawa.
You can register for the match either online through the http://www.targetscores.com website or using the attached PDF form, which can be printed, completed and either faxed or mailed in. Payment can be made at the matches or it can be mailed as a cheque in advance.
Note that standard ATTs do not allow for transportation of restricted firearms to DND ranges. In addition to a Short-Term ATT, carry a copy of the match program with you as proof of invitation to the match as compliance with new rules required by the Ontario CFO.
For those that require an ATT to attend DND ranges a phone call to the CFO’s office at1-800-731-4000-1-5-1 x7503 as early as possible should solve this problem –1 is for English, 5 is for Ontario, 1 is for short term.
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PINECREST GUN CLUB COMPETITION: “2700” Match – Saturday, August 31 at 9 a.m. at the Maple Leaf Marksmen Rifle and Revolver Club in St. Catharines ON. Come and shoot and have some fun. Never shot a “2700” before? No problem! It is the equivalent of 3 “900” matches or 9 National Match Courses. Call Pete at 905-685-0255 for more information. Spaces are limited.
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WIN 11,000 ROUNDS OF AMMO FROM RIGHT EDITION: Brian Lovig’s popular website Right Edition (formerly The Daily Split) is holding a contest to give away 11,000 rounds of ammo to a lucky winner on January 1, 2014. The prize is 10,000 rounds of .22 calibre and 1,000 rounds of 9 mm ammo.
Entries are limited to one per person per day, but enter every day if you like! No purchase necessary and the entry deadline is midnight, December 29, 2013. The contest is free for legally qualified residents of the United States and Canada. As a bonus, entrants will receive a free email reminder of upcoming shows on Right Edition and the CSSA E-News.
For entry and draw information, see: http://rightedition.com/win-11000-rounds-of-ammo-contest/
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RECENT NEWS COVERAGE
OLDEST VOTE-GETTER IN THE BOOK: A City Council bill would give New Yorkers the power to see if their next-door neighbor ever had a criminal past with a gun. City Councilman Peter Vallone is set to introduce legislation Thursday that would put the NYPD’s gun offender registry online.
The database keeps track of those convicted of certain gun crimes. Vallone, who chairs the city’s public safety committee and is running for Queens borough president, is also introducing another bill that would call on the state to create its own version of the registry.
“We cannot allow these violent offenders to slip through the cracks upon their release from prison, and these bills will keep residents and law enforcement officers across the state well aware of their locations,” he said in a statement. A mayoral spokesman said Mayor Michael Bloomberg would review the bill, which has support from several city and state leaders.
The registry, which is only accessible to the NYPD, mandates that the convicts register their address with the police and update their info every six months for the first four years after they are released from prison. Failure to comply in keeping their data current results in jail time. (AM New York – August 21, 2013)
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STAB ASSAILANT WITH YOUR GUN LOCKER KEY: It must be a bit bracing to be home when a bad guy is trying to break into your house…
According to a story in the Calgary Sun, “police believe the homeowner went to a basement window when a man smashed through it Monday night, and threatened the would-be intruder to stay out. “It is alleged a short time later, after getting ammunition, the (homeowner) returned to the window and fired a .22-calibre rifle several times, but the suspect had already fled on a bike.
“Gary Paul Bucci, 68, is charged with unsafe storage of firearm and careless use of firearm.” Ahh, but things are never as straightforward as they seem. The story goes on to say the alleged bad guy was already in court for attacking a woman in the house. So, was it wrong for Bucci to squeeze off a few rounds, as it’s alleged, after buddy had taken off? Maybe, but let’s not judge too quickly. There is a larger issue here.
The real crime is Bucci had to go find his ammunition while an accused violent intruder was trying to come through his basement window. In Canada, your ammunition is supposed to be stored in a separate place from your firearms, which have to be locked up in a government-approved gun safe. So, if you are a firearms owner, and you follow all the storage rules, an intruder instantly has a huge advantage.
If he enters at night, you might be able to stab the bad guy with the key to your gun locker. Perhaps you could swat him with the voluminous set of rules that firearms owners must follow. The common sense thing to do is to keep a loaded shotgun beside your bed. Some slimeball has already attacked a woman in the house. You know there’s a high likelihood that he’ll come back.
If he does, you also know there’s no way the police are going to arrive until after said slimeball has left a lot of blood on the floor. The UN won’t protect you. There’s no time to search for the root causes of violence. In a situation like that, it’s either self-protection or it’s no protection at all, and it’s just not good enough to lay in bed with a set of keys under your pillow.
In Bucci’s case, he hobbled over on 68-year-old, busted-up knees to try to protect a woman who had already been attacked once. He was lucky his warning to stay out and his unloaded .22 rifle were enough to put the run on the aforementioned slimeball. It could have turned out much differently.
I’ve got an idea. Instead of charging Bucci, how about we give him a medal for being man enough to put himself between a thug and a frightened victim. Then let’s talk about how our firearm storage laws tilt the field in favour of violent criminals. (By Monte Solberg – QMI Agency – August 26, 2013)
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OUR U.S. COUSINS ENJOY NEW SHOOTERS: The face of America’s target shooters is changing. New target shooters–those who have taken up the sport in the last five years–are younger, female and urban when compared to established target shooters, or those participating for more than five years, according to a survey commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation®.
Just how this new segment of target shooters varies from established target shooters can be found in the Analysis of Sport Shooting Participation in the U.S. 2008-2012, the findings of which are based on a survey conducted by Responsive Management, a public opinion research firm specializing in outdoor recreation issues. The report is available free to NSSF members as a member benefit.
Read the media release at http://www.nssf.org/NewsRoom/releases/show.cfm?PR=082913_New-Target-Shooters.cfm&path=2013 (NSSF media release – August 29, 2013)
(Editor’s note: The NSSF’s data perfectly mirrors the experience of the CSSA. We see the same changes)
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THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The CSSA is the voice of the sport shooter and firearms enthusiast in Canada. Our national membership supports and promotes Canada’s firearms heritage, traditional target shooting competition, modern action shooting sports, hunting, and archery. We support and sponsor competitions and youth programs that promote these Canadian heritage activities.
To join or donate to the CSSA, visit: http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/membership.html
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CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION / CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
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