TEAM CSSA E-NEWS – December 16, 2013

TEAM CSSA E-NEWS – December 16, 2013
** Please share this E-news with your friends **

COMMENTARY: WILL HIGH RIVER DOCUMENTARY FALL ON DEAF EARS?

Kudos to Sun News and Lorne Gunter for the documentary Broken Trust: Gun Grab at High River.

It is refreshing to see investigative journalism that refuses to kowtow to left-wing ambition. The documentary demonstrates chapter and verse that RCMP officers made some very bad decisions during the High River flood in late June. The source behind the orders that violated citizen’s rights remains unclear, but there was ample evidence that police lapsed into a pack mentality as they broke into private homes to confiscate firearms.

Every Canadian should witness and weigh the evidence in the Sun News video. See it here:
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/2923814901001

Coincidentally, members of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP showed up in High River last week to interview local residents affected by the unnecessary home invasions. It appears police spun the natural disaster into a machismo-fest, given that one house had two separate doors kicked in. Conveniently, the police-produced “selfie” video edited out their forced entries when the black boots were busting door locks, hinges and frames. Some doors were reported knocked down entirely and homes left open to the elements. Is this how Canada’s national police force secures private property now? It takes a concerted effort to cause more than $3 million damage to 1,900 of the 5,300 homes in the Alberta town.

If civilians were filmed causing property damage during the flood, they would surely (and rightly) be raked over the coals of justice. But, when some 200 police officers seconded to High River entered private homes and violated civil rights to search for guns, all we hear from the provincial government is the sound of crickets. Are police officers now being trained to believe that responsible firearms owners are more dangerous than non-owners? Statistically, gun owners are less likely to be involved in crime than non-owners. Some police officers – certainly not all – appear to be misinformed about who sport shooters and collectors really are. Don’t they realize we’re the good guys?

The general public has been trained to fear gun owners, too. They witness hundreds of shootings when they turn on the TV, go to a movie, or play computer games. If we can suspend our disbelief to accept that Superman can fly, why can’t we accept that onscreen gun abuse is merely a script writer’s crutch to excite passive viewers? Society has grown more fearful of lawful gun owners in recent decades, even though sport shooters are merely innocent bystanders in a world gone media-mad.

The RCMP in High River demonstrated they have been brainwashed into adopting an “us vs. them” mentality. They also apparently believe they are exempt from the laws that pertain to everyone else. The RCMP were so confident they could justify ignoring basic human rights that they filmed themselves doing it.

Lorne Gunter asked many insightful and hard questions in Broken Trust. We have one more: Just who the hell do the RCMP think they are?

——-

CSSA MEMBER SHARES HIS LETTER ABOUT LEDGER ABUSE: Dear CSSA: I sent this email to Canadian Tire. The actions of the Chief Firearms Officer of Ontario are in defiance of Parliament and as such brings into disrepute the Ontario Provincial Police and a government who allows a public servant to flaunt the law and defy Parliament by making up their own laws.

“I recently purchased a rifle from the Canadian Tire store in Pembroke ON. The clerk promptly pulled out a Chief Firearms Officer ledger and informed me they had to maintain this ledger by law. I believe CTC is in error on this point. The CFO of Ontario is doing this in defiance of Parliament as legislation has ended the registration of long guns. Confer with your lawyers and then advise me why you are registering long guns. I look forward to your written response.

Ronald W.
Westmeath ON

P.S. A copy of this email is being forwarded to the Prime Minister and other interested parties.”

——-

HELP SUPPORT THE GREAT WORK THE CSSA DOES TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. DONATE HERE

——-

HO HO HO – BUY A CSSA MEMBERSHIP FOR CHRISTMAS!

Want to give a gift this Christmas that keeps on giving? Sign up family members and friends as Canadian Shooting Sports Association members. What better way to show you care? Purchase a CSSA membership for just $45 on behalf of others or yourself.

Here’s what you’ll be providing that special person by affiliating them with the CSSA:

• $5,000,000 primary liability insurance for all legal shooting activities
• Legislative advocacy – for the protection of our rights and our sport
• Training courses, regarded as the best in Canada
• Recreational shooting activities, sanctioned matches, etc.
• Special communication updates on legislative matters
• Discount loyalty programs: e.g. car rentals, hotels and more
• Special discounted Home and Auto Insurance
• Special discounted property and equipment insurance for clubs and ranges
Contact our office at 416-679-9959 or call toll free 1-888-873-4339 for details. Call now!

Or meet us online at http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/membership.html

——-

PARANOID VICTORIA COUNCIL TRIES GUN BAN: Victoria is looking at ways to regulate the sale of firearms and ammunition in the city. After hearing that a pawnshop was buying and selling guns, Mayor Dean Fortin wanted a staff report on possibly “restricting” the sale of firearms in the downtown core. But councillors Thursday broadened the scope to include “regulating” the purchase and sale of firearms within city limits.

“Some of the local businesses have brought to my attention that one of the local pawnshops has got a licence to buy and sell guns in the downtown core,” Fortin said. “It obviously has sparked a concern in the sense of what risks are out there.”

He noted that some municipalities, such as Surrey, use zoning to restrict where firearms can be sold. Jeremy Griese, general manager of Island Collateral and Sales in downtown Victoria, said he was shocked by the councillors’ action. He has just gone through the federal process of being licensed to buy and sell firearms but has yet to buy or sell any guns. Griese said television shows such as Pawn Stars have piqued people’s interest in pawnshops and antique guns.

“Now we have the licences in order so if somebody comes in with some rare gem of an old gun or somebody’s father passes away in Oak Bay and they have all these collectible old guns, now we have an option [to take them] as an item we could pawn, buy or sell.” He said after he received his federal licence, he notified Victoria’s bylaw department. “Then the city came and issued us a business licence with a firearms condition on it for the coming year of 2014,” he said. “We’re not here to arm the city or build a militia.”

Councillors Lisa Helps and Geoff Young were the only councillors to vote against requesting a staff report on the issue. Helps said she is not a fan of guns but she is worried that the request would have a significant impact on limited staff time. “We need to say, ‘If we are going to do this, what are we going to take off the table,’ ” Helps said. Young said all kinds of things are sold downtown that he is not interested in buying and has no interest in seeing others buy — but that doesn’t mean the city should restrict their sale. “So we’re sending a message [with the motion] that there’s some kinds of stores and some kind of people that we just don’t want in our downtown. I think that is absolutely opposed to what we’ve all agreed. We’ve said Victoria is the centre of a significant region and we welcome people to come here.”

Fortin said his concern was the sale of guns downtown. “It may be something acceptable in other areas of the city but in the downtown … it just seems it’s a higher risk, less advisable activity.” Councillors Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Shellie Gudgeon didn’t see any reason to limit the focus to downtown. “I don’t think we want to see this migrate to our neighbourhoods, which are thriving,” Gudgeon said. Victoria police said while firearms sales out of a downtown pawnshop concerns them, there’s nothing they can do.

“Do we like the fact that it’s there? No,” said Victoria police spokesman Const. Mike Russell. (Editor’s note: This is yet another blatant example of police propoganda. Const. Russell, a mere public servant, is pushing an ill-informed and prejudicial agenda to harm a perfectly legal small business.) The firearmscanada.com website lists three gun dealers in the capital region. (Times Colonist – December 12, 2013)

——-

CANADIAN SMITH SECURES OLYMPIC SPOT IN BIATHLON: Nathan Smith was the latest Canadian biathlete to secure a spot at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games on Saturday after a 16th-place finish at a World Cup event. The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the men’s 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15.1 seconds. “This is a huge relief as this result was pretty last minute,” said Smith, who need a top-30 result on Saturday to avoid the domestic trial races in Canmore, Alta., next week. “Today was the best ski time I’ve had yet at World Cup level, and a solid nine out of 10 in shooting. Unfortunately my shooting speed was a lot slower than normal. I really had to slow things down and fight for every shot. Thankfully my skiing made up for this so in the end it was still an excellent result that I’m very happy about.” It was the second 16th place result for Smith this year.

Junior world champion Johannes Thingnes Boe of Norway earned his first career win in the event. The 20-year-old Boe shot clean to finish in 22:06.7 seconds, putting him 32.9 ahead of Ondrej Moravec of Czech Republic, who also shot clean. Frenchman Martin Fourcade had one penalty and finished 37.1 back in third place. Regina’s Scott Perass was solid in 31st spot at 23:34.7 (0+1), while Jean-Philippe Le Guellec of Shannon, Que., placed 49th (0+2) with a time of 24:09.8.

In women’s competition, Rosanna Crawford, of Canmore was the top Canadian finishing 26th (21:52.5) (1+0) in the women’s 7.5-kilometre sprint event. Switzerland’s Selina Gasparin shot clean to win the women’s gold with a time of 20:51.5. Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen won the silver medal at 2:59.7 despite missing one shot. Ukraine’s Valj Semerenko also missed one shot but hung on for the bronze medal with a time of 21:02.9. Megan Imrie of Falcon Lake, Man., place 40th at 22:17.8 (1+1), while Zina Kocher, of Red Deer, Alta., tied for 45th with a time of 22:26.4 (1+2), and Megan Heinicke, of Prince George, B.C., settled for 50th at 22:32.6 (1+2). (The Canadian Press – 12/14/2013)

——-

PRAIRIE FIREARM OWNER TESTS NEW SELF-DEFENCE LAWS: When I read that Saskatoon resident Hugh Lindholm had fired his rifle in the air to warn off a late-night intruder, my first reaction was not “good on ya!” I have no objection to a 72-year-old man, who lives with his wife on an acreage in my favourite Saskatchewan city, showing a potential home invader what he’s in for if he goes any further. No, I expected the cops would be showing up to put old Mr. Lindholm in cuffs, followed by charges of unlawfully discharging a firearm. But I needn’t have worried. I’d forgotten the landscape has changed when it comes the right to armed self-defence in Canada.

We’re not quite in U.S.-style “stand your ground” territory, or even the so-called “castle doctrine,” which asserts a person’s home is their castle and they’re entitled to defend it. But under Criminal Code changes passed by the Conservative government that took effect this year, it’s now clearer when you can use a gun in some circumstances to protect life and property.

Here’s what happened, according to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Lindholm and his wife, Beverly, were asleep last April 9 when they were awakened by the sound of breaking glass. Lindholm retrieved his rifle from the bedroom closet, loaded it and went to the door while his wife called 911. A stranger stood on the couple’s deck. He’d just thrown a 40-pound patio brick through a window. Now he was demanding Lindholm’s car keys. He ignored Lindholm’s orders to get off the property, so the homeowner fired a shot over his head. That apparently didn’t register, so Lindholm fired a second, after which the guy took the hint. Police arrived minutes later, the StarPhoenix said, and arrested the intruder, 34-year-0ld Jason Barlow. He was drunk and had run his car into the ditch near Lindholm’s acreage. He apologized after sobering up the next day and this week pleaded guilty to attempted break and enter and obstructing a peace officer. He received two years probation, 200 hours of community service and was ordered to pay $8,500 restitution for damage to Lindholm’s house. It’s not clear from the news report if the Crown looked into the actions of the rifle-toting homeowner but it’s unlikely.

The Conservatives’ Criminal Code amendments appear to give Canadians clearer guidance in defending people or property. Section 34 of the code, which covers the use of force in the defence of a person, and Section 35 does the same for defence of property. The operative word in both instances is reasonableness. The government made the changes after Toronto grocer David Chen was prosecuted for apprehending and tying up a chronic shoplifter. But a few other high-profile cases that saw homeowners prosecuted after fending off attacks with guns also fuelled the debate over when force could be used…. Read The whole story at http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/prairie-justice-rifle-toting-homeowner-puts-self-defence-202625427.html (By Steve Mertl – Daily Brew – December 6, 2013)

——-

MP BRUCE HYER – GUN OWNERS’ FRIEND – JOINS GREEN PARTY: Persistence has paid off for Elizabeth May, who doubled the size of her caucus Friday when independent MP Bruce Hyer formally announced he was indeed going Green.

The former New Democrat broke the news to constituents in Thunder Bay-Superior North, alongside his new leader. In remarks prepared for the occasion, Hyer said he’s been wooed by both Liberals and his former party but after much reflection found they were “too hyper-partisan” and unwilling to allow him to vote on policy according to his own conscience and in what he felt were the best interests of his community.

“I will never represent any party that ‘whips’ voting by their MPs, especially on issues not clearly laid out in agreed-upon written policy or platforms,” he said, adding his Green Party membership fees are officially paid up for three years. “There is only one party that whips few if any votes, as long as their six basic principles are followed. I believe in those six basic principles and I am not concerned that Elizabeth and I will disagree on some votes. We already have.”

As a member of the Green Party, Hyer said he would enjoy the best of both worlds: “independent-plus” status. He will have the freedom to vote as a he likes on legislation and he’ll maintain the same quota of questions and statements in the House of Commons.

“Plus I will have access to the resources of a well-organized and established party with high-quality researchers and a network of experts in many fields,” he said.

In a recent interview with Postmedia News, Hyer noted that’s been one of the biggest challenges over the last 21 months since he quit the NDP caucus and soon after the party. Despite a “valiant effort,” he said it was becoming far too time-consuming for him to research and read every single piece of legislation, whether it has to do with his areas of expertise or not.

Running for re-election, he said, is also far more difficult without the support of a well-funded party.
In the end, he concluded, the Green Party has the “best leader” and the “best platform,” although he said he looks forward to “tweaking it a bit” before the next election.

The Jack Layton loyalist left the NDP caucus to sit as an independent days after he was left out of newly elected leader Tom Mulcair’s shadow cabinet back in April 2012. It was the final straw in what had become an increasingly tense relationship. Hyer was punished the previous fall for voting in favour of a Conservative bill to scrap the long-gun registry, contrary to the wishes of his party but in the interest, he felt, of his constituents…

“I don’t know how he stood it as long as he did,” May told Postmedia News, adding one of the “core values” of her party is “grassroots democracy. “The primary responsibility of a member of Parliament is to represent their constituents,” she said.

While they don’t see eye-to-eye on everything – May, for instance, voted to save the long-gun registry – they both support democratic reform and are champions of Conservative Michael Chong’s private member’s bill to limit the power of party leaders… (Postmedia News – December 13, 2013)

——-

CONCERNS IN SASKATCHEWAN OVER DEER HARVEST: Hunting season is never without at least some controversy, but this year nobody is happy including the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF), which accused the government of ignoring the science by allocating just as many hunting licences as in previous seasons. “In spite of the hundreds of calls about dying deer and the recognition of the devastation that winter mortality would have on our deer populations, combined with the fact that any recruitment of fawns this year from surviving does would be minimal; there were no reductions in allocations,” wrote Darrell Crabbe.

Following a harsh winter in 2010-2011, numbers of whitetail deer were already depressed. Last year did not help them rebound as deep snow and a late melt created perfect conditions for higher than normal winter mortality. In its 2013 hunting forecast, Western Sportsman magazine summed up the prospects for hunters. “White tail populations can recover comparatively quickly with favourable conditions, but the deer numbers are currently so depressed that it will likely be several years before hunters see deer as plentiful as in 2010,” the article stated. “The southeast corner of the province (WMZ 31-39) traditionally holds the highest number of white tail deer and that is likely to be the best bet for 2013.”

But even here in the southeast, things are not looking good. Some estimates peg the population at only 40 to 50 per cent of pre-2011 levels. “I would probably agree with those numbers,” said Aron Hershmiller, an avid hunter and manager at the Assiniboine Watershed Stewardship Association. Hershmiller has been running trail cameras for years and said he has only captured about half the numbers he’s used to seeing. “There’s no sign,” he said. “You talk to most hunters from Saltcoats to Ituna to Theodore and it’s the same story.”

The SWF called on its membership to express displeasure with the government. “In knowing that our wildlife populations are as depleted as you experienced during this fall hunting season, the SWF would encourage all individuals to contact their MLA and express their displeasure in the way government chose to handle big game allocations and their failure to use science as the primary tool in managing our wildlife resource.” (Yorkton This Week – December 11, 2013)

——

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
——
To subscribe to the CSSA-CILA E-NEWS, send email to: [email protected] or visit http://lists.cssa-cila.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/cssa-cila-e-news.
To unsubscribe send email to: [email protected]
To change your address or manage your subscription options, visit: http://lists.cssa-cila.org/cgi-bin/mailman/options/cssa-cila-e-news
——-
CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION / CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
116 Galaxy Blvd, Etobicoke ON M9W 4Y6
Phone 416-679-9959, Fax: 416-679-9910
Toll Free: 1-888-873-4339
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website www.cdnshootingsports.org

Tags: 2013, TEAM CSSA E-NEWS - December 16