in E News TEAM CSSA E-NEWS – Jan. 4, 2014
CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION / CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
TEAM CSSA E-NEWS – Jan. 4, 2014 ** Please share this E-news with your friends **
COMMENTARY: 2013 WAS A MIXED BLESSING FOR LAWFUL FIREARMS OWNERS
That was the year that was.
Responsible firearms owners endured an emotional see-saw ride as we were used and abused by media, governments and anti-gun special interest groups. It is to firearms owners’ credit that they doggedly continue to enjoy their heritage sports in the face of opposition. Our detractors continue to try to break our collective will and force us quietly into the night, yet the escalating demand for shooting range time and space demonstrates we’ll have none of it. The Canadian firearms industry remains strong and vibrant, even as anti-gun advocates complain that no one should ever need to own more than one gun (and even that is too many).
It was a year ago on January 3 that Ian Thomson was acquitted from charges for defending himself and his home by firing warning shots. At the end of January 2013 the CSSA asked firearms owners to support Sun News in the hope of keeping the scrappy broadcaster on the air. Sun News has been tenacious at showing the positive side of gun ownership and hit its stride this summer when police raided High River homes to confiscate guns.
On January 25 last year, the CSSA announced its plans to take Ontario’s Chief Firearms Office to court for imposing artificial transport regulations for restricted and prohibited firearms. After spending tens of thousands of dollars while the legal system deliberated which court is responsible for the CFO, the CSSA is still waiting to state its case. A Call to Action from CSSA/CILA executive director Tony Bernardo is ongoing – all firearms owners have a stake in the CFO’s power play. Donations are still needed. You can help us help you here: http://store.cssa-cila.org/cart.php?target=category&category_id=256
In February, the CSSA issued a media release accusing the Quebec provincial government of maintaining its gun registry as a political ruse. We still believe the province is aware it cannot create its own registry because it would go broke and the federal data is so hopelessly outdated it is beyond useless (and always was). The CSSA’s Great Canadian Gun Registry Shuffle created during the summer of 2012 is proof that bad data can be made ever more corrupt. Quebec is running its tab up further by taking the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada. It has long been said that the people deserve the government they elect, and the CSSA continues to urge Quebec gun owners to hound their provincial representatives into admitting that a new registry is pure folly.
The CSSA called for a new civilian federal tribunal to inject some reality into prohibited and restricted firearm classifications. To date, many guns have been banned because they somehow look more dangerous than others and of course, there is no such thing as good and bad guns – only the people who use them can dictate a good or bad outcome. Our organization also jumped in with both feet when the CFO tried to impose lock-and-key style trigger locks at the Calgary Gun Show last March. When the majority of the guns on display at the show were secured with plastic zip-ties, the CFO got the message and no charges were laid. The trigger lock nonsense is ongoing and CSSA is keeping an eye on CFOs across the country. For this and many other reasons, the CSSA advocated that the Chief Firearms Offices had long outlived their mandate and should be discontinued. We continue to make this point in Ottawa.
Many municipalities reported that a year after the firearms registry was scrapped, shootings were significantly reduced. Shooting incidents continue to plummet, which must come as a shock to anti-gun advocates who predicted that losing the registry would cause blood in the streets. As gun sales go way up across North America and beyond, crime is going way down. Last year we also saw media attention surrounding plastic 3D printer guns. Since all any firearm does is harness the laws of science, private citizens have been making their own guns for centuries.
Last summer, Global News continued its anti-gun campaign by trying to create public fear over gun law loopholes. On the positive side of the news, many M.P.s and Senators joined us for the 2nd Annual Parliamentary Outdoors Caucus Shooting Day at the Range on June 18. The event was co-sponsored by the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association, the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, the Canadian Institute for Legislative Action, and the Stittsville Shooting Range.
Not long after the High River debacle, the CSSA warned the Harper government that it could get a rough ride at the polls in October 2015 if it continues to support legislation that criminalizes gun owners. More prognostication than threat, we explained that the firearms community is growing very restless due to government inaction. We suggested that if the Harper government plans to create fairer laws for responsible gun owners, it needs to act soon to allow legislation passage before the next election. Otherwise, many gun owners threaten to stay home on election day. We repeated our advice in an open letter to Prime Minister Harper in early November.
In October, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird refused to sign the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. The CSSA advised the Canadian government not to sign because it would not save lives and forfeit our ability to make our own rules at home, in effect allowing the U.N. to dictate laws to Canadians. Minister Baird has agreed with us so far and firearms owners across the country appreciate his stance.
In early December, the CSSA was pleased to help sponsor the Outdoors Caucus Association of Canada and the Fur Institute of Canada’s Inaugural Banquet and Live Auction held in Ottawa. The event was well attended by M.P.s and Senators, industry representatives and wildlife organizations and featured a fur fashion show, auction and great prizes.
By year-end 2013, there was more to celebrate when Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) provided new favourable regulations for the sale, transport and storage of propellant powders and ammunition. After eight years of working on new draft regulations to store and acquire handloading components and ammunition, Natural Resources Canada Minister Joe Oliver and departmental staff concluded that propellant powders and ammo are not a hazard, and have nothing to do with firearm safety.
The year 2013 was long on hard work for firearms advocacy and short on common sense in some government and media circles. The battles are difficult – but worth it. Thank you for your support.
Compliments of the Coalition for Gun Control web site, we believe it fitting to present here a compilation of anti-gun propaganda published during 2013. In reading many of these articles, it is evident that many so-called journalists refuse to let truth get in the way of peddling fear to the public.
As you can see, our work in 2014 is cut out for us all. We simply cut and pasted this compilation from http://guncontrol.ca/gun-control-in-the-news/ :
Feds delay measures on serial numbers for guns until 2015
CTV News, December 6, 2013
Polytechnique survivor calls dismantling of long-gun registry ‘devastating’
CBC News, December 6, 2013
24 years later, Montrealers remember victims of Ecole Polytechnique massacre
CTV News, December 6, 2013
Have we learned nothing from the Polytechnique tragedy?
Toronto Star, December 5, 2013
Ottawa delays gun tracing regulations for sixth time
Toronto Star, December 4, 2013
UN disarmament rep Angela Kane encourages Canada to approve arms trade treaty
The Windsor Star, December 3, 2013
Firearms registry – Quebec is concerned about weapons now on open access
Le Devoir (Google Translation), December 3, 2013
Quebec gun-registry appeal to be heard by Supreme Court
CBC News, November 21, 2013
1035 guns exchanged for cameras during amnesty program
CBC News, November 4, 2013
Three charged in gun trafficking case
CTV News, October 28, 2013
B.C. ‘cottage industry’ feeds illegal gun trade
The Vancouver Sun, October 24, 2013
Prospect of easily made 3D printer guns a worry for federal officials
The Vancouver Sun, October 21, 2013
Pixels for Pistols gun amnesty has retrieved over 300 guns, to date
CTV News, October 17, 2013
Canada, Syria, Iran, North Korea: Together against arms control
The Globe and Mail, October 4, 2013
Firearm lobby warns Ottawa against signing UN arms trade treaty
The Globe and Mail, October 2, 2013
Gun control group wants voice heard at Supreme Court
Montreal Gazette, September 30, 2013
Canada holds off on arms trade treaty even after U.S. signs
CBC News, September 26, 2013
Cost Of Gun Registry Data Destruction Was Hid By RCMP: Docs
Huffington Post, September 16, 2013
Ottawa police fear more gun thefts coming. End of the long-gun registry means more domestic weapons will be used in local gang activities.
CFRA, September 3, 2013
The booming business in magazines that legally triple rifle capacity
Global News, August 12, 2013
Gun registry used by police in Montreal standoff
Huffington Post, August 2, 2013
Police chiefs meant to balance gun advisory board missed its only meeting
Global News, July 24, 2013
Judge rejects Quebec’s attempt to block Ottawa from destroying gun registry data
The Gazette, July 24, 2013
Quebec ruling allows demise of remaining long gun records
CBC News, June 27, 2013
Packing heat: How gun law loopholes tripled Canada’s rifle magazine limits
Global News, June 11, 2013
Conservative Snub to UN arms treaty shames Canada: Editorial
Toronto Star, June 5, 2013
Canada ‘going backwards’ on gun control, École Polytechnique survivor says
Global News, June 3, 2013
Outdated gun rules pose ‘risk to public safety,’ secret government memo warns
Global News, June 3, 2013
Toronto’s Barbra Schlifer Clinic files evidence in Charter case to restore Canadian gun registry
Toronto Star, May 31, 2013
The gun lobby on a crusade in Ottawa
La Presse (Google Translation), May 15, 2013
Canadian gun lobby – Members want armed guards in schools
Le Devoir (Google Translation), May 6, 2013
Gun seizures up but fears of porous border remain
CBC News, May 1, 2013
Firearms office prepares to collect gun licence fees
CBC News, May 1, 2013
Feds budget $260,000 to seize rifles easily converted to sub-machine guns
Global News, May 1, 2013
Federal budget cuts could hurt border agency’s fight against gun smuggling, MP says
Toronto Star, April 26, 2013
John Abbott College opened horizons for Anne-Marie Edward
The Gazette, April 23, 2013
Splashy national media event silenced on eve of gun registry data destruction
Calgary Herald, April 21, 2013
In 2009 border services in Ontario seized just 9 guns they believed were headed for the criminal market. Most guns seized at the border belong to U.S. travellers who didn’t declare them. That year, Toronto police seized 861 crime guns in the city, at least 70% were smuggled in from the U.S.
Toronto Star, April 19, 2013
Firearms advisory committee still lacks diversity of voices, Public Safety memo suggests
Canada, April 10, 2013
Quebec, in clear and unanimous voice, prepares to set up its own gun registry
Globe and Mail, February 19, 2013
Conservatives’ claim to curb illegal guns falls flat
Maclean’s, February 11, 2013
Combating gun violence. Hamilton RN turns grief into action.
Registered Nurse Journal Digital Edition, January/February 2013
RCMP feared ending gun registry would hurt investigations
Toronto Star, January 29, 2013
Killing long-gun registry saves only $2M a year: documents
Toronto Star, January 25, 2013
Aspects of New York State’s post-Newtown gun laws stricter than Canadian system
Global, January 16, 2013
Loopholes allow (some) 10-round magazines in (some) semi-automatic rifles
Global, January 14, 2013
Game-changer in Northern Ireland, .50-calibre rifles are non-restricted here
Global, January 14, 2013
Sawing off a shotgun can mean serious prison time – but loophole allows new shotguns with 8.5-inch barrels
Global, January 14, 2013
LOOPHOLES: How a changing arms industry is bringing incoherence to Canada’s gun control system
Global, January 14, 2013
Editorial: What we learn from one may save the lives of many. Success in reducing firearm deaths in Canada may have blinded us to how our gun laws are being weakened
Priscilla de Villiers in Hamilton Spectator, January 1, 2013
Editorial: The gun cult in Ottawa
Outlook: Canada’s Progressive Jewish Magazine, January/February 2013
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HELP SUPPORT THE GREAT WORK THE CSSA DOES TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. DONATE HERE
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CSSA CLUB LEVEL INSTRUCTORS – CLUB LEVEL HANDGUN SAFETY AND RANGE SAFETY OFFICER: Response to the small number of vacancies we had in our instructor training course was so large that we have decided to do it again to try and accommodate the demand for the courses in the southern Ontario area. We will be running the two day course again on February 1 and 2 in our office classroom by Toronto Pearson Airport. As always, space is very limited so sign up for this course as soon as possible to ensure your seat. Please send your requests to [email protected] The cost of each course is $40, for a total of $80 for the weekend. Class starts at 8:30 am and runs to approximately 4:00 pm.
Seats will be reserved on a first-come basis so hurry and sign up for CSSA’s world-class safety training right away.
PS: If your club/region needs safety training courses, let us know. We can help!
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GOING TO THE SHOT SHOW? YOU’RE INVITED to attend the CSSA’s Canadian Shot Show Reception taking place at the Flamingo Hotel, 3555 Las Vegas Boulevard South. Wednesday, January 15th, 2014 from 7:00 pm until 11:00 pm in the Reno Room. The get together for Canadian Gun Folks is sponsored by the good folks at Select Shooting Supplies, O’Dell Engineering, Canada Ammo, Trade Ex, PGW Defence Technologies and of course, the CSSA. There WILL be a draw for special prize (@ 9pm) for attendees and yes, you need to be there to receive it! There may be some very cool surprise guests so we’ll see you there and remember: “What happens in Vegas, stays on YouTube.”
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REGINA BIATHELETE HEADING TO SOCHI FOR 2014 OLYMPICS: Years of hard work are paying off for one newly-appointed Olympian from Regina—and it all started on a whim from his mother.
Scott Perras, 30, has been named to Canada’s Olympic team. He will head to Sochi, Russia to compete in the biathlon next month. But his mother admits he might not have gotten into the sport if it weren’t for a random purchase she made when he was 13.
“For no reason—we had never done it before—I went and bought the whole family cross country ski packages. So we got the skis and poles and everything, took waxing lessons, and away we went. We all went but Scott, it turned out, he really, really loved it,” said Beverly Perras.
He enjoyed skiing and always had in interest in rifles. At first he thought he might want to join cadets, but he ended up getting interested in biathlon. According to Scott’s short Biathlon Canada biography, he caught the bug when he saw a program on the sport during the 1998 Olympics.
“I really didn’t know too much about it back then. And so we said sure, and he just went for it,” said Beverly.
After placing highly at the Canada Winter Games in 2003 and the Canadian Championships the following year he made the move from Regina to Canmore, Alberta to train. He has since competed all over the world, from Italy to Norway to Sweden to Austria.
Beverly said she and her husband Ed used to go to watch his races a lot when he was competing in Canmore. In 2012 they went to Ruhpolding, Germany to cheer him on in the Biathlon World Championships. “It was just so big, I just couldn’t get over it. It’s like going to a Rider game, you know—28,000 people are out there… it was just amazing.”
The couple are getting ready to watch him compete in Sochi now and will be there to cheer him on for his first race Feb. 8. “It’s a dream come true, for sure, for him, and we are so very happy for him,” she said. “Now that it’s so close it’s just so exciting. We just can’t wait for it to get here now.” (- Lisa Schick )
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MAGPUL INDUSTRIES ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR RELOCATION: Magpul Industries announced today that it is relocating its operations to Wyoming and Texas. The company is relocating manufacturing, distribution and shipping operations to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Magpul is leasing a 58,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility during the construction of a 100,000 square foot build-to-suit facility in the Cheyenne Business Parkway. The Wyoming relocation is being completed with support from Governor Matt Mead, the Wyoming Business Council and Cheyenne LEADS.
Magpul is moving its corporate headquarters to Texas. Three North Central Texas sites are under final consideration, and the transition to the Texas headquarters will begin as soon as the facility is selected. The Texas relocation is being accomplished with support from Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Economic Development Corporation.
“Magpul made the decision to relocate in March 2013 and has proceeded on an aggressive but deliberate path” says Doug Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Magpul Industries. “These dual moves will be carried out in a manner that ensures our operations and supply chain will not be interrupted and our loyal customers will not be affected.”
The company began a nationwide search for a new base of operations after legislation was enacted in Colorado that dramatically limits the sale of firearms accessories – the core of Magpul’s business. Magpul plans on initially transitioning 92% of its current workforce outside of Colorado within 12-16 months and will maintain only limited operations in Colorado.
“Moving operations to states that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important,” says Richard Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive Officer for Magpul Industries. “This relocation will also improve business operations and logistics as we utilize the strengths of Texas and Wyoming in our expansion.” (Jan. 2, 2014 – Matt Korovesis)
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DETROIT POLICE CHIEF: LEGAL GUN OWNERS CAN DETER CRIME – If more citizens were armed, criminals would think twice about attacking them, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Thursday.
Urban police chiefs are typically in favor of gun control or reluctant to discuss the issue, but Craig on Thursday was candid about how he’s changed his mind.
“When we look at the good community members who have concealed weapons permits, the likelihood they’ll shoot is based on a lack of confidence in this Police Department,” Craig said at a press conference at police headquarters, adding that he thinks more Detroit citizens feel safer, thanks in part to a 7 percent drop in violent crime in 2013.
Craig said he started believing that legal gun owners can deter crime when he became police chief in Portland, Maine, in 2009.
“Coming from California (Craig was on the Los Angeles police force for 28 years), where it takes an act of Congress to get a concealed weapon permit, I got to Maine, where they give out lots of CCWs (carrying concealed weapon permits), and I had a stack of CCW permits I was denying; that was my orientation.
“I changed my orientation real quick. Maine is one of the safest places in America. Clearly, suspects knew that good Americans were armed.”
Craig’s statements Thursday echoed those he made Dec. 19 on “The Paul W. Smith Show” on WJR (760 AM), when he said: “There’s a number of CPL (concealed pistol license) holders running around the city of Detroit. I think it acts as a deterrent. Good Americans with CPLs translates into crime reduction. I learned that real quick in the state of Maine.”
Robyn Thomas, director of the the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in San Francisco, disagreed.
“I think at its core, his position is an emotional one, based on the idea that people feel safer when they have guns. But studies have shown more guns don’t deter crime,” Thomas said. “There’s no research that shows guns make anyone safer, and it does show that, the more guns in any situation, the higher the likelihood of them harming either the owner, or people who have access to them.”
Rick Ector of the Firearm Academy of Detroit, which teaches gun safety classes, said Craig’s comments are unusual for a police official.
“It’s a huge, radical departure for the police chief to say good people should have access to firearms,” said Ector. “I’m not ready to say he’s pro-gun just yet, but it’s vastly different from what police chiefs have said in the past.”
Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police director Robert Stevenson agreed.
“A lot of police officers have no problem at all with law-abiding citizens having guns,” Stevenson said.
“I think it’s probably like the citizenry: Some are for it, some are against it. But most police chiefs don’t want to talk about the subject.
“It’s a divisive issue, and a lot of times chiefs are reluctant to get in the middle of those debates. Gun control, the death penalty — most chiefs try to stay out of those discussions. Craig speaks his mind; you’ve got to give him credit for that.”
According to a March 2013 anonymous poll of 15,000 officers by the law enforcement website policeone.com., almost 90 percent of the respondents believed casualties would be decreased if armed citizens were present during shooting incidents, while more than 80 percent supported arming teachers who were trained with firearms.
Although Craig said more responsible gun owners would likely lower crime, in the past he also has called for a ban on assault weapons, regulating high-capacity magazines, tighter restrictions on Internet ammunition sales and more stringent background checks for merchants who sell firearms at gun shows.
Detroit police have reported 73 justifiable homicides in the city since 2011. The number in 2013 was 15, down from 25 the previous year.
Most of those cases involved citizens who defended themselves by killing criminals. Among them: 77-year-old Willie White, who in March 2012, fatally shot a man who’d broken into his northwest Detroit home.
Prior to the incident, White’s home had been broken into several times. The break-ins stopped after he killed the 18-year-old intruder, he said.
“I think these criminals would definitely think twice if they knew more citizens were armed,” White said. “I know it stopped them from breaking into my place.” ([email protected])
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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
116 Galaxy Blvd, Etobicoke ON M9W 4Y6
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