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TEAM CSSA E-NEWS | August 29, 2018

 
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IN TODAY’S ISSUE …
  • Federal government confirms plan to study a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada
  • Liberals to look at ‘full ban’ on handguns, assault weapons
  • Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Mandate Letter (August 28, 2018)
  • Mayor Tory explains shifting position on handgun ban
  • WARMINGTON: No bang with gun ban
  • Bernier’s new party would face ‘uphill battle’ prying firearm voters from Tories
  • Celebrity Violence- the Sick Disease that Murders our Kids at School
  • Letter: Target criminals, not law abiding firearms owners
  • Guns stolen from police station and replaced with toys by thieves
  • Letter: The facts about owning a firearm in Canada
  • Letter: Safeguarding the country
  • Louisiana AG: We’re Not Going to Let Corporations Restrict ‘Ability to Legally Access Firearms’

 

COMMENTARY

 

An Open Letter to 2018 Mayor John Tory from

2014 Candidate John Tory

Dear Mayor Tory,

It’s been a while since we talked. You probably don’t even remember me. I’m the guy who stood up for law-abiding citizens when Olivia Chow wanted to throw them to the wolves during Toronto’s 2014 mayoral election.

“There’s no reason why anyone needs a handgun in a big city like ours,” she said.

Chow, then running for the job you hold today, wanted to scapegoat Toronto’s legal gun owners as part of her election platform.

But me? I refused to allow it.

“Handguns are already strictly regulated by the federal government. What Ms. Chow doesn’t seem to understand is that criminals and gang members don’t obey the law. Calling for such a ban isn’t leadership. It’s an empty gesture.”

That was my written response. Do you remember, John?

Back then, I was the principled voice of reason. I was so proud to stand up for decent Torontonians, not because of the political race, but because it was the right thing to do.

But you, Mayor Tory, you’ve lost your way. When I heard you echo Olivia Chow’s statement almost word for ignorant word, I was horrified.

“Why does anyone in this city need to have a gun at all?” you ask repeatedly.

My response to Ms. Chow’s insanity then, is an equally fitting rebuke of yours today.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in response to your call for a handgun ban, said, “We have to refocus all our resources going after the bad guys, not the good guys.”

Back in 2014, Mayor Rob Ford accused Olivia Chow of “political grandstanding.” Do you see the irony of Rob Ford’s brother, our new premier, calling you out for the same thing? Probably not.

Four short years ago you demolished Olivia Chow when you pointed out the obvious, that “criminals and gang members don’t obey the law.”

Today, you embraced the mantra of her failed mayoral campaign. There is a lesson in that sentence, John, if you’re willing to pay attention.

My heart broke when you said, “if it’s someone who’s involved in a gun club, perhaps they could do that somewhere else.”

You asked the honest, responsible citizens to leave Toronto, but not the drug dealers, gang members or murderers.

Honestly, John, I’m ashamed to see what’s become of me in four short years.

Deeply ashamed. But I’m also hopeful. I hope I can remind you of who you were so you can be that strong voice of reason again.

I pray you find the courage to tackle the hard issues the way we used to, back in the days when we called out the evil elements of our society, not our most lawful citizens.

You had that courage once, John, remember?

“Criminals and gang members don’t obey the law. Calling for such a ban isn’t leadership. It’s an empty gesture.”

It’s not too late to find it again.

Yours truly,

The Spirit of 2014 Candidate John Tory

 

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RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK’S QUESTION:

Do you believe Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will implement a national handgun ban?

 

YES: 28%

NO: 40.6%

NOT SURE: 31.4%

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Federal government confirms plan to study a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada

By Molly Hayes, Patrick White and Jeff Gray | globeandmail.com | August 28, 2018

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is directing Bill Blair to examine a full ban on handgun and assault weapons, according to a mandate letter issued Tuesday to the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction.

The letter — which comes roughly one month after the cabinet shuffle that established this new portfolio — instructs Mr. Blair to support Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale on the passage of Bill C-71 (the Liberals’ gun control bill) and to work with the Minister on additional policies, regulations, or legislation that could help reduce gun crime.

Part of this work, the letter notes, should include studying the possibility of “a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada, while not impeding the lawful use of firearms by Canadians.”

The Globe and Mail has previously reported that the Prime Minister is deciding whether to pursue a gun ban as part of a new legislative agenda he would outline in a fall Throne Speech.

The mandate formalizes the federal government’s commitment to explore new gun-control measures.

City councils in both Montreal and Toronto have called on Ottawa to implement bans on handguns and assault weapons, citing previous mass shootings in both cities — including, most recently, a shooting spree along Toronto’s busy Danforth Avenue on July 22, 2018, that killed an 18-year-old and a 10-year-old girl, and a shooting last year at a Quebec City mosque that left six worshippers dead.

Standing just feet from the scene of the Toronto attack last month, Mr. Trudeau told reporters his government was open to a handgun ban and would be studying approaches that other jurisdictions have taken.

Ahead of a cabinet retreat in Nanaimo, B.C. last week, Mr. Blair confirmed gun policy would be one of their topics of discussion.

The opposition Conservative Party has previously said they would need to see details of a proposed ban in order to assess it. Pierre Paul-Hus, the shadow minister for public safety, said in a statement that they support measures that target “thugs and criminals” — but not those that would take away property from law-abiding sport shooters.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said he welcomed word of Mr. Blair’s mandate letter. “If it’s going to help even a little bit, to stop one death from occurring in this city or one shooting, then to me it is a step that is worth the consideration that Minister Blair has been asked to give to it,” Mr. Tory told reporters.

Such a ban, Mr. Tory said, was only one in a series of measures being discussed to curb violence. And he stopped short of advocating for a national ban, saying he would favour one in Toronto, but would leave the issue of the rest of the country to the federal government.

“I actually would just start with Toronto because … I know the question of the rest of Canada carries with it various complications, political and other kinds of complications,” Mr. Tory said.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police on Tuesday said they have not taken a stand on a handgun ban and that they will be forming a special purpose committee to look into the issue of gun violence in more detail.

Tony Bernardo, executive director of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, expressed anger over the government’s decision and vowed that the Liberals would pay in the coming election if they ever enacted a handgun ban.

The Association and its 30,000 members were instrumental in protesting the long-gun registry when it was introduced as part of Bill C-68 in 1995 and, eventually, lobbying the Conservative government to quash the registry 17 years later.

“If the Liberals think it was bad during C-68, go ahead and ban 1-million guns in Canada and see what happens,” Mr. Bernardo said. “There will be such protest between now and next election that the Liberals don’t have hope in hell of winning this.”

Mr. Bernardo said lawful gun owners who must follow tight restrictions on how they store and transport their weapons should not be blamed for the problem of gun violence.

“What we’re angry about is that politicians consistently try to deflect their inability to do anything about gang crime over onto citizens who obey the law.”

See the story HERE

Liberals to look at ‘full ban’ on handguns, assault weapons

–– Bill Blair, minister of border security and organized crime reduction, will lead gun control review

By Karen Harris | cbc.ca | August 28, 2018

The federal government plans to study a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada.

A mandate letter to Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sets the minister to the task of working with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on policy, regulations or legislation on gun control.

“You should lead an examination of a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada, while not impeding the lawful use of firearms by Canadians,” the mandate letter reads.

It also outlines other jobs for the new portfolio, including leading the government’s plan to deal with asylum seekers entering Canada outside official border points (which the letter refers to as “irregular migration”), overseeing the legalization of marijuana and cracking down on opioids.

The issue of gun control arose after the July 22 mass shooting in Toronto’s Greektown.

Trudeau promised at the time that the government would take steps to ensure Canadians are safe, but did not say if the government was considering a handgun ban.

“We’re looking at things that have been done around the world, things that have been done in other jurisdictions, looking at the best evidence, the best data, to make the right decisions to make sure that we are ensuring our citizens, our communities are safe into the future,” Trudeau said.

Tony Bernardo, executive director of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, said the mandate to study the handgun ban is “indicative of intent” to follow through.

“It’s very disappointing that an elected government would turn on two million law-abiding citizens that haven’t done anything wrong and start looking at punitive measures of taking their lawfully owned property,” he said. “You don’t expect that stuff in a democracy.”

With a federal election just one year away, Bernardo said it would be “political suicide” for the Liberals to impose a gun ban.

“If they want to start playing Russian roulette with the electorate, well okay, game on. If they think our community is going to meekly roll over and accept this, they’re in for a real big shake.”

Heidi Rathjen, coordinator of gun control advocacy group Poly Remembers, called the study “very encouraging” and hopes the process unfolds quickly.

She said a ban does not need to happen overnight; there could be grandfathering and buy-back programs.

“There are different ways to get at it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be taking away guns from people who bought them legally,” she said. “The idea is that there’s no new purchases of handguns and assault weapons and the government needs to endorse the principle that certain guns should not be in the hands of civilians.”

Long-time gun control advocate Wendy Cukier said whether or not a ban is ultimately imposed will depend on whether the government bows to well-resourced and organized gun advocates, or supports the less-loud gun control advocates pushing to protect public safety.

“Unless average Canadians speak out, the gun lobby will win again,” she said.

Minister’s marching orders

Blair’s mandate letter was released by the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, along with those for each member of cabinet.

His other marching orders include:

  • Develop new policies and legislation to reduce organized crime, gang activity and money laundering in Canada, working with provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as community organizations, law enforcement and border agencies.
  • Lead talks with the United States on modernizing the Safe Third Country Agreement.
  • Seek additional opportunities to expand pre-clearance operations for travellers to the United States.

See the story HERE

Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Mandate Letter (August 28, 2018)
Dear Mr. Blair:

I am honoured that you have agreed to serve Canadians as Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction.

We are now in the third year of implementing our plan to grow our economy, strengthen the middle class, and help those people working hard to join it. We are providing more direct help to those people who need it by giving less to those who do not. We are making strong public investments to spur economic growth, job creation, and broad-based prosperity. We implemented a responsible, transparent fiscal plan for challenging economic times.

Canadians will hold us accountable for delivering these commitments, and I expect all ministers to do their part – individually and collectively – to improve economic opportunity and security for Canadians.

It is my expectation that we will deliver real results and professional government to Canadians. To ensure that we have a strong focus on results, I will expect Cabinet committees and individual ministers to: track and report on the progress of our commitments; assess the effectiveness of our work; and align our resources with priorities, in order to get the results we want and Canadians deserve.

If we are to tackle the real challenges we face as a country – from a struggling middle class to the threat of climate change – Canadians need to have faith in their government’s honesty and willingness to listen. I expect that our work will be informed by performance measurement, evidence, and feedback from Canadians. We will direct our resources to those initiatives that are having the greatest, positive impact on the lives of Canadians, and that will allow us to meet our commitments to them. I expect you to report regularly on your progress toward fulfilling our commitments and to help develop effective measures that assess the impact of the organizations for which you are answerable.

I made a personal commitment to bring new leadership and a new tone to Ottawa. We made a commitment to Canadians to pursue our goals with a renewed sense of collaboration. Improved partnerships with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments are essential to deliver the real, positive change that we promised Canadians. No relationship is more important to me and to Canada than the one with Indigenous Peoples. It is time for a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples, based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

We have also committed to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government. It is time to shine more light on government to ensure it remains focused on the people it serves. Government and its information should be open by default. If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a government that trusts Canadians. It is important that we acknowledge mistakes when we make them. Canadians do not expect us to be perfect – they expect us to be honest, open, and sincere in our efforts to serve the public interest.

Our platform guides our government. I expect us to deliver on all of our commitments. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we fulfill our promises, while living within our fiscal plan. Other issues will arise or will be brought to our attention by Canadians, stakeholders, and the public service. It is my expectation that you will engage constructively and thoughtfully and add priorities to your agenda when appropriate.

As Minister, you will be held accountable for our commitment to bring a different style of leadership to government. This will include: close collaboration with your colleagues; meaningful engagement with Opposition Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Committees and the public service; constructive dialogue with Canadians, civil society, and stakeholders, including business, organized labour, the broader public sector, and the not-for-profit and charitable sectors; and identifying ways to find solutions and avoid escalating conflicts unnecessarily. As well, members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, indeed all journalists in Canada and abroad, are professionals who, by asking necessary questions, contribute in an important way to the democratic process. Your professionalism and engagement with them is essential.

Canadians expect us, in our work, to reflect the values we all embrace: inclusion, honesty, hard work, fiscal prudence, and generosity of spirit. We will be a government that governs for all Canadians, and I expect you, in your work, to bring Canadians together.

You are expected to do your part to fulfill our government’s commitment to transparent, merit-based appointments, to help ensure gender parity and that Indigenous Canadians and minority groups are better reflected in positions of leadership.

As Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, your goals are to ensure that our borders remain secure and to lead cross-government efforts to reduce organized crime. You will work to ensure Canada’s borders are managed to promote legitimate travel and trade while keeping Canadians safe and treating everyone fairly, in accordance with our laws. You will also play a leading role in our efforts to reduce gun violence. You will lead the legalization and strict regulation of cannabis, and are the Minister responsible for our strategy to manage the challenge of irregular migration.

In particular, I will expect you to work with your colleagues and through established legislative, regulatory, and Cabinet processes to deliver on your top priorities:

  • Lead the government’s plan on irregular migration. Your leadership of this initiative will be fully supported by the departments and agencies of the Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Foreign Affairs for this responsibility.
  • Represent the Government of Canada on the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Irregular Migration. You will be expected to work in close collaboration and partnership with provinces, territories and municipalities to help address this ongoing challenge.
  • Lead conversations with the United States on the Safe Third Country Agreement, working closely with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
  • Support the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness on the passage of Bill C-71, and work together on additional policy, regulations or legislation that could reduce crime involving the use of firearms and keep Canadians safe. You should lead an examination of a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada, while not impeding the lawful use of firearms by Canadians.
  • Lead work across the government to reduce the smuggling of opioids across our borders, and work in partnership with provinces, territories, and municipalities, as well as the United States per the Joint Prime Minister – President Statement of February 2017.
  • Working with the Ministers of Transport, Foreign Affairs and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, seek additional opportunities to expand pre-clearance operations for travelers to the United States.
  • With support from the Ministers of Health, Justice and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, lead the legalization and strict regulation of cannabis across Canada, including working with the provinces and territories to develop and implement these regulations. Your key priorities are public safety, responsible usage and keeping cannabis away from children.
  • Lead work across the government to develop new policies and legislation to reduce organized crime and gang activity in Canada. You will be expected to work closely with provinces, territories, and municipalities, as well as community organizations, law enforcement and border agencies. This work should include a focus on cutting off money laundering which, as we have seen recently in British Columbia, supports our efforts to counter guns, gangs and opioid distribution.

These priorities draw heavily from our election platform commitments.

I expect you to work closely with your Deputy Minister and his or her senior officials to ensure that the ongoing work of your department is undertaken in a professional manner and that decisions are made in the public interest. Your Deputy Minister will brief you on issues your department may be facing that may require decisions to be made quickly. It is my expectation that you will apply our values and principles to these decisions, so that issues facing your department are dealt with in a timely and responsible manner, and in a way that is consistent with the overall direction of our government.

Our ability, as a government, to successfully implement our platform depends on our ability to thoughtfully consider the professional, non-partisan advice of public servants. Each and every time a government employee comes to work, they do so in service to Canada, with a goal of improving our country and the lives of all Canadians. I expect you to establish a collaborative working relationship with your Deputy Minister, whose role, and the role of public servants under his or her direction, is to support you in the performance of your responsibilities.

We have committed to an open, honest government that is accountable to Canadians, lives up to the highest ethical standards, and applies the utmost care and prudence in the handling of public funds. I expect you to embody these values in your work and observe the highest ethical standards in everything you do. When dealing with our Cabinet colleagues, Parliament, stakeholders, or the public, it is important that your behaviour and decisions meet Canadians’ well-founded expectations of our government. I want Canadians to look on their own government with pride and trust.

As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act and Treasury Board policies and guidelines. You will be provided with a copy of Open and Accountable Government to assist you as you undertake your responsibilities. I ask that you carefully read it and ensure that your staff does so as well. I draw your attention in particular to the Ethical Guidelines set out in Annex A of that document, which apply to you and your staff. As noted in the Guidelines, you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. This is an obligation that is not fully discharged by simply acting within the law. Please also review the areas of Open and Accountable Government that we have expanded or strengthened, including the guidance on non-partisan use of departmental communications resources and the new code of conduct for exempt staff.

I know I can count on you to fulfill the important responsibilities entrusted in you. In turn, please know that you can count on me to support you every day in your role as Minister.

I am deeply grateful to have this opportunity to serve with you as we build an even greater country. Together, we will work tirelessly to honour the trust Canadians have given us.

Yours sincerely,

Prime Minister of Canada signature

Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.

Prime Minister of Canada

John Tory’s gun ban won’t stop criminals

The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid

 

August 24, 2018 – On this week’s episode of The Gunn Show, Tony Bernardo of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association joined me to discuss Toronto Mayor John Tory’s call for a handgun ban.

 

Mayor Tory explains shifting position on handgun ban

By Antonella Artuso | torontosun.com | August 25, 2018

Toronto Mayor John Tory once said a handgun ban would be an “empty gesture” and a poor substitute for tighter border security.

Now, Tory is pushing for just such a ban as part of a slate of measures, that includes more police resources and community child and family programming, which he argues will reduce gun crimes in the city.

“I don’t think you can be bound by ideology or even by what you’ve said in the past on this. I think you have to look at circumstances as you find them,” Tory told the Toronto Sun.

“I think in this case, we have a problem that has become more complex and has become one that is more perplexing for us in terms of how to deal with it. If you said to me, ‘Am I now willing to take a look at the notion of the banning of handguns in the City of Toronto?’… I would say, ‘Yes, I am.’”

In 2008, Tory was quoted in the National Post saying that the real problem was guns coming over the border, and a handgun ban wasn’t the answer.

“I just think that this kind of thing where you’re taking people who are engaged in legal behaviour — it’s an Olympic sport, for heaven sake — it’s not like it’s something where people are just doing it sort of in their backyards,” Tory said at the time.

“And I just think that they should be focused much more heavily with the federal government and everybody else, on the border issue.”

When former mayoral opponent Olivia Chow suggested a handgun ban in 2014, Tory was still opposed.

“What Ms. Chow doesn’t seem to understand is that criminals and gang members don’t obey the law,” Tory said, according to a report in the Toronto Star. “Calling for such a ban isn’t leadership. It’s an empty gesture.”

What’s changed since then is the way guns are getting into criminals’ hands, Tory said.

Toronto Police have told him – in writing – that about half of handguns used in crimes are from domestic sources now where in the past it was about 10%, he said.

 

“Now it’s 50-50, that’s what they tell me,” Tory said. “If (people) want to quibble, they should quibble with the police, not me.”

Legal purchasers are filling out the required paperwork, buying a number of guns and then selling them on the illegal market, Tory said.

Why would a legal gun owner do that when it might be traced?

Tory said he’s asked the same question, and has advocated for much tighter tracking of legal guns to ensure they’re kept on the right side of the law.

“But you get to the stage at some point where you say actually you know what, it may be just easier and more effective just to say they’re not going to be in the City of Toronto, rather than say we will let someone buy 10 guns and then go and track them,” he said.

Since Toronto’s request to the federal government to ban handguns within city limits, Montreal has also called for a city-wide ban, he notes.

Similar bans in Australia and the U.K. were also established to positive effect, and were a motivating factor in his evolving position on handgun bans, he said.

Tory said most residents who approach him on the issue agree with his view that nobody needs a handgun in Toronto, except in limited circumstances like for police or certain security positions.

However, some people have raised the issue of legal target shooters who wouldn’t dream of using their weapons to break the law, he said.

“Many laws impact on the lives and activities of perfectly law-abiding citizens but we have to pass the law in the greater public interest,” Tory said.

See the story HERE

The Bill C-71 Book,

How It Hurts You, and 3 Easy Steps You Can Take Right Now to Block It

This book is the most comprehensive and easy-to-read overview of the government’s first proposed firearms legislation in a generation, and it is a joint project of The Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), Canada’s leading gun-rights advocacy group, and TheGunBlog.ca, the country’s leading source of news on gun politics and the firearm industry.

The book is available as a FREE PDF DOWNLOAD from StopC71.com.

THANK YOU OTTAWA VALLEY PISTOL LEAGUE!

The OVPL has completed its competition season for 2017-18. This league serves to introduce shooters to entry level matches in addition to providing a local forum for inter-club matches.

As has been its practice, the OVPL is donating a dollar for every league match attended this season to the CSSA Legal Fund.

This year, that’s a $103!

YOUR ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION AND GENEROSITY IS SINCERELY APPRECIATED!

–– Team CSSA

To learn more about the OVPL, visit HERE.

 

WARMINGTON: No bang with gun ban

By Joe Warmington | torontosun.com | August 25, 2018

Ban all the legal guns you can find.

Build as many brand new community centres you can budget, throw millions of dollars into social welfare programs and improved community housing.

But don’t expect the shootings to stop.

Don’t expect the guns to disappear or drugs and crime either.

And with Toronto already at 68 murders, many of them gun-related – number 67 involved Faysal Mohamed Hees, 26, who was shot to death in his Etobicoke highrise apartment building Friday – what’s the answer?

“There’s no replacing boots on the ground,” says Toronto Police Association President McCormack. “We need more officers on the street.”

A union boss looking for new members? Or is he absolutely right?

McCormack believes he and Mayor John Tory are actually on the same page on staffing. Just not in prioritizing it.

A tweet McCormack put out this week illustrated that.

“A gun ban is not the solution. In discussions with (Mayor) John Tory to get the resources we need now to improve public safety and reduce officer burn-out.”

He’s hoping they will meet this week where his message to the mayor will be clear.

“We need to deploy 250 officers by the end of the year,” said McCormack. “It’s the only way we can help make an immediate dent in this year’s out of control violence.”

The gangs and criminals “know we only have a few cars on shift in some divisions,” said McCormack.

And they exploit it.

“There are so many calls we can’t get to anymore because we just don’t have enough officers.”

Banning the sale of legal guns is not going to help that.

“Pushing a gun ban is good for the politicians but does absolutely nothing for the officers on the street,” said McCormack.

Tory has been quoted saying 50% of crimes on the street are caused by guns stolen from legal owners but McCormack said the statistic fed to Tory and other politicians is not accurate or reflective of what’s really going on.

Other studies put at more like 12%.

“A crime gun is a crime gun,” said McCormack.

Whatever avenue is shut down, there’s other sources that can fill the void.

Stopping the sale of legal guns for target shooting is not a solution.

“What we need is a more robust presence in the street to keep all people with illegal guns in check,” he said. “That starts with a new influx of police officers deployed.”

Tory told the Sun Wednesday at the barbecue for Danforth shooting victim Reese Fallon that “we have hired 200 officers” as part of an overall approach to beef up the numbers.

But McCormack said while it’s a start it’s not going to help now.

“That 200 that won’t be in uniform until next year and won’t replace the 500 officers who have retired or left,” he said.

His suggestion is “deploy 250 this year.”

He said “open the doors of our police college which are training 57 new recruits now to another 250,” he said. “If we all work together we can have them trained in three months and deployed by the end of the year. We better get going.”

Of course this will cost money but in a year when Toronto could break its homicide record or even hit 100 murders, it seems like a good place to spend it.

Or just have a legal handgun ban?

See the story HERE

OFFER ENDS AUGUST 31…

Supporting our firearms organizations is the only way to preserve our rights to own firearms.  

From now until the end of August, Solely Outdoors will donate 5% of all handgun sales to the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA).

Please help the fight with your next purchase.

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https://www.solelyoutdoors.com/

 

Celebrity Violence – the Sick Disease that Murders our Kids at School

By Rob Morse | ammoland.com | August 27, 2018

U.S.A. -(Ammoland.com)- I’m a consumer of news just like you are. After each mass murder, the news media shouts that attacks on our schools and churches are a growing epidemic. “Experts” appear on the news and tell us to turn in our guns to make America safer. Once we read past the headlines, then we can see that the media might not be interested in the truth. We are building mass murderers here in the US, and the news media is complicit in killing our kids.

It is easy to blame guns, but that doesn’t explain why we have mass murder today.

Guns were far easier to get 50 years ago. They were also far more common. You could buy a gun at a gas station or at a hardware store back then.

Children, even kids in New York City, brought their guns to school..yet we didn’t see mass murder like we do today. Many public schools even had shooting teams and shooting ranges on campus. The 1960s should have seen the USA buried in dead bodies if guns were the cause of mass murder. That isn’t what we saw.

The issue grows more confusing when we add in other factors. Mental health treatment is much more effective than it was 50 years ago. Despite what you may have heard, we know that mentally ill people who are treated are far less violent than when they go untreated. That should have made the past more violent than the present.

We’re told that mass murder is a recent epidemic. It is fairly simple to look at what changed in the last 50 years. We’ve actually faced and solved a very similar problem in the last few years. Simply look at the major reason mass murderers kill.

Mass murderers think they deserve public recognition. These murderers may be psychopaths with an inflated view of their own importance.

Alternatively, they could be social outcasts who feel invisible. Mass murderers are willing to kill other people to be noticed. Sometimes they are even willing to kill themselves to be noticed. We’ve seen, and treated, a similar strain of this disease before.

We coined the term “celebrity suicide” to describe teenagers and young adults who killed themselves for the news coverage created by their death. They chose particularly graphic and public ways to die so their name would appear in the papers.

They were saying-

‘You didn’t notice me when I was alive, but you’ll know my name when I’m dead.’

We noticed the phenomenon of “suicide for celebrity” when the prolonged and sensationalized news coverage of a suicide would induce a cluster of copycat suicides. Under public pressure, we developed guidelines for press coverage of suicide, particularly teen suicide. (Specific guidelines are here and here.) The solution is straightforward; tell the news, but don’t mention the dead person’s name or sensationalize the story.

Journalists follow those guidelines when reporting on teen suicide..

unless the murderer takes some of his classmates with him.

The sales manager at a news station knows he can count on a ratings bump after a mass murder. A school or church attack is a journalists dream. We have clear victims and bad guys. We have lots of injured people being transported for treatment.

The news media turns the murderer into a celebrity as they publicize his name and picture for days. We feel compelled to watch as we imagine how bad the victims and their families must feel. The next murderer sees this news coverage too, but his reaction is different. The next mass murderer thinks how good it would feel if that was his face covered in the news with a billion dollars worth of press coverage.

That is what changed in the last 50 years. Back then, we had a daily paper and a weekly paper. Color television wasn’t common. Today, we have a TV in every room. We get several updates a minute on our phone.

Sensational news coverage produced this epidemic of celebrity violence.

The media says they are committed to give us answers, but they are remarkably reticent to look in the mirror. The solution to stop celebrity violence is to apply similar guidelines that we apply to celebrity suicide. Unfortunately, the news media is the first to report, but the last to change.

One group is pressing for these guidelines today. The guidelines are called “Don’t Inspire Evil.”

Their message is simple and clear-

“Refrain from gratuitous or repetitious portrayal of mass murderers’ names and images.”

The major media hasn’t signed on so far. Each outlet is waiting for someone else to go first. They need our help to do the right thing.

See the story HERE

 

 

Letter to the Editor…

Target criminals, not law abiding firearms owners

By Conservative MP Bob Sopuck | mywestman.ca | August 27, 2018

Recently, there have been tragic shootings taking place in Canadian cities. My thoughts and prayers, and all of my colleagues, are with the victims, their families and loved ones as they grieve through these difficult times.

Now is the time for meaningful, serious and productive conversations about what can be done to prevent these tragedies. As Canadians, we need to feel safe and protected in our communities. We need to know that our government is taking appropriate measures to combat escalating crime rates and gang violence. I fully support measures that ensure that illegal firearms are kept off our streets and out of the hands of those who seek to do harm to others.

Statistics Canada reports that more than half of gun murders in Canada are gang-related. Instead of using this knowledge to strengthen our criminal justice system, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s justice reforms currently before Parliament actually lessen sentences for people convicted of gang-related activity. On top of that, the proposed new firearms legislation does not mention the words “gang” or “organized crime” once.

Every time the Liberals attempt to curb crime with new gun laws, they always end up targeting law-abiding firearms owners with additional red tape. Forcing a firearm owner to apply for a special authorization to take a firearm to a gunsmith is not going to keep our streets safer or tackle gang violence. We need a government that is ready to strengthen the penalties for using a firearm to commit violent acts and arrest known gang members, two areas where the Liberals have failed.

The Liberals recently named Bill Blair as the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime. However, he has no real department, and has not been given a mandate by the Prime Minister yet. In my view, rather than giving Bill Blair a pay increase, they should focus more on ensuring we intercept firearms that are being smuggled illegally into our country and sold on the black market. We do not need a new Minister to understand that the vast majority of firearms owners respect Canada’s laws, and that it is the criminals that do not.

This Liberal government has repeatedly shown its lack of understanding about Canada’s current firearms laws and the data that is being collected to do with crimes committed with guns.

For example, at a guns and gangs summit held in Ottawa, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said that an increasing number of guns used in crimes were coming from within Canada. However, Larry Maguire, MP for Brandon-Souris asked the government for information about the national origin of seized guns. The answer was, “The Canadian Firearms Information System does not collect this information.”

This should be one area in which all Canadians can agree, we need better data collection related to guns and crimes. Firearms owners support this because they know that poor data leads to poor policies that impact them rather than criminal organizations illegally acquiring firearms. I strongly recommend reading the CBC News article titled Canada can’t say where its crime guns come from. Reporter Evan Dyer does an excellent job at examining many problematic gaps in how law enforcement tracks ‘crime guns’ and ‘firearm-related violent crimes’.

As Conservatives, we believe that safety of Canadians should be the number one priority of any government and are ready to support the government in any measures that target thugs and criminals, not law-abiding firearms owners.

Robert Sopuck, MP

Dauphin-Swan River-

Neepawa

See the letter HERE

Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman CPC Presents a Shoot, Steak

and Shot Event | September 8, 2018 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

 

Join us for a Shoot, Steak, and Shot event at the Selkirk Game and Fish range.

After two rounds of clay shooting there will be a cash bar followed by a steak dinner catered by Danny’s Whole Hog.

 

Come and hear speakers MP James Bezan and MP Glen Motz explain how Bill C-71 will impact law-abiding firearm owners and hear what we can do.

 

BILL C-71 COULD BE LAW BY THIS FALL! 

 

Since the 2015 election, the Liberal government has proposed Bill C-71 that will bring in a new long-gun registry and possibly prohibit all handguns in Canada.

 

For tickets Contact:

Larry Neufeld – (204) 461-1866

Roy Adams – (204) 612-2460

Jim Stinson – (204) 757-4682

Bill Swann – (204)383-5671

Larry Brandt – (204) 642-9109

Erik Luczak – (204) 205-0324

Jim Lockhart – (204) 223-7663

OR VISIT HERE

WHERE

Selkirk Game & Fish Range

29115 Road 80N

East Selkirk, MB R0E 0M0

Guns stolen from police station and replaced with toys by thieves

By Tanveer Mann | metro.co.uk | August 28, 2018

A gang of thieves stole 42 powerful rifles then replaced them with toys after breaking into a police armoury.

Officers in Paraguay discovered the FN FAL battle rifles has been replaced with wooden and plastic replicas during an inspection.

The inspection was ordered after the rifles started appearing a year ago on the black market.

The rifles, which can sell for up to $10,000 (£7,785), were being kept in storage in the armoury in the city of Capiata while the police force were replacing them with newer models.

Some of the guns are believed to have ended up in Argentina whiles others were allegedly smuggled into Brazil.

Brazil has complained for years that many of the illegal weapons being seized in the country come from Paraguay.

Photos of the toy replicas were shared by Paraguayan media who branded it the ‘most embarrassing scandal’ in the history of the country’s police force.

The officer in charger of the armoury has since been replaced but no arrests have been made as of yet.

See the story HERE

Letter to the Editor…

The facts about owning a firearm in Canada

By Kurtis Bachman | lethbridgeherald.com | August 28, 2018
I read with interest a letter to the editor (“Here are the facts about new gun laws,” Aug. 18 Herald), a letter full of contradicting points and false information trying to convince Canadian citizens Bill C-71 is beneficial and that it is not in fact a firearms registry. Facts are important so I would like to briefly highlight what is currently required to become a firearms owner in Canada.

One must pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course to become eligible for a firearms licence to acquire or possess a non-restricted firearm. If you wish to own a restricted firearm you must take and pass an additional Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course. The tests are comprised of both theory and practical sections regarding the evolution of firearms, firearms safety practices, ammunition, safe handling and carry procedures, responsibilities of firearms owners/users and safe storage.

You must submit an application to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Here the applicant is subject to background checks which take into account criminal, mental health, addiction and domestic violence records. In some cases, more in-depth investigations are conducted. The RCMP require a minimum of 45 days to process a firearms licence application and for first-time applicants, an additional 28-day waiting period.

Once licensed, the owner of the firearm/firearms must adhere to the Canadian Firearm Acts 193 section document for storage, transport and use (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-11.6/page-1.html). For example, in order to transport a restricted firearm, the firearm must be unloaded, have a secure locking device attached, be locked in a sturdy non-transparent container, and the owner is required to obtain an Authorization to Transport permit from the Chief Firearms Officer. This is only one example of the already existing restrictions on firearms owners.

Despite the current stringent restrictions on legal firearms owners, “gun crime is up by 45 per cent over the past couple years.” I certainly am confused how more restrictions on legal firearm owners will assist in prevention. If the Liberal government is concerned about Canadians feeling more confident their communities are safe, then they must focus on the appropriate areas, the appropriate groups and the root cause of firearms-related crimes.

Bill C-71, like the last long gun registry, will cost taxpayers billions while effectively doing nothing to curb firearms-related crimes or assist our police forces in keeping Canadians safe.

Kurtis Bachman

Coalhurst

United Hunters Association

http://www.unitedhuntersassoc.ca

 

See the letter HERE

Keith Beasley is after a mature bull in Northern Newfoundland with ‘Northern Edge Outfitters’ and has some incredible encounters with many animals during his hunt.

 

FIND THE CITR SCHEDULE HERE

NORTHERN NEWFOUNDLAND MOOSE

Airing September 2, 2018

Letter to the Editor…

Safeguarding the country

By Vaughan Davies | theguardian.pe.ca
EDITOR:

For full disclosure, I am not a lawyer. I do not have lawyering skills and likely never will. I have, however, taken the time to slowly work my way through the text of the federal Liberals’ Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms. First reading, March 20, 2018.

And Bill C-75, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. First reading, March 29, 2018.

Bill C-71 is supposed to combat gang violence and gun crime. Strangely though, it mentions the words “register” 16 times, “registration” 17 times and “record(s)” 33 times. The words “crime”, “gang” and “violence” are mentioned 0 times.

Bill C-75 is supposed to reform the criminal code, making the system fairer. Very strangely it reduces penalties for participation in gang activities, recruitment into organized crime of minors, importing and exporting of illegal firearms and possession of illegal firearms.

So as near as I can understand, Bill C-71 attacks the vetted, licenced and lawful firearms owner; and Bill C-75 rewards the gang banging criminal thug.

What an odd ball way of creating legislation and keeping the country safe.

Vaughan Davies,

Charlottetown

See the letter HERE

Looking for upcoming gun shows and matches? Visit our WEBSITE
Louisiana AG: We’re Not Going to Let Corporations Restrict ‘Ability to Legally Access Firearms’

By AWR Hawkins | ammoland.com | August 18, 2018
During the August 18, 2018, airing of Breitbart News Saturday, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry explained that he chose, in part, to withhold $600 million from Citigroup and Bank of America because they are “trying to become the social police.”

On August 16, 2018, Breitbart News reported Landry’s decision to withhold the $600 million, a decision shared by the Louisiana Bond Commission and State Treasurer John Schroder.

The decision to withhold the money came after Citigroup and Bank of America each unilaterally placed gun control demands on their customers, going so far as to stipulate that bank-sponsored gun regulations had to be followed if financing was desired.

Landry used his appearance on Breitbart News Saturday to explain:

About four months ago, Citigroup and Bank of America, like, unfortunately some big corporations are trying to become the social police, they put out policies trying to restrict American citizens’ ability to legally access firearms. They both have someone different policies, but they basically would not extend financing to gun manufacturers or retailers, some of whom may sell guns legally to persons under 21.

He continued:

At the same time that [Citigroup and Bank of America] put these policies out, the state of Louisiana was looking for underwriters for a $600 million infrastructure project here. And [Citigroup and Bank of America] applied for us to evaluate them to be one of the underwriters, and in a very strong statement, conservatives in Louisiana said no, we are not going to do business with corporations that infringe or restrict our citizens’ right to legally access firearms.

Landry said a Citigroup representative spoke at the Bond Commission and could not tell him how many firearm-related homicides there are a year in America. Landry pointed out there “10,000 to 12,000” firearm-related homicides, “in comparison to automobiles, which is like 36,000, compared to opioids, which is like 65,000.”

Yet Citigroup is not placing new regulations on car manufacturers or car dealers, not are they putting new regulations on pharmaceutical companies.

Landry summarized, “It’s an infiltration of the left into boardrooms of major corporations… [and] they want to become the social police. And in Louisiana, we’re just not going to stand for that.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at [email protected]. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.

See the story HERE

 

HOW CAN GUN OWNERS PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM UNFAIR CHARGES?  … WITH FIREARM LEGAL DEFENCE INSURANCE. 

We pay legal fees, court costs and time off work to attend court; up to $150,000 per occurrence (recently increased 50% for no additional cost!) and $500,000 total per policy year. Plus get unlimited legal advice through our toll-free Legal Advice Helpline.

What price for peace of mind?

The price is just $95 per year and CSSA members are eligible for a $10 discount – click on “Buy Now” and enter the following exclusive club code to access your savings: CSSA001.

You are not required to disclose any information about firearms in your possession.

Firearm Legal Defence insurance covers:

  • Defence from prosecution should you be charged with an offence arising out of the use, storage, display, transportation or handling of a firearm;
  • cases where a firearm is used in self defence, the defence of a person under your protection or the defence of your property;
  • appealing an event where a licensing, regulatory or judicial authority refuses to renew, suspends, revokes, cancels or alters the terms of your firearms license. Note that this provision does not apply to new license applications.

It will pay for:

  • The cost of retaining a lawyer or other appointed representative, including court fees, experts’ fees, police reports and medical reports;
  • costs awarded by the court to opponents in civil cases if the insured person has been ordered to pay them, or pays them with the agreement of the insurance company;
  • lost salary or wages for the time the insured is off work to attend court or any other hearing at the request of the appointed representative, up to a maximum of $500 per day, and $10,000 in total.

For details, visit HERE

NOTE – FirearmLegalDefence is not a CSSA product but is highly recommended by the association and is used by our staff and directors. – Tony B.

 

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You can save 12% off your automobile insurance premiums and 10% off your property insurance premiums.

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