Canada – -(Ammoland.com)- It’s not surprising that some gun owners have expressed fear over signing the CSSAʼs petition to eliminate Chief Firearms Offices across Canada.
The reason is simple – they admit they don’t want to identify themselves because they wonder if it could invite police retaliation. That fear says more about the past bullying of some police forces in recent years than sport shootersʼ paranoia. Is freedom of speech in Canada actually in jeopardy? Have the police provided any reason for sport shooters to believe that entering their name and address on a petition to Parliament could entice revenge by police? The answer is yes, and the federal government should be deeply ashamed.
The CSSAʼs survey results compiled in May 2010 revealed startling results from more than 2,000 sport shooters. We’re still waiting for police to tell us we have nothing to fear. Here are a few questions we asked and the replies:
- As a legal firearms owner, who are you more afraid of? Police or criminals? Police: 64%
- Since the implementation of the Firearms Act, do you still trust Canadaʼs police? No: 74%
- Do you believe the police associations are misrepresenting the facts regarding Canadaʼs Long Gun Registry? Yes: 97%
- Do you believe police target firearms owners? Yes: 83%
- Do you personally know someone unjustly charged with a firearms offence? Yes 46%
Itʼs no secret that several police services – including the RCMP – have targeted sport shooters as problematic. Some police have laid outlandish charges against non-threatening sport shooters so they drain their bank accounts mounting a defence. The police conviction rates are dismal in these cases, but they do succeed in leaving the innocent in emotional and financial ruin. The message is to give up sport shooting.
A citizenry that is afraid of its own government is little more than a police state. Every Canadian should be shocked and dismayed that some responsible gun owners live in fear of police reprisal. There is hard evidence that sport shooters have been subjected to trumped-up charges by police who make their own rules as they see fit. Meanwhile, the Harper government is giving police full rein to run roughshod over gun owners who pose no threat to public safety. This mean-spirited busy-work is intended to make Canadians believe they are somehow protected.
Hereʼs a good way for sport shooters to alleviate the stress. You can protect yourself from financial ruin prompted by over-zealous police. Firearm Legal Defence insurance is inexpensive and easy to get. The insurance was announced in an October 2012 CSSA E-News. Members of the CSSA can receive an exclusive rate of $85 a year for Firearm Legal Defence coverage and save $10 off the full rate. The insurance was created by entrepreneurs Grant and Brian Lovig, and is not a CSSA initiative. Many Canadian gun owners have purchased this unique insurance that covers the cost of prosecution for persons charged with offences that relate to the use, storage, display, transportation or handling of a firearm and much more. To learn how you can take out a policy of your own, check out www.firearmlegaldefence.com and buy it now. See more information in this E-News below.
We at the CSSA continue to have sufficient faith in the Canadian political process to suggest that the names and addresses on the Petition to Amend the Firearms Act will not be shared with police. The petitions will be tabled in the House of Commons later this year by Cheryl Gallant, M.P. for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke. Parliament and police are structurally separate and the House of Commons is not mandated to share the personal information on those petitions.
Sport shooters who have refused to sign the petitions of intentionally omitted their addresses are not doing themselves a favour. Incomplete signature lines will not be accepted by Parliament. Your address on the petition can be limited to your city and province – no street location is necessary.
We need to show Parliament that thousands of sport shooters believe the CFOs have overstepped their authority. Act now!
Hereʼs how to prepare your petition: A petition must contain a minimum of 25 valid signatures with addresses. A petition should contain signatures of residents of Canada only. There is no minimum age requirement for anyone signing a petition. Each petitioner must sign, not print, his or her own name directly on the petition and must not sign for anyone else. If a petitioner cannot sign because of illness or a disability, this must be noted on the petition and the note signed by a witness. A petition must contain original signatures written directly on the document and not pasted, taped, photocopied or otherwise transferred to it. Some signatures and addresses must appear on the first sheet with the text of the petition. Signatures and addresses may appear on the reverse of the petition. The address may either be the petitionerʼs full home address, or the city and province, or the province and postal code. As with the signature, the address must be written directly on the document and not pasted, taped, photocopied or otherwise transferred to it. The inclusion of other contact information (such are telephone numbers or email addresses) is permitted but not required.
Hereʼs where to download your petition template: www.cdnshootingsports.org/2013/03/CFO_petition_release_en.html
About:
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. Website www.cdnshootingsports.org