Commentary – Guns and Greens

Canada -(AmmoLand.com)- Many gun owners wonder about “the big three” and ask if there is a place for gun owners in the Green Party.

That’s a two-step question best answered by both Green Party policy and party leader Elizabeth May.

First, the new Green Party policy says this.

Green Party MPs will:

1. Put strict measures in place for those who attempt to cross the Canada/U.S. border with illegal firearms;
2. Fulfill Canada’s obligation under international agreements (United Nations Firearms Protocol and the Organization of American States Firearms Convention) to mark all imported firearms, as recommended by the Canadian Association of Police Boards and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police;
3. Ensure that gun crime charges are not dropped to facilitate convictions on lesser charges;
4. Review the registry for restricted firearms in consultation with First Nations, and with gun sports and hunter organizations. We will ensure law-abiding citizens do not have their firearms unreasonably confiscated; and
5. Work with target shooting organizations to establish safe and protected locations where target shooting can be practiced.

First off, we already have strict measures in place at our borders. What exactly does she propose we do?

Second, all firearms imported into Canada already have a unique identifier. It’s called a serial number. This renders the United Nations’ marking scheme redundant. While the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police might like that needless bureaucratic waste, its impact on the firearms community is catastrophic.

The (1997) OAS convention (INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST THE ILLICIT MANUFACTURING OF AND TRAFFICKING IN FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, EXPLOSIVES, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS) was never ratified by the Canadian government, yet virtually all of the provisions contained in it already have been implemented by the bureaucracy.

Third, we must be careful about what we call “gun crime charges.” We are all for violent criminals being prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but we do not want to see ordinary Canadians sent to prison because their firearms license expired. That is absurd and does nothing to stop violence in our society.

Fourth, we’re thoroughly unsure of what reviewing the restricted firearms registry will accomplish, unless the goal is like Justin Trudeau: to “review” responsible firearm ownership out of existence. It’s impossible to know since the policy statement makes little sense.

Fifth, we already have “safe and protected locations where target shooting can be practiced.” They are called shooting ranges, and they dot the landscape from sea to shining sea. Is it Elizabeth May’s intention to stop people from shooting on Crown land? And if she’s willing to go that far, does she want to ban hunting too?

Most importantly, however, are Elizabeth May’s own words. “But the more that we restrict access to handguns, long guns, the better.” The Torontoist, Sept. 28, 2006

While Green Party policy may be a little wishy-washy on the subject, it seems Elizabeth May is not.

Like both Thomas Mulcair and Justin Trudeau, Green Party leader Elizabeth May would strip us of our firearms the first chance she gets.

About CSSA:

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.

For more information, visit the website at www.cdnshootingsports.org.