Many of you have recently noticed the offensive content of some television ads being run by the Crime Stoppers organization. In short, they show a video clip of a woman, followed by a clip of a man with a shotgun blasting a target (a B-27 police combat target, no less) while the commentator notes that "Some men can't tell the difference." The point of this exercise is supposedly to illustrate the problem of spousal abuse in Canada and to encourage citizens to report suspected abuse cases to Crime Stoppers.
Well, not only can I tell the difference between a woman and a target, I can also tell the difference between good ads and bad ones and these stink! What these ads manage to do (aside from disgust me) is to subliminally suggest that guns are a root cause of spousal abuse.
The fact of the matter is that less than 15 women a year in Canada are victims of spousal homicide with a firearm. That works out to about 1 homicide for every 1 million women in the country. Tragic, yes. Worthy of maligning the integrity of some 7 million legitimate firearm owners in Canada? Not even close. Numerous studies have shown that honest, law-abiding gun owners, the ones who take the tests, get the gun permits and the hunting licences and invest the time and money required for registration and safe storage are far less likely to commit crimes (including spousal abuse) than those who don't bother to do any of these things. Just like the Liberals, the Coalition for Gun Control, CAVEAT and every other group with an anti-gun agenda, Crime Stoppers has managed, with one poorly conceived stroke, to lump law-abiding gun owners together with criminals and bullies who happen to use firearms to ply their trade.
TSCON has already contacted Crime Stoppers and the Chief Provincial Firearms Officer (a co-sponsor of the ads) to express our displeasure with this campaign. What can you do? For starters, don't contribute money to any Crime Stoppers initiatives until they cease to run this offensive material. Encourage your friends to do the same. Call the local Crime Stoppers organization (1-800-222-8477) and express your displeasure with the ads. Tell them you want the ads stopped immediately and a televised apology made to the offended parties. They must be made to realize that until they learn the difference between a duck hunter or target shooter and a wife beater they won't be seeing a dime of your money or a single word of support.
It is a fool, indeed, who attacks his friends and Crime Stoppers certainly has managed to play the fool.
In the same vein, whenever you notice examples of blatant anti-gun propaganda whether in newspapers, magazines, on radio or TV, take the time to phone, write, e-mail or fax the offending organization and point out their mistakes. This will have the result of making them more responsible in their reporting, something that is sorely lacking at present. If you don't, this type of nonsense will continue and you will pay the price for it.
Remember, no battle worth winning was ever won easily.
Sincerely,
Gerry Gamble
Firearm Homicides Decrease
More evidence that the whole Bill C-68 fiasco is a waste of time and money emerged with the latest Statistics Canada report on criminal activity in Canada.
There were 151 firearm homicides in 1998, the lowest total since records have been kept. And before Cukier and friends start claiming that the new gun laws are somehow responsible, remember that these numbers are for 1998. Since C-68 only came into effect on Dec. 1, 1998, its effect on these numbers would be nil, at best.
Numerically speaking, you have about a 1 in 200,000 chance of being murdered with a firearm in Canada compared with about a 1 in 10,000 chance of dying in a car accident. In fact, you have a better chance of winning most lotteries than you do of being a firearm homicide victim. Too bad the government isn't sinking that $300 million into road safety instead. Of course that wouldn't get them the big headlines they want so badly so don't count on seeing it anytime soon. And cars are registered, too!
Supreme Court Case Delayed
The Bill C-68 Supreme Court challenge was to be heard on Dec. 15-16/99. However, due to the retirement of Justice Antonio Lamer (who didn't want to get involved in what will be a long and involved case) it has been put over until early in 2000. We have no firm date yet but will let you know as soon as we hear something definite.
NFA RED WARNINGS
When filling out an Application for a Possession and Acquisition Licence Under the Firearms Act, ALWAYS CHANGE THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST PAGE by putting an upside-down "V" under the gap between "a" and "Possession," then writing "RENEWAL OF MY" above the words "a Possession" and INITIAL the change.
Please do not question WHY. That will become apparent LATER. Let it be enough to say that the NFA STRONGLY recommends that you do it, and believes that the result of that simple change will fill you with delight when you find out WHY we are recommending it.
When filling out an Application for a Possession-Only Licence Under the Firearms Act, ALWAYS CHANGE THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST PAGE by putting an upside-down "V" under the gap between "a" and "Possession-Only," then writing "RENEWAL OF MY" above the words "a Possession" and INITIAL the change.
Please do not question WHY. That will become apparent LATER. Let it be enough to say that the NFA STRONGLY recommends that you do it, and believes that the result of that simple change will fill you with delight when you find out WHY we are recommending it.
The NFA recommends that you do NOT apply for this type of licence, as it is too limiting.
News items adapted from the CILA Bulletin V2 No. 24 - November 12th, 1999
Prohibited Handgun Confiscation Delayed!
Here is more evidence that the feds have bitten off more than they can chew!
As predicted in the last several CILA Bulletins, the federal government has responded to our "Section 12(6) Class Action Lawsuit" by extending the amnesty on Section 12(6) handguns until December 31st, 2000. An Order-in-Council (OIC) was published in the Canada Gazette on Saturday, October 30th, 1999, extending the amnesties for both prohibited handguns and non-registered restricted firearms. This means that owners of Section 12(6) handguns can continue to ignore the RCMP letter they received, ordering you to dispose of your lawfully acquired (and fully registered) property, at least for the next thirteen months.
This will buy the government a little more time to figure out a way to extract themselves from this self-made mess. Apparently there were some 50,000 prohibited handguns purchased between Feb. 14, 1995 when the ban was announced and December 1999 when the feds actually got around to implementing the ban. This means all those guns will have to be picked up and destroyed, a massive task considering the current RCMP money and manpower shortage and the possible court action that the owners of these confiscated guns could take. A CILA informant has also leaked information regarding a possible "Legislative Fix" to C-68 to be presented in this spring's Parliamentary session. Although initial reports had the government trying to move the grandfathering date to allow current 12(6) owners to keep their guns it appears now they will only move the dates for dealer stocks, permitting dealers to sell the 12(6) guns they currently hold. We will, of course, stay right on top of this one. (Note: 12(6) guns are .25, .32 calibre guns, or guns with barrel lengths less than 105mm and purchased after Feb 14, 1995.)
More Gun Shows (Wheee!)
Gun Show Regulations are delayed as well. In the same issue of the Canada Gazette was another OIC delaying the implementation of the infamous Gun Show Regulation until...get this...January 1st, 2003 Hats off to our gun show organizations (mostly CILA orgs) that are forcing the issue through their non-compliance to these ridiculous regulations. All across Canada, gun shows are being operated in defiance of the new requirements and firearms are being bought and sold with impunity under the old C-17 FAC system. Are the Feds blissfully unaware? Nope...they just can't do anything about it. And that is a lesson. (Note: This is the 7th delay in implementing this section of Regulations.)
This is good news for TSCON. We have already planned our gun shows for 2000 and now if all goes well they will continue through to 2003 (and hopefully beyond). Mark these year 2000 dates on your calendar:
Feb. 18
Sept. 22
Dec. 15
If you would like tables at our next show (Dec. 17, 1999), please contact Ted Valliere right away at 905-937-7813.
Firearms Act Costs Continue to Soar
The Justice Department is expected to spend $100 million this fiscal year to operate its controversial federal gun registry, which forces gun owners to license and register all of their firearms. The federal government has already spent $195-million to set up the registration system at the Canadian Firearms Centre in Miramichi, N.B., and a separate facility in Montreal, which serves as a Quebec-only registry. When the gun law was passed four years ago, the government said it would cost $85-million, spread over five years, plus an annual operating cost of $50-million to $60-million. (National Post) (They have already ADMITTED to $295 million...one can only imagine the real cost of this white elephant because they continue to hide the full figures!)
Outdoors Oriented? - NOT!
It has recently come to our attention that the owners of the "Outdoors Oriented" store in the Ridley Plaza in St. Catharines don't like gun owners (and likely not fishermen either).
If you are looking for boating, camping or other outdoor gear do yourself a favour. Avoid this store and patronize other local businesses that don't have a problem with you pursuing your legal hobbies. Tell your friends to do the same. Hit them where it hurts most, in the pocket.
Need a Speaker?
Do you belong to an organization or group that includes gun owners who are confused about their rights and responsibilities under the new laws? If so, contact The Sporting Clubs of Niagara. We have speakers who are familiar with the new regulations and will meet with your group to answer your questions and perhaps help you avoid legal problems. Call the TSCON numbers listed for more information.
Muddled Media
We love to highlight the media's sad state of ignorance about firearms. With few exceptions, most journalists and reporters know nothing about firearms, yet in the main they never miss a chance to slag guns and gun ownership. Their technical ignorance continues to lead to some extremely comic blunders in the press about guns and their capabilities, names, types, ammunition etc.
This edition's Muddled Media award goes to Police Reporter Chris Thompson of the Windsor Star. In an October 26th story about a break-in at a hardware store, Thompson writes "Also taken during the break-in was a large amount of ammunition, including boxes of 12, 16 and super 12 gauge shotgun shells"
Huh? What the hell is a "super 12 gauge shotgun"?
Have you seen an example of Muddled Media? Please send it to John Gayder and if your submission is selected for publishing we will send you a free TSCON tee shirt! Be sure to include the name of the paper, date and page number where you found the story.
Our thanks to Dennis Young of Ottawa for sending us this fine example of buffoonery.
Get Ready for the "Fed Up 3 Rally" in Ottawa
Preliminary inquiries into the feasibility of holding another rally in Ottawa in September 2000 are being conducted as we speak! These pro-gun rallies are FUN, and are a great way to show our elected officials we do not like being treated like kids. (I'm curious: exactly when and how did we go from being the "wise and informed" Canadian society that elected these clowns to office, to a seemingly infantile class of peons requiring asinine laws like the Firearms Act?) Anyway, if there is going to be a FU3 we will be organizing some participation. Be ready to show your support! We will keep you informed as details develop.
Criticism about Web Site Graphics
From time to time we get complaints about the graphics used on our web site. The graphics in question depict crossed AR-15 rifles, M1 Garands and FNs. Complainants feel these firearms are too "aggressive" looking, and convey "the wrong image".
Although we welcome and thank those who took the time to express these views, it has been decided to leave the graphics as they are. To those who don't like them, we offer the following suggestion:
- Don't be too quick to criticize guns you don't use or don't like. This is one of the ways gun owners got into this mess we have allowed the antis to carve us up into smaller and smaller disciplines who then seemingly tried to throw each other to the wolves first in order to save themselves. If you are one of the skeet and trap shooters who say, "Nobody needs handguns, we should ban them", or the handgunner who said, "nobody should have an assault rifle" in the hope that it will keep the antis away from your guns you are guilty of this! Wake up! Do not be divided and conquered!
Weekly Meetings
Where? St. Catharines Game and Fish building next to the boat ramp on Lighthouse Road in Port Dalhousie. When? Wednesday evenings, 7:00 pm. Who? Members and non-members alike are welcome to attend.
3,000 Hits!!!
On Nov. 17, 1999, we had hit number 3,000 on our web site. This marks a milestone for TSCON and a special "Thanks" goes out to all of you who have checked us out on the 'web'. Special thanks also to John Orth who has kept our site looking professional and up to date. Remember that you can access back issues of all our newsletters as well as other interesting and informative material.
We can be found at:
http://www.vaxxine.com/scon
Comments/suggestions?? Call John at 562-7686
T-Shirts
T-Shirts are back! Due to popular demand we have available for sale high quality 4 colour TSCON T-shirts with a new logo. The cost is $16 and they will be available for sale at the next Gun show or you can call any member of the Executive to get yours.
Year 2000 Memberships
It's membership renewal time and all 1999 memberships are about to expire. You will find enclosed in this issue a year 2000 membership card for The Sporting Clubs of Niagara. Detach and keep the wallet size membership card and fill in the information section and send it in with your dues.
Some people have already renewed for 2000 and we thank you for your prompt response. If you are one of these efficient people why not pass this card on to a friend or relative and encourage them to join. There has never been a better time to do this.
Protect your property, heritage and recreational activities by encouraging all gun owners (and freedom lovers) you know to join us. It is only with your continued support that we can continue to support you!
Club Activities
The Sporting Clubs of Niagara has had a busy schedule during the fall. We had two very successful undertakings: in September our booth at the Welland Fair distributed a large quantity of literature and answered numerous questions from firearm owners. In October, five members of the Executive travelled to Hamilton to address the Dofasco Angling Club in a very successful presentation.
Free "Canadian Access to Firearms" Subscription
To avoid having this paper sent to members who don't want it we only request the free 3 month subscription if you ask for it. If interested please call us and we will add your name to the request list. Also, if you have requested the paper but have not received it, please notify us. We have noticed that our requests tend to be answered sporadically and occasionally we have to ask more than once. It is, however, a very good publication and certainly worth getting.
TSCON INQUIRIES
General 937-2301
685-4480
Memberships 934-6882
Gun Show 937-7813
Free Classified Ads for Members
Classified ads for shooting and hunting related items are free for members. Please submit ads by the following dates to appear in the latest newsletter:
<Vol. 6 #1 Jan. 15/00
<Vol. 6 #2 April 15/00
To place your ad call 685-4480 by the dates shown.
Moved, Address Changes, Etc.
For address changes, duplicate mailings, removal of a name from the mailing list or if you want a newsletter call 685-4480.
Classified Ads
FOR SALE: S&W Model 686, .357 mag, stainless, 6" barrel, exc, $375; Walther PPK/S, .380, stainless, 4½" barrel, as new, $500; call Dave 905-714-1808
FOR SALE: Lee Enfield No.4 Mark 1, .303, Whitworth conversion, sporter, $100; Model 95 Chilean Mauser, 7 X 57, Fajen stock, Timney trigger, barrel reblued and shortened, $175; call Steve 905-937-6201
PRIZE WINNERS
Congratulations to the following members who are winners in our latest draw. Please call Gerry at 685-4480 to arrange to pick up your prize.
Winner Prize Donated By
Murray Bering 2000 TSCON membership The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
Joe Rosloski Stihl pocket knife Niagara Saw
Fre Skinner Gun Cleaning Kit The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
Jim Dilts Hunting Equipment Frontier Gun and Sport
***NOTE***If you are a previous draw winner and have not claimed your prize would you please call 685-4480 so we can arrange for you to receive it.