What to do about the rifle ban – here are a few things for right now:
- Stay calm and don’t do anything that can reflect back poorly on firearm owners. Educate yourself on the facts, and speak with those that do not understand these facts but are blinded by the Liberal scare tactics and lies regarding public safety. Go to the websites of the CCFR, CSSA and NFA and read what you can about the facts of the issue.
- Join and or further support your firearm rights/action groups: CSSA, CCFR, and NFA. They are working hard for us! They will need more funding now more than ever to take the fight back to Ottawa. If you are a member already – you know that they have been communicating with their members on this issue.
- Write letters to your MP and others in government – preferably snail mail as emails can be easily deleted while paper letters apparently are individually responded to – so we are told. Keep it professional and write often and from all family members!
Those firearm owners that think they are not affected because they don’t have a currently affected firearm – you need to open your eyes! This will greatly affect the entire firearm industry: the manufacturers and distributors (over 4500), the cost and availability of firearm ammunition and supplies, the viability of existing shooting clubs, and a reduced voice as firearm owners are driven from our sport. This is not to mention the clear injustice of banning/prohibiting legally-acquired personal property from Canadian citizens without debate, or actual evidence of benefit to public safety. This is simply a furthering of a Liberal agenda to attack law-abiding licensed firearm owners to garner votes from those not educated on matters related to firearms and public safety. This was all done by opportunistic politicians in a way that avoided debate (an OIC), at a time when parliament was not in session, and in the shadow of an unrelated and tragic event that could certainly not have been prevented by this unjustified prohibition action. A lack of response will only make their next step easier – i.e. banning handguns and other types of firearms (as is occurring elsewhere) – so better to take action now!
Below is a draft letter forwarded by the BCWF – Firearms Committee which was put together by a member at the VFGPA which can provide information for you to use as a basis for your letter. Feel free to alter it to suit your own style or opinion. If you have already sent one, don’t quit now – please send another. You can’t send too many! There is no such thing as overkill on this issue. Feel free to circulate.
Be sure to address it to your MP and others which support us – as well as the usual culprits. No postage is required — as long as you make sure to put MP after the addressee’s name!
As stated above, MPs respond better to snail mail letters, so I urge you to send actual paper copies to the following MPs:
Here are the names of the usual suspects:
- The Rt. Hon Justin Trudeau, MP – Prime Minister of Canada
- The Hon. Bill Blair, MP – Minister of Public Safety
We need to win the support of the Conservative Party, and these MPs are our biggest champions!
- Glen Motz, MP
- Pierre Paul-Hus, MP
- Blaine Calkins, MP
- Bob Zimmer, MP
- Michelle Rempel Garner, MP
- Add your local MP!
It is the same address for all MPs:
House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Thanks for standing up for your fellow law-abiding gun owners — hunters, sport shooters, and collectors.
Draft letter below. Feel free to use the information in any form: edit, shorten, etc. Just be sure to send! Every letter helps the fight!
Hi _______________
My name’s _____________. I live at ________________.
I’m writing with a heavy heart today, as I just learned that the Liberal government has enacted a ban (without consultation of the RCMP or the rest of the cabinet) on over 1,500 forms of sporting rifles.
I hope to write this letter to present some non-emotionally charged facts, that may help you or anyone else to understand why this legislation makes me sad, as well as worried about the future. We’re not the United States, after all, and I can explain why below.
Fact 1: Canadian firearms owners are the most law abiding demographic out there, with every firearm owner undergoing a criminal license check every single day. This is performed by the RCMP through an electronic program. If any of us commits even a simple crime, such as shoplifting, or getting a DUI, our firearms are confiscated, immediately.
Fact 2: None of the firearms used in the recent (horrible) shooting in Novas Scotia were legal firearms. These were primarily imported from the states, none were registered, etc. The new gun ban will do zero to address shootings such as this.
Fact 3: The Honorable Brenda Lucki, commissioner of the RCMP, has said she does not support the ban, for a few stated reasons – including:
- Gang violence is the highest contributor to gun violence in the country. None of those guns are legal and criminals too not care or abide by more laws.
- The cost to taxpayers of a “buy back” program would be staggering, and if that money was used instead to target gang violence, and over the border smuggling of actual dangerous firearms, then there would be the potential to save lives, and not just gain election points.
Fact 4: I have attached a link to the public safety canada website covering the firearm ban. In true, accurate polling (not ipsos or other private polls, but actual govcan polls) there is an overwhelming sentiment against firearm bans in Canada from both owners and non-owners of firearms.
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2019-rdcng-vlnt-crm-dlg/index-en.aspx
The specific poll images are below:
Finally, I would like to say that this is an expense we don’t need, as it will not do anything to solve any sort of crime rates or stop any sort of shooting deaths in this country, as it does not target anyone who would do that sort of thing to start with. We have an impeccable track record of safety in this demographic. IF there was a way to take guns away from all the criminals, I would throw my weight behind the effort 100%, as I would know all of the women/men/other in this country would do. We as firearm owners would stand behind it.
Please don’t let emotion rule a country. We need education, and not bias, to proceed properly and fight the evil in this world. I hope you’re with all of us, the RCMP, the legal firearm owners, and the majority of people not just in this province but in the rest of Canada in doing the correct thing, and not spending money and effort in the wrong places
Thanks so much,
________________________
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