As I read this thread again I'm left wondering if everyone has also emailed/ faxed/ snail-mailed their points, arguments, rants, letters...whatever you write to at very least Steven Blaney listed above. It's not enough to say it here.
This thread is moving down the list, can it be bumped to top, or made sticky? I'm not exactly sure how to do that. We need to get more exposure, get everyone involved. Here's my letter, I know it's not perfect, I don't know everything there is to know about how this works, It was an emotional response...I strongly encourage you to write your own, but if you want to copy this one, sign it, amend it go ahead but send something...just get our words sent. I also encourage you to get more educated about it, as will I and send these letters weekly.
To the Honorable Steven Blaney MP,
I'm writing to show my concern and ask why the parliamentary process has been thrown away when it comes to firearm owners and ownership in our country? Why have we let a police force make a mockery of our lawmaking procedures. The RCMP seem to have more power than the system that created it. They are disregarding the procedures they've sworn to uphold...they're acting Judge, Jury, Executioner, and we're letting them strip away our rights. Furthermore their press releases have been passed off as law, and seem to be purposefully confusing to entrap law abiding citizens, so that our firearms can be confiscated.
When we were children we were taught how a bill becomes a law (
http://www.lop.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/GuideToHoC/making-e.htm) Do we need to be sending everyone back to grade school?
Where is the parliamentary process when it comes to re-classifying my property to make it illegal for me to own? What is going on? This is being done without warning and in a backdoor kind of way.
The RCMP can't even change laws that are too lenient on ### offenders and people doing heinous crimes, but somehow they are able to skirt the procedures and release a bulletin making the property of law abiding citizens illegal. Possibly making us criminals for owning these items, items we've owned for over 25 years! I just recently became aware that some of my legally purchased possessions were now slated to be arbitrarily illegal for me to possess. What if I had taken my .22 magazines out to shoot, and was inspected. I would be charged. I would now be relieved of all my firearms and have to deal with Lawyers and hefty fines, and the risk of up to 2 years jail time! It would be left up to me to prove that this isn't law, just a bulletin from a police force that thinks it's lawmaker instead of law enforcer. Why would they be given the power to recommend these items be legal, allowing us to think we're in the clear and purchase them, only to change their mind and try to reverse that same law with a press release. I can imagine how these meetings went; "No need to create a bill, why would we do that? That would just give people a chance to stand up for their rights! We'll just scoot it in the backdoor so they think they have no choice" Where are our rights in this police state of affairs, this is my personal property, I have broken no laws! I am aware of no recent incident that would point to these platforms all of a sudden being public enemy number one! Honestly, the educated know this platform is used to teach or train, and to hunt rabbits and prairie dogs! This seems like countless money, and resources have been spent on something that has zero effect on public safety. Ironically this at a time that the RCMP claims it has insufficient resources to protect Canadians against terrorism, or issue equipment to it's own to enable them to do their job. This lack of judgement in spending became apparent just this past week when the RCMP failed to learn of a planned terror attack in a tiny town by someone who is known to them! Somehow our neighbors the FBI knew...thank God for dumb luck!
Earlier this year when a properly documented petition filed by Conservative MP Bob Zimmer, the AR-15 petition, E-111 was cast aside without even a side glance. If we were to try and decipher why this rifle is restricted and so many others it's equal are not, the only thing we could say is discrimination. I thought we no longer based opinions and policy on discrimination in this Great Country? Why was it a mistake when the CZ and the Swiss Arms were wrongly reclassified but somehow not the Ar15, we all know it was also wrong to reclassify the Ar15? They should all be non-restricted!
This is truly Un-Canadian, and a blatant disregard for the laws and processes we are (trying) to be proud of in this Country. Something MUST be done. I believe that you Honourable, Mr. Blaney are someone who agrees with these points, am I wrong? So rather than just complain I'm now standing up and getting involved. Expect to hear from me, and everyone else I can convince weekly.
Concerned,
D. Burke