tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32447217653466859722024-03-12T04:51:50.579+00:00National Shooters AssociationTo inform educate and dis-spell the many un-truths laid at the door of legitimate sportsmen and women just because they own a firearm.John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-80187097091065282732023-11-03T10:48:00.000+00:002023-11-03T10:48:12.431+00:00Calling ALL Shooters!<p> This is a call to anyone who has, over the past 10 years encountered difficulty in having heir FAC processed. This may take many different forms, but most common is delaying the process, then refusing an extension in order to complete the process. This means the individual concerned has to dispose, or, lodge their Firearms, usually at great expense.</p><p>Another, is medical information not being supplied, in time to fit in with their time scale. Questioning land over which permission to shoot has been granted, and many many other spurious reasons in order to delay the process.</p><p>So, if you have been affected by your FEO making your FAC renewal less than straight forward, please contact via this page in the first instance, relating your experience. If we are able to use your information we will get back to you, to discuss the matter further,</p>John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-87923270873158613552023-07-15T10:11:00.005+01:002023-07-15T10:20:10.337+01:00Consultation on firearms licensing.<p> The
latest consultation on firearms licensing, could lead some of you to believe
that that there was some underlying agenda by those in a position of power. Not
so many years ago, this kind of thinking would have you labelled as a
conspiracy theorist. But, over the past four years, more and more people are
starting to think this way. Those who are still able to use independent
thought.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
have been so many occasions in recent history that a view point has been put
forward, only for the establishment to close ranks, and roundly denounce the
opposing opinion. No rationale, no evidence, nothing, just we say it’s not so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
latest consultation is just the latest in an effort to ultimately remove all
firearms from civilian ownership. But it has to be done in stages, with more
and more of the population seemingly behind and supporting the seizure. The
current list of proposals have been put forward time and again, and each time a
bit more gets added on. But why do we need more restrictions? Currently the UK
has laws way beyond what the rest of the world deem necessary to ensure those
in society who should not have firearms, are obstructed in their acquisition.
Criminals, as we have said before, do not obey the law, and more draconian
ownership laws do nothing to prevent this section of society from obtaining
them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so
we arrive at the conspiracy theory! This latest debate has been brought about
by the coroner’s inquest to the shootings in Plymouth, where the assailant
killed a number of his family, before turning the gun upon himself. The coroner
Mr. Ian Arrow listened to what the jury in the case had to say, and in his
report made recommendations that more rigorous restrictions were needed in
order to prevent this sort of tragedy from re-occurring. In his findings, and
subsequent comments, there was no reference to the laws that are in place being
ineffective. He did however, blame the incompetent and slap dash approach by
the local police authority who had issued the licence, revoked it, and then
re-instated it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of
the failings by the police contributed to the terrible incident. And yet, Mr
Arrow’s thinking appears to be that, as the current law was not applied, that
law must be ineffective. Therefore, more stringent laws must be implemented.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>In
a recent statement issued by the Countryside Alliance on this matter, reference was made to
the U.S.A., and its gun owners. I feel this comment was to say the least, disingenuous.
Despite what you have been lead to believe, there are over 20,000 laws in the U.S.
in relation to firearms and their ownership. All purchases through legitimate
businesses have to have a background check, and, contrary to misinformation,
you cannot buy a firearm on the internet and have it sent to your house. As here,
the transaction has to be completed with a face to face meeting.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are
so many commonalities between the U.K. and U.S.A. regarding this subject, but
they approach the matter in a different way, to achieve the same result. The result
of the laws on law abiding members of society is the same, no problems. But, here,
as in the U.S.A. the main arbiters are the police, and as here they are advised
of individuals who should have their firearms removed for the sake of public
safety. And, as here, all too often these firearms are returned, only for the
individual to then go on to perform an horrendous act of violence. And, as
here, after every event of this nature, the police and politicians call for
even more stringent controls on firearms. This is despite those charged with
the job of enforcing the existing laws, failing to so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Current
laws in the U.K. are more severe than most of the rest of the world. The law
abiding firearms owner has submitted themselves to background checks,
photographic I.D., and that they have, and do live, an honest and law abiding
life style. Which is more than can be said for any other sector of society,
including the police. Gilding the lily will have no effect on the criminals,
and failure to enact current laws, will not be remedied by these proposals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, in
closing please contact you M.P., or, the shooting organisation that you are a
member of. If you do not already belong to one, join now! Failure to support
your sport will result in all shooting sports being curtailed until they are
finally legislated out of existence.<o:p></o:p></p>John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-45050082209233740502023-03-25T11:36:00.003+00:002023-03-29T12:49:30.841+01:00Impossible position!<p> </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;">I recently watched a re-run of
the television serial Downton Abbey. For those not familiar with show, it
revolves around the class and hierarchy of the British life at the turn of the
20<sup>th</sup> century. Those that own and live in the big house, and those
that that work there, the servants.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In this particular episode, Branson, the chauffer,
was instructed by one of the daughters Lady Sybil, to drive her to a political
rally. Branson, made protestations to Lady Sybil, pointing out that it was not
a good idea for one of her class to be down with the sort of people likely to be at
the rally. Whilst these two characters have an underlying romantic storyline,
the position of power was used to override the objections.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;">At the rally a fight breaks
out, and Lady Sybil receives a nasty blow to head. Branson extricates her unconscious
body, and eventually returns her home to her family. Later the Lord, father of
the family, confronts Branson. He chastises him, and lays the blame for the
whole incident squarely at the chauffeur’s feet. Despite protestations from
Branson, and an attempt to define mitigation from Lady Sybil, the chauffer is
deemed to be responsible for the whole incident.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is a situation that continues to play out in the
real world. Those in position of authority, make the rules and hand out the
punishment. Those without the power, follow the rules. Branson protested but
was over-ruled, he had no choice but to obey. But, when things go wrong, he is
blamed for doing as he had been ordered to do. Assuming he had refused, he
would have been dismissed from service without a reference, and therefore made
virtually unemployable for that period in history.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A real world example of this hypocrisy, enacted by
the state, is that of gun licensing authorities. They create many, many laws,
regulations, and restrictions, all in the name of public safety. Do not misunderstand,
these rules, in general, are not a bad thing. But the hypocrisy when things go
wrong is legion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;">There have been, mercifully,
few such incidents over the years. But with each atrocity there are more calls
for more restrictions and regulations. And in so many of these incidents, after
all the knee jerking and calls for more control, there is an underlying commonality.
Those that make the rules, do not follow the rules. Yet, those that abide by
the rules, have made representation to the rule makers, only for their concerns
to be ignored. Are to be blamed later for the outcome.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In recent times, those committing crimes with legally
held firearms, have overwhelmingly had their licence revoked and their firearms
removed, only for them to be returned at a later date. The reason in most cases
is domestic abuse, ABH, GBH, or, other acts of violence or threatening
behaviour. In all these instances, the authorities are well within their remit to
prosecute and permanently deny the ownership, or, possession of firearms. But they
fail to carry out their responsibilities. Choosing to pass the blame onto those
that were not culpable, and had no control over the situation. Much like the
Lord, in the television series.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In short, rules are made for a reason. And, in
general we all live by these rules. But when the creators of the rules fail to
abide by them, blame those that follow them; and then endeavour to make more
rules, in order to deflect from their failure, we all lose!<o:p></o:p></p>John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-43488606112799902892022-02-25T11:05:00.002+00:002022-02-25T11:21:49.236+00:00Arming Ukrainian civilians. Too little too late?<p><span style="font-family: arial;"> The recent invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russia is a terrible event; a show of brutal strength by a superior state over a smaller state. And as such, is wholly condemned here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It is however interesting to see how the Ukrainian state decided to bolster its armed services. After many years of state control over civilian firearms ownership, they had a change of heart.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The population of Ukrainia is about 45 million people. Civilian ownership of firearms' is permitted, but is regulated by the state. There are many regulations to ownership, of which some are listed here.</span></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px; list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;">an individual is 25 years of age for rifle ownership, 21 years of age for smoothbore weapon ownership, 18 years of age for cold or pneumatic weapon ownership;</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;">has no criminal record;</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;">has no history of domestic violence;</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;">has no mental illness or history of mental illness;</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;">has a good reason (target shooting, hunting, collection).</span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">All responsible firearms owners are accepting of restrictions on violent, mentally unstable, or, criminal individuals ownership of firearms. And, always ensure that their firearms are kept away from minors, or, persons un-familiar with safe handling practices.</span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">Restrictions on the type of firearms allowed to be owned are also regulated by the state. this also covers operating systems, magazine capacity, and ammunition quantities. The ownership of pistols, and self load, semi-automatic firearms of any sort are illegal. (a semi-automatic firearm only fires once with every trigger squeeze. The operating system will then cycle, placing another round in the chamber).</span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">Ownership for personal defence, and concealed carry, are only available in a limited capacity, and only then if it can be proven that a threat to that individual can be proven.</span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: arial;">According to the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Police_of_Ukraine" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;" title="National Police of Ukraine">National Police of Ukraine</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"> database, and they should know, there are </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;">892,854 registered firearms in Ukraine as of July 31, 2018. Although, some anti-gun organisations estimate there to be in excess of 3,569,000, or, maybe more. But by their nature these firearms would be illegal, and no-one can say for sure how many, or, how much of any illegal commodity there is in any country.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;">Therefore, based on the official figures, rounded for ease and convenience, there are approximately 50 citizens for every firearm in the Ukraine.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;">That was then, 23/2/2022. Now we are one day further into the Russian invasion, and the Ukrainian government has reportedly issued 10,000+ fully automatic firearms to any civilian who will take up arms to defend the country. (fully automatic firearms work in a similar way to that described previously, with the exception that once the trigger is squeezed, the firearm will continue to fire until the trigger is released, or, the magazine is empty)</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">There are two issues here worth looking at. Firstly, the state has restricted their citizens ability to become proficient with the armament they are supplying. And secondly, the state thinks that civilian owners must be heavily restricted, but now are willing to hand out firearms to anyone who is willing to pick one up, in order to defend the state that restricted them in the first place.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Our prayers are with Ukrainians in their bid to defend their country. They are also with all of those who will lose a loved one because of one tyrannical individual.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Freedom is not free, and it appears that more will have to pay the ultimate price before this current situation is resolved.</span></span></div>John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-43790269463510383242020-12-18T10:09:00.002+00:002020-12-18T10:11:41.762+00:00UK propose even stricter controls.<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">We as a community are again facing more government legislation in our sport in order to address the misuse of, and acquisition of, firearms by the criminal fraternity. From what I have been able read so far, there is little evidence to suggest a balanced approach to any of the proposals.</span></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Please follow this link, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/firearms-safety" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/firearms-safety">FIREARMS SAFETY-GOV.UK</a> to read the government, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NBIS) wish list.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following link gives you access to the NRA response, along with guidelines on how to respond <a href="https://nra.org.uk/home-office-public-consultation-firearms-safety-guidance/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="https://nra.org.uk/home-office-public-consultation-firearms-safety-guidance/">NRA- HOME OFFICE CONSULTATION</a></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The multi-pronged approach is put forward as a public safety exercise. Nothing that I have read would suggest that any of the changes would make a difference to public safety.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do not leave it to others to do your bidding! Rest assured that all the anti-shooting organisations, including most of the main stream press and media, will be out in full force to help promote these issues using the public safety mantra.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you see, or, hear any mis-information from these sources, do the right thing, and contact the outlet to put the facts forward. As a wise man once said, "A lie left unchallenged, becomes the truth".</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank you for your time.</div>John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-32120963585238910032020-03-26T11:30:00.001+00:002020-03-26T11:30:35.506+00:00Firearms Licensing & COVID-19<span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I have taken this from one of our friends websites. It is very important that if you are the owner of a shotgun or rifle in the UK, you get behind this as soon as you can. After all you can't go out anywhere for a couple of weeks, so spend your time helping a fellow shooter.</span></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bear in mind that the government have allowed an extension for vehicle MOT's of six months after expiration, and that's for the general public. So surely the nations most law abiding members should be given the same courtesy.</span></div>
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Please find below details of my communication sent to Priti Patel at the Home Office. In the current circumstances many licensees will find themselves falling foul of the law for reasons beyond their control. I feel that this should be addressed by all our organisations, whether you are affiliated or not.</div>
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May I respectfully request that in the current medical emergency, the Home Office should advise all firearms licensing authorities, to extend the validity of those license holders whose license is set to expire before the end of July for a period of six months from expiration date? This extension to be reviewed, should the medical emergency still be ongoing.</div>
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As you are aware, when licenses are renewed the applicant grants permission for the authorities to contact the applicants medical practitioner in order for a medical background check. At this point in time the medical services are stretched, without this added duty being asked of them.</div>
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The licensees are already in possession of firearms, and have undergone the necessary checks when their license was granted originally. A short extension, with a review when circumstances allow, would not affect the public safety aspect of the licensing system.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In line with the government guidelines of not vacating your property unless absolutely necessary, the site visits to licensee’s premises would be avoided. Additionally, this would enable the all the public services to concentrate their efforts on the medical emergency.</span></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-60843712368753631682020-01-21T14:30:00.000+00:002020-01-21T14:30:02.741+00:00Richmond Virginia 2nd amendment rally.<w:sdt contentlocked="t" id="89512093" sdtgroup="t"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr><w:sdt docpart="835865B27C4E4A61AFD816BC064324BC" id="89512082" storeitemid="X_5F329CAD-B019-4FA6-9FEF-74898909AD20" text="t" title="Post Title" xpath="/ns0:BlogPostInfo/ns0:PostTitle"></w:sdt></span>
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Richmond rally.<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></div>
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Mainstream
media outlets across the whole of the U.S. predicted a rivers of blood
scenario, as in excess of 10,000 law abiding American citizens attended a
pro-second amendment march. In the aftermath of the event, that same media was desperate
to put their own spin on the event.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In reality,
over 10,000 law abiding Americans marched in support of their right to keep and
bear arms. These same Americans were from every race colour and creed, if you
feel you must address someone by their appearance, beliefs, or, gender, I leave
that to those that wish to divide society. These Americans, legally walked down
the streets of Richmond, with an estimated 30,000+ firearms and ammunition. There
were few police in evidence, just some outlying lines of state troopers. The marchers
walked down the road, chanting their objections to the proposed legislation,
and on one notable occasion, a spontaneous recital of the pledge of allegiance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These marchers
were polite, courteous, and orderly. When questioned by supportive, and hostile
media alike, they conducted themselves with dignity. In all cases they answered
the questions to the best of their beliefs, in a polite manner, without the
need for profanity, inflammatory language, or, an aggressive personae. All this
was much to the chagrin of the mainstream, who it appears had hoped for at the
very least a negligent discharge from one of the thousands of firearms on
display.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then when
it was all over, these marchers left in a peaceful and orderly manner; but not
before litter picking the streets where they had been protesting. All of this
is stark contrast to those who would suppress or remove the 2<sup>nd</sup>
amendment rights of Monday’s marchers. The lack of tear gas, broken shop fronts,
looting, fires and damage to property, which those same individuals or groups
had said would happen. Based one assumes upon their own actions when demonstrating,
were all absent from this rally.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These marchers
weren’t the exception, they are the rule; a rule by which all honest, law abiding
gun owners, not only in the U.S., but all around the world conduct themselves. This
is contrary to what some would have you believe, especially those not involved
in the shooting sports.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In conclusion
I would just like to say thank you to of those marchers from Richmond, Virginia
as a whole, and to all those Americans from all over the country who came to
support their fellow 2<sup>nd</sup> amendment family members. This truly was a
United States march.<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-247159591007218622019-07-19T16:20:00.000+01:002019-07-19T16:33:42.260+01:00What's it all about?<br />
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The latest attempt to undermine
the status quo by animal rights groups is currently underway. As with all of
these attempts the main goal is not what is laid out in the press releases, or,
on the web pages of the group concerned. If you have read any of the previous
articles, you will be aware that, the individual’s personal choice is theirs
and theirs alone. You will also know that there are many shooters, from every conceivable
stand point; from meat eaters to vegans, all religions, races, and creeds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite their diverse viewpoints,
they have a number of areas of commonality. The first and most obvious is that
they all enjoy taking part in the many and various different options available in
the shooting sports as a whole. They also have a strong sense of right and
wrong, as defined by the laws of the land. You will be hard pushed to find a
shooter with a parking ticket, or, a speeding fine, let alone anything more
serious. This attitude is something that is borne out of the discipline of
shooting, and the responsibility that owning such tools, for that’s what a
firearm is, brings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another thing that binds, is the
concern for the environment where their shooting is undertaken, along with the
nature therein. These areas are a haven for wildlife, and considerably less impactful
than the thousands of houses being built over the hundreds of hectares of green
belt. But as usual I digress, sorry. Our ranges alone provide sanctuary for
moths, butterflies, wild orchids and numerous other wild flowers, adders, grass
snakes, slow-worms, stag and other beetles, and finally but not least badgers. But
these ranges are not overgrown, and un-managed. They are however selectively managed
in order to help keep the natural diversity of the environment they are on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Certain groups over the years,
and certainly in the last thirty years with more intensity, wish to remove
those who have been taking care of the rural environment for generations, and replace
them with people who think the right way. The right way being that, if man is
involved its wrong, unless of course the person is one of their own. A local
group who thought this way refused to allow the control of foxes or deer on
their land. The upshot was that the deer population grew beyond what the environment
could provide food for, resulting in emaciated and sickly deer living on the
ground. Many of these deer were culled, but did not end up in the food chain as
they were not fit for human consumption. The foxes mean while wreaked havoc on
the ground nesting birds, during the nesting season, resulting in an explosion
in fox numbers. They were also culled!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Having had little success with
their previous tactics, these groups are now learning from those in the U.S.A.
who have also tried the first route, and have for the past ten years or so gone
down a different path. They know that the people who support their viewpoint
are in the minority, a significant one, but still a minority, which has
remained stable over time. The new route is one of the law, and it’s not about
winning! The plan is to ruin financially their opponents. Both sides are able
to draw on their respective supporters for finances, but the anti-group has
nothing to lose by keep throwing law suit after law suit at their opponent.
Those defending against such suits, are often prevented from continuing their lawful
business, whilst these spurious cases are taken through the courts, or,
relevant ministerial department.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first attempt here in the UK
was the challenge to, and the suspension of, the general license to control
pest such as pigeons and corvids. With a relatively small outlay the group
concerned brought chaos to many farmers around the country. Those concerned
could not have picked a worse time to proceed with such an action. As self-proclaimed
environmentalists and animal lovers, they systematically removed hundreds of thousands
of native birds from the countryside they profess to care so much about. In my
own locality there was an increase in jays, magpies, and jackdaws. There was by
contrast, a marked decline in blackbirds, thrushes, sparrows, gold-crests and
blue tits, all of which normally nest happily in the trees and hedges of my
garden. One blackbird in her nest, visible from a window in the house, laid
more than nine eggs, it may have been more, but only a few made it to hatching,
and those that did never fledged.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This latest challenge to the
shooting sports, in all its guises, is the most pernicious so far. Without
everyone taking part to support those best placed to fight these law suits,
there will be no future for shooting here in the UK. Firstly, they will ban
game shooting. Then there will be a ban on vermin control. Clay pigeon shooting
will be next, with the banning of lead shot, and whilst that is being passed,
the use of lead in all ammunition will be included in the ban. Don’t believe
me! Go to California, where such a lead ban is already in place. They came in
from a different direction, but the ultimate goal is the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-69849693203143410922018-07-17T16:49:00.002+01:002018-07-17T16:53:36.857+01:00Sad, but true!<w:sdt contentlocked="t" id="89512093" sdtgroup="t"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 1.0pt;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr><w:sdt docpart="53953327A4DD4AD485F356420B379EE6" id="89512082" storeitemid="X_5F329CAD-B019-4FA6-9FEF-74898909AD20" text="t" title="Post Title" xpath="/ns0:BlogPostInfo/ns0:PostTitle"></w:sdt></span>
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The article below this, “Will this petition fare any better?”,
is something well worth while thinking about. There is an article written with
regard to pheasant shooting on land owned by the Welsh government. I know not all
shooters shoot game or vermin, and that’s fine. They, like the vast majority of
the population are content to allow someone else to prepare their Sunday roast,
hamburger, or, BBQ chicken fillets. Then there are those who shoot, and have
chosen not to eat meat at all. As for vegans, I cannot say, as I have yet to
meet a vegan shooter, but I’m sure there is someone out there.<br />
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But I digress, just a bit, as you can see shooters come in
all forms, as do shooting sports. They are as fractured as a group as you could
possibly get. They all enjoy their sport, but ask a clay shooter if they would
support a game shooter, and likely as not the answer would be NO. They may then
expand their view point as to why they should be allowed to shoot, whilst the
game shooter should be curtailed. The same is often true when the rolls are
reversed. In short, shooters, and the shooting community is, and are, their own
worst enemy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back to the article, to read <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiTVvKcX0AARw8w.jpg:large">click here</a>.
The anti-shooting, animal rights, and other organisations are different. They
have no qualms about banding together, if there is something they’re against,
they’re all against it. In one paragraph of the article, it states that 76% of
people that signed the consultation were for a ban on shooting on NRW land. It goes
on to say that 12,700 people also signed animal aid’s petition supporting the consultations
views. In a later paragraph, the Countryside Alliance are quoted as saying, “this
will send a chill down the spine of the hundreds of thousands of people who
shoot…..”<o:p></o:p></div>
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So where are these hundreds of thousands of people? I know
they exist, not because I want them to, but because I can see exactly how many
there are through freedom of information requests. And given that there are so
many people that legally own a firearm, it really is surprising that situations
like that below and the Natural Resources Wales, show such a disparity between
ownership and support for any and all shooting debates and consultations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In conclusion, will the petition, or, the game shooting
argument on Welsh government owned land succeed? Sadly, most probably not. The
apathy, and reticence of shooters to support any shooting outside of the
discipline they undertake is proven. Just ask a pistol shooter, the rest of the
shooting community were happy to sacrifice them in order to appease the anti’s,
in the vane hope that they would then leave the rest of the shooting community
alone. The anti’s have nothing to lose, and will keep pushing their viewpoint
until they eventually win out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The short poem by Martin Niemoller sums the situation up
with extreme clarity; if you are unwilling to help others, when the time comes,
there may be no-one to help you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-4135239575801099882018-07-07T10:06:00.001+01:002018-07-17T16:49:49.275+01:00Will this petition fare any better?I'd like to say thank you to all those concerned with the following. I have cut and pasted the item directly from our friends at Fittleworth. There is no more to be said as to why you should support the this petition.<br />
Not so long ago in the U.S.A. similar legislation was proposed with regard to .50 calibre firearms. It was worded in such a way that when the National Rifle Association, read and studied it in detail, its ambiguity became clear. For if it had been passed into law, any calibre larger than .50 would have become illegal. This would have meant that many shotguns would have fallen into the category of being larger than .50 calibre.<br />
You can look at this two ways. One, a badly written piece of legislation, and the unintended consequences of such proposed legislation. Or, two, it was written that way deliberately, and without the due diligence of those supporting shooting, if passed would have given the authorities the opportunity to remove legally held firearms at a stroke. Either way you must decide for yourself. But whatever you do decide, bear in mind, this is an ongoing situation, and without your support now, you may be next.<br />
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I know that there have been numerous petitions with regard to shooting and the shooting sports over the years; none of which have met with any success to speak of. This one however is worthy of your attention, and hopefully your support and signature.</div>
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This is not the thin end of the wedge, we are way past that now, and in my estimation, we are about half way up the wedge. This petition is an effort to halt this onerous piece of legislation. Legislation, which in its own words, is not based on any facts, figures, or, evidence. Despite any, and all evidence to the contrary, honest, law abiding sportsmen and women are yet again being targeted.</div>
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This time don’t wait for these infringements to directly affect you, help a fellow shooter to be able to continue enjoying their sport. After all, next time it may be your chosen discipline!</div>
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<a href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/223361" rel="noopener" style="color: #ee4e00; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; opacity: 0.8; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s ease-out; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Remove articles 28-35 inclusive in chapter 6 of the offensive weapons bill.</a></h1>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-52308964640447439932017-04-20T12:47:00.000+01:002017-04-20T12:48:12.757+01:0030,000 self service gun shops open in LondonSo! who polices the police? The Metropolitan police, in what can only be described as inept cronyism, have released the details of around 30,000 firearms owners. Now, as a firearms owner, should you let your spouse or another family member, or, for that matter anyone know where you keep your keys, you will be in hot water. somehow though, the Met. feel that it is perfectly OK to release the details of 30,000 owners to a private company, with one assumes, very little regard or care, as to who they supply those details to.<br />
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If you live in the area controlled by the Met., I strongly recommend that you contact the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, to air your concerns. At present, the Met. are conducting an internal investigation, and BASC are awaiting the outcome of this before making any further comments. However, the security implications of this are considerable.<br />
For more information click the link here to <a href="https://m.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/19/met_police_30000_gun_owner_data_breach/?mt=1492677527883" target="_blank">The Register</a> who have run this story.<br />
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I have always had a great liking of the Met., they, unlike other police forces, tended not to treat owners of firearms like criminals. Their FEO's where, as a rule, well informed, and helpful. With this in mind, you cannot help feel that this slip, well meant though it may have been, will cast a long shadow. With EU rules making all member states share their information on owners with all other states, just how secure will this information be? if those holding that information are prepared to supply it to a business or group for whatever reason.John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-43777068248715962972017-03-25T11:08:00.003+00:002017-03-25T11:08:27.125+00:00Thought for the day.<div class="MsoNormal">
The terrible actions, undertaken by an individual during
Wednesday, are abhorrent, and rightly condemned by people in this country,
Europe, and the rest of the world. All the leaders of all these countries have
joined to voice their support for the British people. At home the domestic
political parties have also shown a unified voice in support of the police, the
emergency services, and the people of London. Amongst the calls for vigilance,
calm and to carry on as much as normal; there is also the cry, if not a
pleading, not to judge members in society for the race, colour, creed, or
religious beliefs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These calls from the hierarchy of the political system and
law enforcement are to be condoned. Their call, not to judge a group because of
the actions of one, or on occasion, a group of individuals, as representative
of the group as a whole, should be applauded. And yet, there is a great degree
of hypocrisy in this statement, for should these sentiments not be afforded to
everyone, regardless of race, colour, etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Around the world, there have been a number of individuals
who have committed criminal acts using firearms, and yet, the actions of these
individuals are reported and treated as the actions of a whole group, honest
law abiding gun owners. Every time some criminal uses a firearm, these same
politicians and law enforcement call for more laws, the removal of rights and
the imposition of stronger regulations. Can you imagine what would happen if
the same criteria were applied after every one of these attacks, carried out in
the name of a religious ideology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tolerance is something that those in power preach to the
masses, and yet the most tolerant are more often than not, treated with
contempt, whilst those who are intolerant of much of the worlds societies, are
given free rein to undermine those societies. Tolerance it seems is only
acceptable when it suits their purpose or is politically expedient.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-65551500031568958212017-03-15T10:43:00.001+00:002017-03-15T10:44:30.959+00:00Farmer found not guilty!Don't be surprised if you knew nothing about this, the British police and media like to keep these incidents under wraps. Of course, in these enlightened days of multi format communications, it is becoming harder to do so.<br />
<br />
As usual the police on the ground did their best, but the hierarchy let its political leanings show. Over 15 hours to attend, then multiple officers, armed response officers, and a helicopter; all out looking for who knows what, 15 hours later; apparently it was hostages.<br />
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The injured criminal, who allegedly has a string of convictions for burglary, assault, and weapons charges, was questioned but not even arrested, let alone prosecuted. Whilst the wronged farmer was arrested and prosecuted, but was thankfully found not guilty in 24 minutes by a jury. Now all the farmer has to do is pay the in excess of £30,000.00 court fees, and try to get his shotgun back.<br />
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The story carried by the Yorkshire post, link <a href="http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/yorkshire-farmer-83-cleared-of-shooting-suspected-thief-on-his-property-1-8432452" target="_blank">HERE</a> There is also a crowd funding page, in an effort to help with the costs incurred, link <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/supportkennethhugill" target="_blank">HERE</a> should you feel so inclined to help.John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-8606991954264359282017-03-02T12:08:00.002+00:002017-03-02T12:08:54.609+00:00Time IS running out!This has just arrived from our contact at a local rifle club, and this is something that we have been addressing at every possible opportunity. Without shooters of all disciplines taking an active roll in the consultation, many, many smaller clubs will go to the wall, either through reduced membership, you can't have club with less than 10 full members, or, their inability to raise enough revenue.<br />
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So please click <a href="https://fittleworthrifleclub.org/2017/03/02/time-is-running-out/" target="_blank">HERE</a> for the latest news, contact information, and a short video from Firearms UK explaining the problems that smaller clubs will encounter.John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-11366035999520926192016-09-07T12:57:00.001+01:002016-09-07T12:57:05.176+01:00UPDATED: Further issues with new medical system for firearms licensing<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">The following has been received from our good friends at the Counrtyside Alliance. If you are in the process of applying or renewing your certificate/s, it may help to read it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit;">A lot has changed since our last blog on the new medical system for firearms licensing, posted back in June. As such we want to update our members, especially those in the process of being granted or renewing a firearm or shotgun licence.</span></div>
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Since July the British Medical Association (BMA) has updated their <a href="https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/ethics-a-to-z/firearms" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #d52a29; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition-duration: 0.2s;">guidelines</a> on firearms licensing, stating that all medical forms sent to GPs by the police regarding the health of a firearm certificate applicant should be returned unanswered. The resulting situation is similar to that which existed pre-April, with no initial check of medical records and no continuous monitoring, both of which the BMA agreed to as part of the Medical Evidence Working Group (MEWG).</div>
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The Countryside Alliance believes this new medical system will improve firearms licensing and safety, potentially providing further justification for a future move to 10 year licences. Unfortunately the BMA’s u-turn has effectively signalled to GPs that they do not have to act in the best interests of the licence applicant, and rather than simply return the police letters unanswered many GPs are in fact attempting to charge their patients for completing initial check. This is happening despite the fact that all participants in the MEWG agreed this initial check should be done free of charge.</div>
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A further source of concern is the wording of the new BMA guidelines. Not only are they refusing to participate in the new (and previously agreed) system, they are telling their members to refuse the system by claiming a ‘conscientious objection to gun ownership’, a truly outrageous position with no basis in the BMA’s own employment ethics. The Countryside Alliance have written to the BMA twice requesting clarification and have yet to receive a response. We will be pursuing this further.</div>
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The current situation is not working, causing confusion among applicants for firearm and shotgun licences and leaving the BMA isolated from the other members of the MEWG. We will continue to push for a working system that benefits the shooting community and the general public.</div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-66996342547830428312016-07-14T11:06:00.000+01:002016-07-14T11:06:04.386+01:00Evidence lead decision.Finally the Defra response to the LAG is made public. It is pleasing to see that evidence, rather than an agenda, resulted in the following statement being issued. This does not however mean shooters can relax, as those that would stop our sport are renowned for not being accepting of anything other than their view. So, for now, this is settled, but be prepared to visit this matter again in the future.<br />
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<br />John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-66449560543362410172016-07-08T12:46:00.002+01:002016-07-08T12:46:39.250+01:00New attacks on gun owners.The following is an article from our good friends at Fittleworth Rifle Club. I too have had a number friends who have been approached by, or sent a payment request, from one of these organisations. the information supplied by BASC and Shooting news is worthwhile taking the time read.<br />
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Just because….<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></div>
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Just because they call you paranoid, it doesn’t mean to say
they’re not out to get you! In a little over a month, news has surfaced
regarding numerous complaints received from owners regarding Barclay’s bank,
and owners doctors. If you have had dealings with either or both, you are not alone.
Barclays have been targeting shooting clubs and demanding names, addresses, and
certificate details of anything from the secretary too all of the clubs
membership. In an effort to achieve this, they have told blatant lies,
declaring that the FSA, now renamed the FCA, has it as part of their
regulations that clubs must comply with supplying these details.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other complaint source from owners is in regards to
doctors charging fees, after being approached by the police. These spurious
charges range, from reports that I have seen, from £20-£100. Owners have been
led to believe that if payment is not forthcoming, their certificate will not
be either granted or renewed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So how do you proceed if and when you are confronted by
either of these scenarios? Gun owners, as we have said time and time again, are
the most law abiding members of society, and therefore do all they can to
comply with the law. Unfortunately, there are some that are prepared to exploit
this honesty. The following links will take you to some sage advice from a
reliable source, on how to proceed, and what you should do when confronted by either
of these groups.<o:p></o:p></div>
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advice: What to do if Barclays Bank demands your gun info</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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fee payment demand</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-26200889507839156832016-05-05T16:11:00.003+01:002016-05-05T16:11:30.074+01:00Lament for the "Sweet 16"<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
As with most things these days I can’t decide if I’m
ahead of the game, or running trying to play catch up. It’s certainly true when
it comes to technology, I’m definitely at the back of the pack, at the back. I still
have a main line telephone, although I do have a portable walk about phone
linked into the same line. I do have a mobile, which I purchased when the model
was being discontinued, to be superseded by the latest thing. This mobile is so
old, it is actually a phone with text facilities and nothing else. I was
recently spotted using it by some 20 something, who exclaimed “wow, that’s so
cool. I wish I still had mine. It was my first phone in junior school. Do you
want to sell it?” why would I sell it, it still does what I want it to do, and
even with its original tired battery, still lasts longer than my sons latest,
all singing and dancing phone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway I digress, what I wanted to find out was if I was
a trend setter or otherwise. You see in recent years and months there has been
an explosion in small gauge/bore shotguns. It started with the 20g 3” cartridge
being made more widely available. This in turn led to an interest in all things
20g, so new side by sides, over and unders, pumps and semi-autos all began to
appear from makers for this relatively new cartridge. Since then there has been
a surfeit of 28g and .410, again on a range of platforms. I myself recently acquired
an as new Marlin lever action .410, what a marvellous little gun to shoot, and
such fun too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, in all of these new, and resurrected guns, in
all of the aforementioned sizes, there is one missing, the sweet 16. The 16g,
is almost the perfect, and in some eyes, it is the perfect gauge, and it appears
to have been overlooked. All the big makers are producing new models and
variations each year, but it appears not in 16g. Smaller makers to produce many
fine guns, some in 16g, but these are out of reach of many, including me. Sure
there are a number of second hand 16’s out there, but these are, pretty much
without fail, side by sides. What I would like is either a moderately priced
over and under or a semi auto.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s said that the market dictates what you get to buy,
but how do you get to buy something if no-one makes it. So next time you go
into your local gun shop, and are looking around at all the nice new 12g and
20g shotguns, just ask if they have any 16g’s.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until you have used the 16g you won’t understand; it has
all the cartridge you will need, but without the wallop. It has the lines and
grace of a 12g, but without the weight. In other words, it’s all the things you
like about a 12g but dislike in a 20g, and all the things you like in 20g but dislike
in a 12g. There are very few things in life that are perfect, but the 16g, in
whatever format you find one in, is as close as you will get on this side of
the mortal coil.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-46893047302474610462016-04-19T16:27:00.001+01:002016-04-19T16:27:54.286+01:00FOI regarding Licensing departments.The following link will take you to an article written by our friends at the Countryside Alliance <a href="http://www.countryside-alliance.org/13087/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> Given the recent position adopted by the current home secretary, preferring to give the police the powers to make the laws regarding all firearms held by the public. This should really give all shooters cause for concern, and encourage them to sign the petition to oppose Clause 81. <a href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/127045" target="_blank">PETITION HERE</a>.<br />
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With many of the forces up and down the country failing to do their job, regarding firearms licensing, efficiently and proficiently; they either issue a section 7 temporary certificate or you have to lodge your firearms, at your expense, with a dealer or other approved person.<br />
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Should clause 81 be passed, firearms ownership will be a thing of the past here in the UK within ten years. Why! because the police would be the makers of the law without any interested parties having a say in the matter. The first thing they would remove, would be section 7 certificates, then a renewal process would take a disproportionate amount of time meaning that you would have to lodge your firearms, running up a large bill. This would remove many from the process purely on the grounds of cost. subsequent regulations would be so onerous and draconian that it would be near impossible to comply with them.<br />
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With very few exceptions chief constables around the country consider the ownership of firearms by the civilian population as unnecessary, and would be pleased to have the power to enable them to remove them completely. In very basic terms, a police state is one where the police make the laws and enforce them, to their own interpretation.John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-31835766497434057012016-02-29T10:11:00.005+00:002016-02-29T10:11:55.319+00:00Education or Ignorance?<div class="MsoNormal">
There has recently been a social experiment, produced and
underwritten it would appear by the local police. Their mission, to prove that
children and guns do not mix! In a staged scenario, a room was filled with toys
and other such things that children of today would be interested in.
additionally, a strategically placed firearm was also left in the room. This firearm,
although real, was rendered inoperable by the group conducting the “study”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whilst it cannot be considered a great scientific study,
after all there were only 8 subjects in the test group, the result of the test
is all but ignored by not only the group conducting the study, but by pretty
much all the media. So why has this unscientific study been almost completely ignored
and swept under the carpet. The answer, the result was not quite what they
wanted. The selected children were left to play in the room, monitored on CCTV.
Eventually one of the children found the gun and started playing with it,
pointing it at the other children and pretending to shoot them. Out of the 8 children left in the room 6
played with the firearm in the manner previously described. However 2 did not,
and this is the reason why the video did not get considerably more coverage in
the media.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You see of the 8 children involved, 6 came from homes where
guns and gun ownership was not permitted, for whatever reason, by the parents. Therefore
the children had no experience, or education, on what to do when they came
across the firearm. The remaining 2 children came from homes where guns and gun
ownership was permitted. These children and been brought up with firearms and
were aware, by virtue of training in their upbringing, that they should not
touch the gun, and what they should do if they found one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In conclusion, the experiment was designed to show that guns
and children do not mix. The unintended consequence was that, education from an
early age, especially concerning the safe handling of firearms is not something
that should be ignored, even if you do not have a gun in the house.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To watch the video please click <a href="http://fox17.com/news/nation-world/experiment-shows-differences-between-children-with-guns-in-the-home-and-those-without">HERE</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-79976910124058045392016-02-22T11:41:00.002+00:002016-02-22T11:41:26.987+00:00MEP responds to firearms concerns.<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 20.8267px;">The following is the response from Richard Ashworth MEP, in response to concerns raised regarding the latest EU firearms control measures.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.8267px;">Thank you contacting Richard Ashworth MEP concerning the proposal to amend the EU legislation on the control and possession of weapons (The “Firearms” directive). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">As you are aware on 18<sup style="line-height: 17.3556px;">th</sup> November 2015,</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;"> the European Commission proposed amendments to the current EU Directive which has been in place since 1991 and which was last reviewed in 2008. This new proposal includes elements that will improve the sharing of registers across borders between Member States, enhance the marking of weapons and enable the tracking of deactivated arms, such as those of a historical nature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">In the aftermath of the tragic terrorist attacks last year, it is right that to look at what can be done on a practical basis to tackle terrorism and criminal activities. Effective gun controls are part of this, especially given that some weapons used in the Charlie</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span class="ecxSpellE" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Hebdo </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">attacks were legally acquired weapons that had been reconverted from blank-firing acoustic weapons into live firearms in Slovakia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">However, there was much discussion about the need to ensure the rules are proportionate and that they tackle real problems supported by real figures. A number of concerns have risen about the new proposals as currently stand, not least the absence of an impact assessment and the lack of clarity of some of the language. These concerns have come from museums, collectors, re-enactors, those involved in the film industry, “airsoft”, sports shooters and those using firearms for pest control as well as military reservists in some countries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px; text-align: justify;">Many parts of the proposal are unclear, which has led to confusion about which semi-automatics are to be banned. The exact nature of the responsibilities for museums, collectors and those doing historical re-enactments is also remains unclear. Furthermore many concerns have been correctly raised in regards to the impact the legislation on activities such as paint balling and the use of guns in films and television productions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px; text-align: justify;">Conservatives in the European Parliament agree on the need for a new directive; but believe there does need to be wider consideration of some of the proposals, particularly in regards to sporting activities. The Commission has agreed its drafting of the proposal is not perfect and has asked parliamentarians to work on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Given this, Conservatives in the European Parliament have taken the lead to ensure the views of all stakeholders are heard. Mr Ashworth works closely with his Conservative colleague Vicky Ford MEP, who is the Chairman of the European Parliament's</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Mrs Ford will be leading the European Parliament's work on this file, which involves scrutinising the Commission’s proposal and proposing amendments where necessary. Throughout this process Mr Ashworth will work closely to ensure the report is both fair and balanced. It is completely normal for MEPs to propose amendments to any proposal from the Commission and it is likely to take many months before there is a vote on both the proposal and any amendments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Mr Ashworth has expressed his concerns regarding deactivated weapons, as the Commission and Member States took 7 years to put in place rules to ensure such firearms are properly rendered inoperable. We need to ensure that these new rules are effective and they clearly need to be taken into consideration during the scrutiny process. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">It is also important to clarify what is meant by the need for a medical test to be carried out before a license is granted and the distance selling requirements.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Mr Ashworth will be working closely with colleagues in the coming months to make sure the correct is in place and believes </span><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #444444; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">it</span><span style="color: yellow; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">will also be important to work closely with experts especially those representing stakeholders. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Whilst it is right that at this time to check for any loopholes in the law and improve communication, any new legislation must be coupled with much greater enforcement against illegal arms, crime and terrorism.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Thank you again for contacting Richard Ashworth MEP, he is always pleased to hear from his constituents.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Kind regards,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; line-height: 20.8267px;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.8267px;">Claire</span></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-62746289212958157472015-12-10T16:45:00.004+00:002015-12-10T16:45:40.062+00:00Lead or Cats.<div class="MsoQuote">
I like so many others, like shooting, and like a good many
others like cats and dogs. Both of these creatures offer a welcome relief as
pets to many, many people, and they both have proven worth for the elderly as
well as the sick. I’m not against anyone having either or both of these
creatures, but if they are not controlled by their owners both are capable of
doing sever damage to either stock or wildlife. In the UK wild dogs are not, as
yet a major problem, unlike some parts of the USA, where packs of dogs roam
unimpeded. Here, dogs, left uncontrolled by their owners whilst out walking in
the countryside can wreak havoc on a heard of sheep or cows, often the dogs end
up being shot by the farmer or his staff, much to the dismay of the dog owners.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cats on
the other hand are not a considered threat to sheep or cattle, but over the
years many domestic cats have gone feral, and live in the wild without the need
for man. Many domestic cats too are quite able to survive without their can of
cat food, which leads me to a point I’d like to draw your attention to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently
an article appeared, based upon some very old surveys, about the effects that
lead from shooting may have on the wild bird population here in the UK, and by
extension elsewhere in the world. The report admitted that it could not verify its
figures, and had extrapolated its results based upon the information available.
The report concluded that between 50,000 and 100,000 birds may have died, each
year, due to the effects of shooting and the lead shot used. As I said, this
was a report taken from old study material, and since the original study was
undertaken, all responsible shooters have sought out cartridges using a
suitable lead replacement; This combined with legislation regarding the taking
of wildfowl, and shooting over wildfowl habitat, and only using lead substitutes,
have made considerable in roads to preserving both the birds and their habitat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I
say, I’ve no axe to grind here, but a quick look at the RSPB web site regarding
the cat populations, wild and domestic, effect upon the wildlife of the UK,
there seems to be a disparity in their approach. The RSPB details that
somewhere in the region of 275,000,000 items of prey are taken each year by
cats, of this 55,000,000 are birds. Added to this figure is the unknown
quantity of creatures that are caught and escape, only to die later of the
wounds. The RSPB web site goes on to say that, “<b><span style="background: white; color: #414042; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Despite the large
numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats
in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide.</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #414042; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">” They go to say, “</span></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #414042; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It is likely that most of the birds killed by cats would have
died anyway from other causes before the next breeding season, so cats are
unlikely to have a major impact on populations. If their predation was
additional to these other causes of mortality, this might have a serious impact
on bird populations.</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #414042; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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It would
appear that there is, as usual, an agenda lead reason for justifying the
acceptable disparity between shooting and cat ownership. Or put another way,
and I hate it when people talk in percentage terms, but this time it really
brings home what the RSPB find acceptable, or un-acceptable. Using only the
figures that are widely available to everyone on this issue, if you take the
time to look, the 50,000-100,000 figure, based on surveys and reports conducted
over thirty years ago, when lead shot was widely used in wildfowling,
represents a figure of less than .2% or two tenths of one percent of the 55,000,000
acceptable birds killed by cats. So will we at any time soon hear the RSPB call
for stricter controls on cats, or the use of a cat substitute, I don’t think
so!<o:p></o:p></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-56048889023282481742015-11-09T10:51:00.000+00:002015-11-09T10:51:27.215+00:00Ballistic fingerprinting.<div class="MsoQuote">
I’m sure we all have experience of something in our lives
that sounded like a good idea, but in reality, it was either not practical or
realistic. A good example of this is ballistic fingerprinting, anti-gunners
love it, and have sold it to a number of countries, states or jurisdictions as
the ultimate tool for solving crimes that involve a firearms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s involved? Well in this particular example every gun
sold undergoes a sample firing, the resulting bullet and cartridge case have
their individual markings recorded digitally. This information, and the spent
case and bullet are then stored, to be made available if required. I can hear
some of you saying it now “Well that’s a good idea!” But wait, and have a
think, every gun sold, that would be quite a lot. Additionally, for those in
the know or with criminal intent, this can all be made an irrelevance with a
few household products. Then add in the fact that, and here we go again, honest,
law abiding people, by definition do commit crimes, and law abiding gun owners
are in that group, and are less likely to commit a crime of any description
than your local police officer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With all this in mind, the state of Maryland U.S.A. has,
after 15 years, and millions of dollars spent, decided to pack up their
database and storage facility, and why have they decided to do this? Well, in
all of those 15 years the information contained within all those databases, and
using all of those spent rounds for cross reference solved exactly zero cases
of a criminal act. That’s right, not a single criminal in the state of Maryland
used a legally obtained and fingerprinted firearm. You can if you wish view the
story as run by the Baltimore Sun <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-bullet-casings-20151107-story.html">HERE</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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All of this is not to say that taking the information from
bullets and cartridge cases is not a good idea, it is, but only when it is used
in conjunction with other evidence obtained at a crime scene in order to
confirm the use of a firearm in a particular crime or crimes, as has been done
since the time of this forensic sciences birth. So when your local government
or police pronounce that they a new system for preventing and solving crime,
just think back to this, and the other examples that have gone before. It will
not do a thing that it says it will in the brochure, but it will cost more and
more tax money, year on year, to administer. Money that would be better spent
in other areas of the worlds police departments.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-85852343063457776482015-09-29T13:11:00.001+01:002015-09-29T13:11:57.869+01:00Media arrogance!<div class="MsoNormal">
Why is this man still allowed to work instead of being
prosecuted by the law? In yet another show of arrogance by a member of the
media, who for some reason fell they are above the law, not only does this
writer break a minimum of two laws, but he then has the arrogance to admit his
felonious deeds in the newspaper that he works for. Now don’t misunderstand, if
there is a problem with society or its laws, then feel free to address those
problems, write about them in whatever medium you have available to you. It is beholden
upon you to engage with the relevant individuals, group, or authority to have
this problem recognised and removed. This does not however entitle you to break
the law in pursuit of proving your perceived problem, real or otherwise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In a similar scenario, David Gregory, another media worker,
this time in the United States, illegally obtained a 30 round magazine. In the
District of Columbia, also known as Washington D.C., it is illegal to obtain,
or possess any magazine that is capable of holding more than 10 rounds of
ammunition. Despite this, Gregory openly flouted the law when presented the
magazine, in his hand, on his T.V. show. So was Gregory charged and prosecuted
to the extent of the law, $1000 fine and 1 years’ imprisonment? No, his friends
in high places decided that to prosecute him would not serve public safety or
be in the public interest. Funny then how in 2012, 15 other individuals were
prosecuted under the same laws.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The full report of
the first writer’s criminal activity in his words, is available <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/police-reveal-277000-guns-scotland-6529023">HERE!</a>,
you may need to scroll down 2 or 3 articles first. In both of these cases, and
there are numerous others out there in a similar vein, the media appears to get
free rein to break the law. If any other member of society tried to pull these
sort of stunts, and were caught, let alone openly defying or publishing their
criminal activity in a major paper, I have no doubt they would be prosecuted
and made an example of. But it appears that the authorities, perhaps afraid of negative
publicity being hurled at them by the very media that breaks the law, seem
unwilling to proceed in these or any other case where a member of the media is
concerned relating to these issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The law is, as they say, the law, and until such time as it
is disseminated evenly and fairly, there will be one law for those with power
or influence, and another for the rest of us!<o:p></o:p></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244721765346685972.post-30546046470442492502015-09-16T12:53:00.000+01:002015-09-16T12:54:57.835+01:00HMIC report highlights failing police forces.<div class="MsoNormal">
There have been over the past years several high profile
shootings by owners of legally held firearms, from the Hungerford shooting
onwards. Firearms regulations were tightened after this event, there were few
who railed against the basic proposition, although the magazine restriction,
even now, can lead to lively debate. With a whole host of measures employed to
control the ownership of firearms by the civilian populace, Things settled down
until Dunblane; where, after this most heinous of crimes, even further
restrictions were applied. In 1997 the government of the day banned the
possession of all handguns by all but a very few. More recently, the shooting
in Cumbria, brought the calls for even more restrictions to be placed on
legitimate firearms owners.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The recent release of a report by Her Majesties Inspector of
Constabularies, HMIC, states that the country faces an ever increasing risk of
mass shootings if their recommendations are not given serious consideration,
and preferably implemented. The interesting thing is though, whilst most agree
that the current system is at best disjointed, the current guidelines cover all
aspects of ownership rather well. Therefore if you take the time to read the
report <a href="http://firearmsuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/firearms-licensing-targeting-the-risk.pdf">HMIC
Report</a> you will be at a loss to see why the current guidelines are a cause
for concern. The report uses the examples given earlier to illustrate that the
current system is broken and needs drastic action to resolve the problem. The
only trouble is that throughout the report the failings are not that of the
guidelines, the shooting industry or the vast majority of shooters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Time after time in the report attention is drawn to a number
of constabularies, who for whatever reason, have failed to implement the
current guidelines. The reports response to resolve these inadequacies and
failure to follow the rules, apply more rules, and give the police powers
unseen in this country for many years. In yet another attempt to push forward
an agenda mentioned in previous post, HMIC propose the police have a statutory
right of entry into firearms owners’ property. At present an appointment needs
to made at a mutually convenient time, or, if there is evidence of a crime or
domestic unrest, a warrant is required, which gives the police a right of
entry. The NPCC proposed this, along with the “shop a gun owner” phone line. It
cannot be a coincidence that both Stephen Otter and Andy Marsh have put forward
near identical proposals to resolve what they perceive as problems with the
current system.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking as an owner of firearms and other lethal items, and
answerable to a vehemently anti-gun police authority, who appear to employ
firearms enquiry officers who only know and understand firearms from the
authorities dictate, it is not surprising that the failures highlighted in HMIC
report occur. Thankfully they are few and far between, and the over 1.5 million
owners in the country use their firearms in a responsible manner. We as
firearms owners have to prove a use or need to possess our firearms, yes even
the shotguns, this was debated, politely, on the last time my application was
granted, a typical case of an ill-informed FEO. So, why don’t we have FEO’s
that are conversant with the guidelines, who understand firearms in a context
outside of the criminal perspective usually proffered by the police?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before the police are given, which hopefully they never will
be, powers to enter properties without a warrant they should get their own
house in order, ensure that the guidelines are followed by all their
constabularies and officers. When, and only when they have succeeded in doing
this, will we be able to tell if the current system is a defective as HMIC seem
to think it is. Personally, I think they protest too much, and are trying to
deflect as much criticism as possible onto those who are less able to defend
themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01331208224480607215noreply@blogger.com0