Bill C-42

The CPC is currently pushing the "Common Sense Firearms Licencing Act" The opposition is aghast, "the streets will run with blood" etc, etc. Beyond the rhetoric (from all sides) the reality is that this bill will do little and may even be harmful to gun owners down the line. The NFA has done a good review of the Act. The CSSA has done as well.

Some key points is that it eliminates the Authorization To Transport (ATT)  and rolls it into the licence. This actually reduces the paperwork burden on the RCMP and reduces the papaerwork for gun owners, but very little real benefit and several pitfalls may open up.

It requires that people actually attend training rather than challenge exams, this seem fair on the first glance till you realize that many place don't have anyone to train or run courses and that the Chief Firearm Officers (CFO) limit the number of trainers. This could put people wishing to own guns legally without any options. Won't bother the people who own illegal guns though.

One of the major issues gun owners have faced is arbitrator rules added on by the CFO without any recourse by the gun owner, you are basically completely at their mercy and several have little of it and fair bit "power tripping" issues.

In short this is mainly fluff in hopes to pander to a very active voting bloc of gun owners. The Liberals and NDP have been crying about the world ending, but have missed a masterful opportunity to repair relations with gun owners. the Liberals could have fixed C-42 and offered up better ideas while not giving up much more. But they are to busy pandering to their own base. The most painful part is the display of outright ignorance by the Libs and NDP about how the Firearm Act works and does not work. Plus ignoring peer reviewed studies showing the whole exercise of this type of control is basically useless.

At the end of the day both NFA and CSSA will support this, not because it's good law, but because the CPC is the party of no better choice. We really should run an ad in Craigslist saying: "3 million single issue voters looking a for a serious and respectful relation with a political party


I should add this is likely the biggest benefit to the average gun owner, but really a reflection of the cuts done to the CFO/CFC limiting their ability to d their legislated duties.

• Create a six-month grace period at the end of the five-year licence period to stop people from immediately becoming criminalized for paperwork delays around license renewals;

WristBow (Homemade Crossbow-Gauntlet)

Pretty cool toy, although in it's current form not to powerful. Also interesting that it is made out of easily accessible bits, just a lesson that if someone wants a weapon, there is not much you can do to stop them. Now here in Canada this crossbow would be prohibited by law and god help you if you have a blow gun in your possession, because Canada was suffering from a wave of crossbow and blowgun attacks.

Ban the Hammer!!!

More awesome stupidity from down under. During the trial of some bad guys who killed someone with a hammer, the judge suggested that the government look at laws regarding the carrying of hammers. In other words restricting the times you can carry them and who can carry them. now my knowledge of Australian law is not strong, but I suspect heavily that it is very similar to our. In which case the use and intent to use the hammer (or any object) makes it a weapon.

No doubt the next step is to set up a hammer registry, police will stop and question anyone seen carrying a hammer. Soon carpenters will be reluctant to advertise in public in case the police raid them. hardware shops will be required to keep the hammers under lock and key. Only people demonstrating a "need" will be allowed to buy a hammer. Since none of this will actually solve the violence issue, the next step is create classes of hammers, some hammers would be prohibited in particular sledge hammers with long handles, who really needs one of these anyways?

Worker going to a site would be required to keep their hammers stored in hard to break in locked cases. They would only be allowed to take them out of the case at an approved worksite. Meanwhile kids drawing hammers at school or pretending to use them will be chastised or expelled. Thieves would realize that hammers have value and status. they would smuggle in hammers and carry them in their waistbands.

On the bright side, there will be a whole lot less wannabe weekend carpenters walking around with sore thumbs!