From: owner-can-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca (Cdn-Firearms Digest) To: cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Cdn-Firearms Digest V7 #686 Reply-To: cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Sender: owner-can-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Errors-To: owner-can-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Precedence: normal Cdn-Firearms Digest Friday, January 7 2005 Volume 07 : Number 686 In this issue: Re: the US General who said Accepting the Lee Jasper Challenge Re: Cdn-Firearms Digest V7 #685 Report by Ed Man charged under Patriot Act for Laser Off topic but to good to pass [EDITORIAL] Cronyism still rules eBay UK bans reloading equipment Officer charged after gun stolen Letter: The gun registry works Letter: Abandon gun registry for useful programs Officer who lost gun faces charges: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 13:39:01 -0600 (CST) From: DavidM Subject: Re: the US General who said > Subject: Who was the US General who said....... > > This has been debunked by snopes.com as a hoax: > Thanks Guys, one of those too good to be true stories. David. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 14:09:35 -0600 (CST) From: Edward Hudson Subject: Accepting the Lee Jasper Challenge Lee Jasper wrote: > > Maggie passed on Dale Blue's comments: > > > Am off tomorrow to Red Deer to a Conservative Party of Canada meeting > > so well intentioned people don't mess up the firearms policy. > How many RFCers are on policy development committees in their Ridings? > How many RFCers will lay out the cash and the time to attend the > National Policy Conference in Montreal in March? Mr Josh Boyes, President Saskatoon-Wanuskewin Conservative Party Association Thursday, 06 January 2005 Dear Mr Boyes, Re: Nomination of Jack Wilson for Board Member & Delegate I would like to nominate my good friend Mr Jack Wilson, 33 - 2401 Koyl Ave, Saskatoon, S7L 5X8, to serve as a Board Member for 2005. Mr Wilson has been a long term supporter of the principles of the Reform, Alliance, and Conservative Party of Canada. I believe Mr Wilson would be a valuable asset to the Saskatoon-Wanuskewin Conservative Party Association as a Board Member. I would also like to nominate Mr Wilson to serve as a delegate to the Conservative Convention on 17-19 March 2005 in Montréal. Mr Wilson understands that travel, accommodation, and meals are the responsibility of the delegate. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Edward B. Hudson DVM, MS Riverview Veterinary Services 402 Skeena Crt Saskatoon Saskatchewan S7K 4H2 1-306-242-2379 1-306-249-2359 fax edwardhudson@shaw.ca ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 14:33:26 -0600 (CST) From: "Tom Bryant" Subject: Re: Cdn-Firearms Digest V7 #685 **SNIP** PUBLICATION: The New York Times SECTION: Circuits EDITION: Late Edition - Final DATE: 2005.01.06 PAGE: 5 COLUMN: WHAT'S NEXT BYLINE: ANNE EISENBERG - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ready, Aim, ID Check: In Wrong Hands, Gun Won't Fire **SNIP** Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark are building a handgun designed to fire only when its circuitry and software recognize the grip of an authorized shooter. Sensors in the handle measure the pressure the hand exerts as it squeezes the trigger. Then algorithms check the shooter's grip with stored, authorized patterns to give the go-ahead. **SNIP** The main function of the system is to distinguish a legitimate shooter from, for example, a child who comes upon a handgun in a drawer. Electronics within the gun could one day include Global Positioning System receivers, accelerometers and other devices that could record the time and direction of gunfire and help reconstruct events in a crime investigation. For a decade, researchers at many labs have been working on so-called smart or personalized handguns designed to prevent accidents. These use fingerprint scanners to recognize authorized shooters, or require the shooter to wear a small token on the hand that wirelessly transmits an unlocking code to the weapon. **SNIP** The pressure on the grip and trigger are read during the beginning of the trigger pull. The signals are sent to an analog-to-digital converter so that they can be handled by the digital signal processor. Patterns of different users can be stored, and the gun programmed to allow one or more shooters. **SNIP** The computer analysis of hand-pressure patterns showed that one person's grip could be distinguished from another's. "A person grasps a tennis racket or a pen or golf club in an individual, consistent way," he said. "That's what we're counting on." **SNIP** The system had a 90 percent recognition rate, said Donald H. Sebastian, senior vice president for research and development at the institute. "That's better fidelity than we expected with 16 sensors in the grip," Dr. Sebastian said. "But we'll be adding more sensors, and that rate will improve." Dr. Chang said the grip for the wireless system would have 32 pressure sensors. "Now, in the worst case, the system fails in one out of 10 cases," he said. "But we've already seen that with the new sensor array, the recognition is much higher." **SNIP** Guns taken from a home during a robbery would be rendered useless, too. "The premise the gun is based on has credibility," he said. When people see a live demonstration of the pattern-recognition system working, he said, "you think, yes, this is possible." Yes it is possible but I would not trust my life on it and thats what the gun is for isn't it? Perhaps competition shooters and maybe hunters could put up with the occassional no go but when it absolutly has to work then the thought that today is the day the computer doesn't know who you are or the battery is dead would make me think even more than twice. What if you are injured or scared? Your grip would be different than that when using the gun under no stress in a shooting range. What if you have to shoot the gun weak hand or around a barrier? All of these factors change the grip. As far as making a gun useless to someone who stole it I have to laugh. How long would it take to disable the brains of the gun? You can be sure that if the technology became available and widespread that just as quickly a cottage industry of decommissioning the brains would spring up. What I wonder is how the smart gun people will protect themselves from liability. All it will take is one person to have a gun not work when the chips are down and the estate would attempt to sue the smart gun company into non exisitance. Even if the company tries to protect themselves with liability waivers the lawsuits would still happen and if nothing else market distrust from negative publicity would wipe out sales. I would welcome a dependable smart gun be they are not there yet. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 15:07:36 -0600 (CST) From: Lee Jasper Subject: Report by Ed >After Action Report >Provincial Court in Craik, SK > >TWO federal crown prosecutors, plus a provincial crown prosecutor, were on hand yesterday for our case. > >At this stage in this saga, the only element undecided is which side >will the Saskatchewan provincial crown prosecutor take ? > >Will the Saskatchewan Minister of Justice defend our Right to own >private property and defend our civil liberties as Section 92(13) of the >Canadian Constitution clearly mandates ?? > >Or will Saskatchewan Premier Calvert give the federal crown prosecutor a >clear field of fire in the federal government's attempt at making us >submit to an unjust, immoral law ?? > I answer Ed's question, with a question.. . What did Alberta's "Build a Firewall" Ralph Klein and Mike "The Knife" Harris from Ontario do when they had a 'chance' to strike a real big blow for gun owners? (Under the division of powers applicable for Ch 39 the provy Crown must be there, working in concert with the feds). Keep their toes to the fire Ed and Jack! Take it as a complement that Annie's troops are treating this joust as a rumble in the Steel Curtain. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 15:08:27 -0600 (CST) From: Lee Jasper Subject: Man charged under Patriot Act for Laser Netscape News > By WAYNE PARRY NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Federal authorities Tuesday used > the Patriot Act to charge a man with pointing a laser beam at an > airplane overhead and temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot. > > Banach, 38, of Parsippany admitted to federal agents that he pointed > the light beam at a jet and a helicopter over his home near Teterboro > Airport last week, authorities said. Initially, he claimed his > daughter aimed the device at the helicopter, they said. > > Banach's lawyer, Gina Mendola-Longarzo, said her client was simply > using the hand-held device to look at stars with his daughter on the > family's deck. She said Banach bought the device on the Internet for > $100 for his job testing fiber-optic cable. Darned fool has too much free time. Can't these 'toys' cause serious, permanent eye injuries? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 15:08:50 -0600 (CST) From: Lee Jasper Subject: Off topic but to good to pass Sending Old Men Off To War If you are over 50 now the Armed Forces say you are too old to track down terrorists. You can't be older than 35 to join the military. They've got the whole thing backwards. Instead of sending 18-year-olds off to fight, they ought to take us old guys. You shouldn't be able to join until you're at least 35. For starters: Researchers say 18-year-olds think about sex every 10 seconds. Old guys only think about sex a couple of times a day, leaving us more than 28,000 additional seconds per day to concentrate on the enemy. Young guys haven't lived long enough to be cranky, and a cranky soldier is a dangerous soldier. If we can't kill the enemy we'll complain them into submission. "My back hurts!" "I'm hungry!" "Where's the remote control?" An 18-year-old hasn't had a legal beer yet and you shouldn't go to war until you're at least old enough to legally drink. An average old guy, on the other hand, has consumed 126,000 gallons of beer by the time he's 35 and a jaunt through the desert heat with a backpack and a C-6 would do wonders for the old beer belly. An 18-year-old doesn't like to get up before 10 a.m. Old guys get up early every morning to pee. If old guys are captured we couldn't spill the beans because we'd probably forget where we put them. In fact, name, rank, and serial number would be a real brainteaser. Boot camp would actually be easier for old guys. We're used to getting screamed and yelled at and we actually like soft food. We've also developed a deep appreciation for guns and rifles. We like them almost better than naps. They could lighten up on the obstacle course however. I've been in combat and didn't see a single 20-foot wall with rope hanging over the side, nor did I ever do any pushups after completing basic training. I can hear the Drill Sergeant now, "Get down and give me...er...one." And the running part is kind of a waste of energy. I've never seen anyone outrun a bullet. An 18-year-old has the whole world ahead of him. He's still learning to shave, to actually carry on a conversation, and to wear pants without the top of his butt crack showing and his boxer shorts sticking out. He's still hasn't figured out that a pierced tongue catches food particles, and that a 400-watt speaker in the back seat of a Honda Accord can rupture an eardrum. These are all great reasons to keep our sons at home to learn a little more about life before sending them off to possible death. The last thing the enemy would want to see right now is a couple of million old farts with attitudes. - --author unknown I submit this in honour of all the Activists near and dear (Gordon, Dale, Dave, etc.) who have taken their turn at the Big Wheel to support the aspirations of all in the RFC. Recognizing, no doubt, that many through their lack of activism don't know what an 'aspiration' is. I hope all AOBs, GOM and assorted grunts have a smile - and take a bow. (Now, if only we could get all the young guns 'cranked up' as in the 60's, eh)? From Joke of the Day ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 15:44:17 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: [EDITORIAL] Cronyism still rules http://www.ottawasun.com/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Editorial/home.html Cronyism still rules Remember Paul Martin, back in the days when he was campaigning to be leader of the Liberal party and, by extension, the prime minister of Canada? Remember his bold promises back then? Promises like "No longer will the key to Ottawa be who do you know. We are going to condemn to history the practice and the politics of cronyism," and "No longer will the culture in Ottawa be one of entitlement. We are going to condemn to history the politics and practice of waste and mismanagement ..." Good for you if you do remember those words, because obviously the PM himself has long since forgotten them. Look no further for proof than his choice of a new Canadian ambassador to Washington. The job is reportedly going to Frank McKenna, the former Liberal premier of New Brunswick who at one time was being touted as the next leader of the federal party. Never mind that the choice diplomatic post traditionally belongs to a career public servant who has earned the appointment. Some things in the Grit kingdom of Ottawa are more important than doing things the right way, and at the top of the list is taking care of your friends. The Opposition was outraged when Revenue Minister John McCallum appointed Gord Feeney, his old pal from Royal Bank days, to head up Canada Post. But why wouldn't McCallum grab the opportunity? If the boss is going to reward his loyalists, a cabinet minister surely will be forgiven for doing exactly the same. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Martin had vowed to break the practice -- raised to an art form under former prime minister Jean Chretien -- of making appointments based solely on service to the Liberal party. "The political process in Ottawa will never be the same again ... I am going to change the way Ottawa works. This is not a slogan, it's a reality," Martin told us all back in 2003. But what he really meant was: "Blah, blah, blah, blah." ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 17:04:02 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: eBay UK bans reloading equipment See this eBay UK member's protest acution: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7124284654 Yours in Liberty, Bruce Hamilton Ontario ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 19:28:34 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Officer charged after gun stolen http://calgary.cbc.ca/regionalnews/caches/ca-officer-gun20050106.html Officer charged after gun stolen Last Updated Jan 6 2005 04:09 PM MST Calgary - A Calgary detective has been charged with carelessly storing his firearm, after it was stolen from his car at the folk festival. The 38-year-old detective, who has been with the department for 13 years, has also been relieved from duty, but will continue to be paid while the case proceeds through court. Police say the officer was off duty and in his own vehicle when he went to the folk festival at Prince's Island in July. He left his gun in his briefcase in the car, and the briefcase was stolen. The gun hasn't been recovered, but the officer's badge and notebook were. The Crown laid two charges against the officer relating to the unsafe storage, handling and transportation of a firearm. "Police officers are required for the scope of their duty, and the course of their duty, to carry their weapon with them," deputy police Chief Murray Stooke said. "When they are not involved in police-related duties, then they have to store and handle the firearm the same as any citizen under the Criminal Code." Stooke said the detective will also face an internal review to see whether he breached any police department policies. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:32:43 -0600 (CST) From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 Subject: Letter: The gun registry works PUBLICATION: The Record (Waterloo Region) DATE: 2005.01.07 SECTION: Opinion PAGE: A8 BYLINE: Maureen Griffiths - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- The gun registry works - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Frank Etherington is right on target in his Dec. 27 column, Gun-toting MP Needs A Shot Of Reality On Gun Deaths. It seems inappropriate for Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle to flaunt his love affair with rifles and shotguns on a Christmas card to the prime minister, especially when he does not support his own party's gun registration legislation. Why, when it is helping to make a safer environment for more than 30 million Canadians who do not own guns, as well as the approximately 2.2 million who do? Before the current gun laws came into effect, rifles and shotguns were not licensed or registered. Yet they have been the firearm weapons of choice in domestic violence which have been used to threaten, injure and kill hundreds of women and children. Since the new gun laws, the use of rifles and shotguns in spousal and other homicides has decreased substantially. Police across Canada have accessed the Firearms Registry online database over 3.5 million times since December 1998. The information collected is invaluable. It helps police assess potential threats to public safety and allows them to remove firearms preventively. It also encourages responsible gun ownership, supplies important information to police investigations and helps curb illegal gun trading. As of November 2004, more than 3,500 affidavits were provided by the registry to support court proceedings. Let's face it. The system works and registration and licensing are a small price to pay to own such dangerous weapons. Maureen Griffiths Waterloo - ------------------------------------------------------------------- STATISTICS CANADA: UPDATED DOMESTIC HOMICIDE TABLES, 1995-2003 http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/DomesticHomicides-1995-2003-2004 - -10-07.xls FIREARMS COMMISSIONER: 176,000 PROHIBITED GUN OWNERS "NO LONGER EFFECTIVELY COVERED BY FIREARMS ACT." http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/Article473.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:32:59 -0600 (CST) From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 Subject: Letter: Abandon gun registry for useful programs PUBLICATION: The Windsor Star DATE: 2005.01.07 EDITION: Final SECTION: Editorial/Opinion PAGE: A9 BYLINE: Chris Rumbold SOURCE: Windsor Star - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Abandon gun registry for useful programs - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Re: Barbara's Yaffe's Jan. 3 column, Gun Registry Off Target. Canadians don't need rhetoric. At this point, they need hard data. Given that the majority of gun-related homicides in Canada are committed in our cities by known criminals using unregistered handguns, it seems completely absurd and illogical that the federal Liberals have squandered more than $1 billion on a program to register the serial numbers of deer rifles and duck guns. It was reported just last week that the New Zealand government has abandoned its plans for a national gun registry. I suspect after seeing the fiasco our government has created, the New Zealand government decided to save itself the embarrassment and its people the expense. Rather than wasting more resources on this program, the Liberals should scrap the long-gun registry and divert the $100 million needed to run it each year into programs that have a proven track record of saving lives -- such as putting more police on the streets and improving health care. Chris Rumbold North Vancouver, B.C. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:33:19 -0600 (CST) From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 Subject: Officer who lost gun faces charges: PUBLICATION: The Calgary Sun DATE: 2005.01.07 EDITION: Final SECTION: News PAGE: 3 ILLUSTRATION: 1. photo by JIM WELLS, Calgary Sun UNDER FIRE ... Calgary police Deputy Chief Murray Stooke addresses gun charges laid against Det. Gerard Brand, who faces trial and has been suspended with pay until the court makes its decision. 2. photo of GERARD BRAND BYLINE: TODD SAELHOF, CALGARY SUN - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- GUN CHARGES FOR CITY COP POLICE DETECTIVE FACES TRIAL FOR CARELESS STORAGE OF FIREARM - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Charges were laid yesterday against a decorated Calgary cop for careless storage of a firearm after his gun was stolen from his vehicle. Det. Gerard Brand, a 13-year veteran of the city's police force, has also been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the trial in connection with the pair of charges. "The Calgary Police Service treats any allegations of misconduct seriously, and we're always concerned when criminal charges are laid against our members," said Deputy Chief Murray Stooke. "These charges demonstrate that our investigative process into complaints against officers is both thorough and impartial." The charges stem from an incident July 25, when Brand -- off-duty at the time -- had his vehicle broken into while attending the Calgary Folk Music Festival. Thieves swiped the officer's notebook, badge, car keys and loaded service Glock pistol. The badge, notebook and keys were eventually recovered in different parts of the city, but the gun was never found and nobody was ever charged for the crime. Police are still looking for the firearm. The charges against Brand follow an investigation by the police professional standards section and an exhaustive review by the Crown prosecutor's office in Edmonton. "Police officers are subject to the same regulations in terms of transportation and storage of firearms that any citizen is under the criminal code," Stooke said. "If you don't store your firearm in a safe manner -- such as separate from the ammunition and in a locked condition -- you're subject to prosecution." Brand is also subject to dismissal from the service pending outcome of these charges and a return-to-work review, Stooke said. Brand will also face a review under the police act and his professional conduct will be evaluated. "It's disappointing where there's a member of the police service involved in a criminal allegation," Stooke said. "But at the same time, members are held to at least the same standard as other members of the public, and they're expected to meet that standard." Brand -- who won the country's top police bravery award, the Canadian Police Association award of excellence, in 1999 -- will make a March 4 court appearance in Calgary. Under Canadian law, a police officer can return to work if found guilty of a crime subject to the facts of the case and the determination of the department. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLICATION: Calgary Herald DATE: 2005.01.07 EDITION: Final SECTION: City & Region PAGE: B1 / Front BYLINE: Jason van Rassel SOURCE: Calgary Herald ILLUSTRATION: Colour Photo: Jenelle Schneider, Calgary Herald / DeputyChief Murray Stooke said Thursday Det. Gerard Brand is relieved from duty until criminal charges are dealt with.; Colour Photo: Det. Gerard Brand - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Officer who lost gun faces charges: 'I'll weather this storm:' Det. Brand - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Police have laid criminal charges against a decorated officer whose loaded service pistol was stolen from his car while he attended the Calgary Folk Mu sic Festival last summer. Det. Gerard Brand, 38, was relieved from duty with pay Thursday after being charged with two Criminal Code offences dealing with unsafe storage, handling and transportation of a firearm. "The Calgary Police Service treats any allegations of misconduct seriously and we're always concerned when criminal charges are laid against one of our members," said Deputy Chief Murray Stooke. Police laid the charges after the findings of an internal investigation into the July 25 theft from Brand's vehicle were reviewed by the Crown prosecutor's office in Edmonton -- a requirement of the province's Police Act. "These charges demonstrate that our investigative process into complaints about police officers is both thorough and impartial," said Stooke. Brand will remain off duty until the criminal case is dealt with. His conduct will then be subject to review by the police service and he could face discipline ranging from a reprimand to dismissal. A 13-year veteran of the force, Brand won a national award for bravery in 1998 after shooting a car prowler who had levelled a gun at the officer's head. Brand evoked that episode when commenting on the criminal charges Thursday. "When I faced the guy with a shotgun to my head, I faced that serving the people of Calgary," he said in an interview. "I weathered that storm. I still want to serve the citizens of Calgary, and I'll weather this storm." The Calgary Police Association plans to represent Brand in court and during any internal proceedings. "We're confident, when the totality of the circumstances are explained in front of a judge, he'll be exonerated," said Al Koenig, president of the union. Brand allegedly left his .40-calibre Glock semi-automatic handgun, a notebook and a set of keys in a briefcase while his car was parked near Prince's Island Park. The notebook, badge and keys were recovered but the gun has never been found. One criminal count against Brand governs unsafe storage of a firearm, the other deals with breaching Firearms Act regulations governing gun safety. "In any case, where there's a member of the police service involved in a criminal allegation, it's disappointing," Stooke said. "At the same time, members are held to at least the same standard of other members of the public." Police service firearms regulations closely mirror those in federal law. The CPS policy and procedures manual states guns are not to be left in a place that is easily broken into. In extenuating circumstances, handcuffs or a trigger-locking device may be used to disable the weapon's chamber, and the bullet cartridge must be removed. jvanrassel@theherald.canwest.com ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V7 #686 ********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Moderator's e-mail address: mailto:akimoya@cogeco.ca List owner: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca FAQ list: http://www.magma.ca/~asd/cfd-faq1.html and http://teapot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/Faq/cfd-faq1.html Web Site: http://teapot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/homepage.html FTP Site: ftp://teapot.usask.ca/pub/cdn-firearms/ CFDigest Archives: http://www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca/~ab133/ or put the next command in an e-mail message and mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca get cdn-firearms-digest v04.n192 end (192 is the digest issue number and 04 is the volume) To unsubscribe from _all_ the lists, put the next five lines in a message and mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca unsubscribe cdn-firearms-digest unsubscribe cdn-firearms-alert unsubscribe cdn-firearms-chat unsubscribe cdn-firearms end (To subscribe, use "subscribe" instead of "unsubscribe".) 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