Cdn-Firearms Digest Saturday, May 2 2009 Volume 13 : Number 242 In this issue: Remembering_the_Holocaust_and_Armes_for_their_Defense Federal bill to abolish long-gun registry stalls in legislature Re: letter, Ottawa Citizen Re Digest V13 # 241 cbc - Liberals Rethinking the gun registry? Stolen guns put police on alert; 54 weapons still out there Is Torture Ever Moral? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 11:55:52 -0600 From: Edward Hudson Subject: Remembering_the_Holocaust_and_Armes_for_their_Defense Friday, 01 May 2009 The Right Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Dear Mr. Harper, Re: Remembering the Holocaust and Armes for their Defense Last Sunday, 26 April 2009, The Honourable Lynne Yelich presented your greetings to the Congregation Agudas Israel Yom Ha Shoah Holocaust Memorial Service. In her remarks, Ms. Yelich stated that you pledged to continue to fight so that the Government would ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are taught and remembered. One of the most basic lessons of the Holocaust is that the Nazi round-up of their political enemies was possible only because the German government possessed an effective method to disarm the population. But gun control was not an device invented by Adolf Hitler or Heinrich Himmler. The Weimar Republic had passed the Law on Firearms and Ammunition in 1928 - a law that mandated a license to possess firearms.1 Thus the Nazis knew who owned firearms and where to look to confiscate all the firearms in Germany. Learning the lessons of the Holocaust certainly must also mean learning to apply the lessons learned. Conservative Party MP Gary Breitkreuz, the former Firearms Critic for twelve years while you were in Opposition, condemned the Liberals 1995 Firearms Act as thoroughly unjust and totally ineffective in reducing violent crime.2 This egregious law contains the same licensing device that the Nazis employed to disarm their victims. Therefore, I find it inexplicable, Mr. Harper, now that the Conservatives form the Government, the Office of the Prime Minister endorses the Liberals licensing scheme by stating, Firearm owners will still be required to hold a valid license. Do you expect responsible, honest Canadian citizens to submit to the same evil firearms licensing strategy that foretold the murder of over six millions innocent men, women, and children? In her address Ms. Yelich also quoted the Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada. Ms. Abella, who was born to Holocaust survivors in a displaced persons camp in Germany, has said: "Without democracy, there are no rights; without rights there is no tolerance; without tolerance there is no justice; and without justice, there is no hope." We see no democracy in the Firearms Act. But we do see a severe violation of our Right to have Armes for their Defense. We see no tolerance in the Firearms Act, except for the violent criminals and drug dealers who ignore the law. And we certainly see no justice in the Firearms Act that allows for the confiscation of our legally acquired and responsibly owned property without benefit of either trial or conviction. But paradoxically, we do see hope. We see hope in the many individuals who have earnestly resolved to defend their innate Right of self-protection. As Madam Justice Abella has also said, "it's not just what you stand for, it's what you stand up for."4 We are, in a totally peaceful, non-violent manner, standing up for the Right of honest, responsible Canadian citizens to have the means to defend themselves.5 We do this openly against a government that displays contempt for honest, responsible firearms owners. In honour of the memory of all those persons who have been crushed and destroyed by a despotic State, we trust you will once again join us in this fight to repeal the entire Firearms Act. Sincerely, Edward B. Hudson DVM, MS Secretary Ref: (1)Nazi Firearms Law and the Disarming of the German Jews 17 Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law, No. 3, 483-535 (2000) Stephen P. Halbrook http://www.stephenhalbrook.com/article-nazilaw.pdf. (2) The Whole Firearms Act Has To Go Not Just The Gun Registry - - Garry Breitkreuz http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/Article217.htm (3) Letter from the Office of the Prime Minister, dated 15 April 2009 http://www.cufoa.ca/articles/primeminister/pm_15_apr_2009.html (4) A supreme sense of justice, The Jerusalem Post, Rhonda Spivak http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid1239710697717&pagenameJPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull (5) The Canadian Right of Armes for their Defense Ed Hudson http://www.cufoa.ca/articles/armes/armes_17_sept_2007.html CC: The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety Conservative Senators and Members of Parliament National Council of the Conservative Party of Canada Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association Association canadienne des propritaires darmes sans permis 402 Skeena Crt. Saskatoon Saskatchewan S7K 4H2 (306) 242-2379 (306) 230-8929 edwardhudson@shaw.ca www.cufoa.ca ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 15:11:11 -0600 From: Dennis & Hazel Young Subject: Federal bill to abolish long-gun registry stalls in legislature Beacon Star, News, Friday, May 1, 2009 Federal bill to abolish long-gun registry stalls in legislature A private member's bill to abolish the long-gun registry has hit a roadblock, as opposition parties team up to keep the registry in place. by Evan French | http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.parrysound.com/press/1241194998/ &ct=ga&cd=_vbGBdPo-Bw&usg=AFQjCNHueLw-oqRyMxLurQbcaAzfejA5dA Parry Sound - Muskoka Member of Parliament Tony Clement said the federal Conservatives are hoping to convince some backbench opposition members to change their minds in order to push the legislation through. "We're going to have a vote on one of our pieces of legislation," said Clement. "We're hoping to pry loose a few of the backbench opposition members to support us." He said they'll need 154 votes to pass their legislation, and right now they have 143. "We need eight or 10 to be on the safe side," he said. "And we're certainly working towards that." The registry requires licensed individual gun owners and businesses to register non-restricted long-guns and requires firearm retailers to record all sales transactions. Last week the Liberals and the NDP threw their support behind a motion put forward by the Bloc Quebecois to put an end to a four-year amnesty put in place by the Conservatives that avoids charging those who run afoul of the long-gun registry before it's been repealed. "They passed a motion to discontinue the amnesty so we would start charging people," said Clement. "Once again we have this coalition politics... on something I know my constituents feel very strongly is an unfair piece of legislation." One of those constituents is Al Kuzmyk, a member of the Parry Sound Anglers and Hunters. He said he was disappointed to hear the registry isn't gone yet. "It's a great cost to the government and their people," he said. "And it really didn't serve the purpose." He said long-guns are already registered before they're purchased, so he thinks it's all been a big waste of money. "I have no objection to registering guns," he said. "It's just that it's a waste of money and they don't want to admit it." Bracebridge resident Dave Hudson, the former president of the local federal Liberal riding association, said he's been a gun owner since he was 16, and registering has never been a problem for him since the registry was introduced. "I think it's a good idea to register a dangerous weapon, even though it's not intended to be dangerous." "We register all kinds of things, and I don't see a problem with registering a firearm just to keep track of them." He said he thinks the issue is a "red herring" since people register lots of things."It's just a matter of keeping track." He said he thinks the Conservative's movement to abolish the registry has been a lot of "smoke and mirrors" and he doesn't believe the government really plans to go through with it. "I think that they're afraid to go ahead with it, and yet they want to look like they're going ahead with it," he said. - -------------------------------------------------------- The Beausejour Review - May 1, 2009 Bezan disheartened after opposition votes to continue long-gun registry By Mark T. Buss http://www.beausejourreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1549541 Selkirk-Interlake MP James Bezan said he is disappointed in Manitoba's federal opposition party members who voted last week to maintain Canada's long-gun registry. A Bloc Quebecois motion to maintain the controversial registry was supported by Liberal and NDP MPs and passed 143-136 to end a Conservative-led amnesty on gun control requirements set to expire May 16. Although the motion was not binding, it also said the government should maintain the registration of all types of firearms in its entirety. Manitoba's lone Liberal MP Anita Neville supported the Bloc motion as did three of Manitoba four NDP MPs. Churchill NDP MP Niki Ashton was absent when the vote was taken. "It's extremely frustrating because MPs continuously say they will vote against it and when a vote comes up they all stand up en masse and vote against change," Bezan said. "Clearly, the opposition support wasting more money on a long-gun registry." Bezan said the NDP caucus had a whipped vote, meaning their MPs had no choice but to show support for the party rather than principal. Provencher MP Vic Toews said he was surprised by the votes cast by a number of New Democrats who, he said, gave the impression they'd be voting in favour of getting rid of the registry. "What we're concerned about is the other parties are sending us a signal they're still prepared to stand by this gun registry, which has been an incredible waste of money without showing any crime prevention," said Toews, president of the Treasury Board. "What it boils down to is double-speak," Bezan added. "We have MPs from Northwestern Ontario telling their constituents they will vote against the gun registry and when they return to Ottawa they change their mind. It's appalling at best." The gun registry controversy has raged since being introduced by the Liberal government of Jean Chretien in 1996, with fiery debates over its effectiveness in curbing crime and for massive bureaucratic cost overruns. The implementation of the long-gun registry was a deciding factor in the Selkirk-Interlake riding elections of 1997 when incumbent Liberal MP Dr. Jon Gerrard was ousted by Alliance candidate Howard Hilstrom by 67 votes. Hilstrom was re-elected in 2000 before leaving politics at the end of his second term. The Conservatives have tried to kill the registry since coming into power, but failed due to opposition resistance. Instead, the Tories provided gun owners amnesty from prosecution if they failed to register their weapons. Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan announced April 1 the Conservative government was taking another crack at scrapping the registry by tabling legislation in the Senate. The bill was the same as that tabled twice in the last parliament. "We've already been told some Liberal Senators will vote against it so that's disheartening," Bezan said. "Our government will continue to fight for effective gun control that targets criminals, not farmers and hunters." - - With files from Sun Media ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 07:37:06 -0600 From: "Med Crotteau" Subject: Re: letter, Ottawa Citizen Good letter Joe, and we can only hope that the Media will one day start to Print the Truth, such as you just wrote. Med - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Gingrich" To: "Canadian Firearms Digest" Sent: Friday, May 01, 2009 3:51 PM Subject: letter, Ottawa Citizen > letter to Ottawa Citizen, unpublished > > I read 'Fight crime by keeping gun registry', April 30, 2009,by Keith > Anderson. In it Mr. Anderson stated that the rate of gun violence and > crime in the U.S. is greater where there is no gun registry. Well, not so > fast. We must only look at Washington D.C. which has vibrant licensing and > gun registration schemes. It even had a handgun ban law in place for 25 > years. D.C.'s violent crime rate went up after the ban. It gets worse. > Jamaica even banned all guns in 1974, but its murder rates went from 11.5 > per 100,000 in 1973 to 19.5 in 1977, and by 1980 it reached 41.7. A gun > law which only focuses on our law-abiding people and their property will > not reduce crime or improve public safety. At some point logic must > prevail. Our law-makers must begin shifting the burden of crime back onto > the criminals. Lawmakers must return to making and enforcing laws for > only those who commit crimes. Firearm licensing and registration schemes > listing our innocent fail at reducing crime because criminals do not > license themselves nor do they register their guns. The Firearms Act is > useless, it targets the wrong people and thus must be entirely abolished. > > Yours in Tyranny, > Joe Gingrich > White Fox > > ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 07:29:58 -0700 From: Len Miller Subject: Re Digest V13 # 241 [CFDMOD-IGJ fantastic!] Digest writers when they speak with pithy comments only seek reasoned response not a nonce of females behaving like some blonds . . (blonce) Perhaps, perchance to have a peek at laws which drive you up the creek . . Lawyers, who appear to be on your side . . even he will not be there you tear your hair ' I thought that we together were . . No not once will abandon they who lay burdens grievous to bear . . Name one who in your time did something to reduce the crime Oh, victimed serf you are in fury while creeping off the perps do scurry again and again still rhyme with scoundrels . . cretins who's favours they curry . . . Once more we give a nod to writers like brother Todd and Lee Jasper another rasper with biting prose you really knows that he is a firm grasper of facts so true his postings you need not undo . . Bruce, his postings are so lucid he never needs be 'un bruce id' while Doctor Mike needs no 'unspike' his missives are so clearly did you know at once he doesn't kid . . And brother Joe . you know His grasp of issues show he's onto it no doubt of it each shot a direct hit . . Doctor Jules never fools . . his posting are a tonic His Rx's, sure, are the cure for for laws resembling that bubonic . . Oh so many who are the team have taxed this fool for rhyming another day for much to say perhaps with better timing Len ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 09:13:28 -0600 From: Dennis & Hazel Young Subject: cbc - Liberals Rethinking the gun registry? CBC NEWS - MAY 1, 2009 Rethinking the gun registry? Posted in Political Bytes by Alison Crawford http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/politicalbytes/2009/05/rethinking_the_gun_regi stry.html Are the Liberals rethinking their stance on the controversial gun registry? MP Wayne Easter dropped the hint today in Vancouver where the party is holding its convention. Easter is among those Liberals strategizing how to win more ridings outside the big cities. When asked how the party ended up being almost completely isolated in the big centres such as Toronto and Montreal, the MP from P.E.I. responded, "a number of factors really. One of the big ones, which was a catalyst to us losing a lot of constituencies in rural Canda, was actually the gun control bill, the long-gun registry. "It just seemed to be a catalyst that provoked a reaction that the Liberals didn't identify with rural Canadians." So what now? Well, Easter says a new policy is in the works. He won't say much now, but Easter indicated the Liberals will maintain the registry while attempting to "soften" the problems rifle owners encounter right now. The Conservatives recently introduced a new bill to scrap the long-gun registery. But they did it in the Liberal-dominated Senate where it is sure to fail. Easter contends that anything the Stephen Harper government does on gun control is just "smoke and mirrors," designed to show the differences between the two parties on this issue. Pointing to the three successfive amnesties for gun owners to put off registering their weapons, Easter says Conservatives simply "want the issue to be alive in the next election." - - Alison Crawford ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 09:20:48 -0600 From: Dennis & Hazel Young Subject: Stolen guns put police on alert; 54 weapons still out there CALGARY HERALD - MAY 2, 2009 Stolen guns put police on alert Sports store clerk arrested, but 54 weapons still out there By Sherri Zickefoose And Stephane Massinon http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Stolen+guns+police+alert/1556866/story.htm l A clerk accused of stealing nearly 60 handguns from a local sporting goods store leaves police fearing the 54 guns still unaccounted for are now in the hands of Calgary gangsters."There's no doubt that those firearms were destined for the black market," said Insp. Ray Robitaille. The woman was caught in the act Thursday night handing three handguns to a male accomplice at Wholesale Sports in Deerfoot Meadows.She was arrested on the spot during an undercover investigation. Both are in custody and facing several charges. Investigators say while neither is a gang member, they are both known to police. A weeklong investigation was sparked after police re-covered two handguns which were traced to the store through serial numbers. One was used in an Edmonton gang shooting in early April. The other was found in a car in Calgary on April 18 after police were called to a noisy southeast party with reports of shots fired."That gun was supposed to be on the shelf of Wholesale Sports," said Robitaille. The woman began working at the store seven months ago. Police are now reviewing video footage from that period. The guns, which vary in calibre, include Magnum, Beretta and Taurus brands. They are worth $800-plus each. The store conducted an audit of its gun inventory, revealing 54 handguns were unaccounted for. Police are crediting store staff for helping with the investigation. No one at the store had any idea the guns were missing until police traced them."It was a surprise, to be perfectly honest,"said Natalie Dawes, spokeswoman for Wholesale Sports. The clerk, who was in charge of selling guns, did meet the legal requirements to sell firearms -- she was over 18 and held a valid possession and acquisition licence, said Dawes. However, the store did not conduct a police background check on the woman. That store policy will likely change, staff said. Police remain fearful the stolen guns will lead to more bloodshed, especially in Calgary's ongoing gang war. "The fact of the matter is there's 50-plus handguns still outstanding, not necessarily in the city, but they've made their way across the province," said Staff Sgt. Gord Eiriksson of the gang unit. "The likelihood is that these weapons are being used by gang members across the province and in Calgary." While the two suspects are not known gang members, "gangs and organized crime groups will infiltrate businesses," he said. The Alberta chief firearms officer, which falls under the federal Ministry of Justice, regulates how guns are sold and handled by stores in the province. On Friday, it was not known if an investigation of the store will be launched. Meanwhile, the store is conducting its own investigation into how the weapons were stolen from the business. Dawes said the store meets all federal and provincial regulations. "If anything can be done to prevent this kind of thing from happening again, we will do so," said Dawes. She said the store is disappointed and concerned with the situation. "We are not taking this lightly at all," said Dawes, adding they have helped police in their investigation. "When that trust has allegedly been broken, it's very tough for the organization." Wholesale Sports has been in business for 30 years and sells outdoor enthusiasts' gear such as hunting, fishing and camping equipment. A man and woman in their 20s have been charged with weapons trafficking, theft and improper storage charges. If any of the guns are linked to homicides, police say they may pursue more serious charges. "They certainly would be facing charges and, depending on their knowledge, could be considered an accomplice," said Robitaille. szickefoose@theherald.canwest.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 May 2009 09:38:17 -0600 From: Joe Gingrich Subject: Is Torture Ever Moral? http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31628 Is Torture Ever Moral? by Patrick J. Buchanan 04/28/2009 After opening the door to a truth commission to investigate torture by the CIA of al-Qaida subjects, and leaving the door open to prosecution of higher-ups, President Obama walked the cat back. He is now opposed to a truth commission. That means it is dead. He is no longer interested in prosecutions. That means no independent counsel -- for now. Sen. Harry Reid does not want any new "commissions, boards, tribunals, until we find out what the facts are." Thus, there will be none. The place to find out the facts, says the majority leader, is the intelligence committee of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Though belated, White House recognition that high-profile public hearings on the "enhanced interrogation techniques" used by the CIA in the Bush-Cheney years could divide the nation and rip this city apart is politically wise. For any such investigation must move up the food chain from CIA interrogators, to White House lawyers, to the Cabinet officers who sit on the National Security Council, to Dick Cheney, to The Decider himself. And what is the need to re-air America's dirty linen before a hostile world, when the facts are already known. The CIA did use harsh treatment on al-Qaida. That treatment was sanctioned by White House and Justice Department lawyers. The NSC, Cheney and President Bush did sign off. And Obama has ordered all such practices discontinued. This is not a question of "What did the president know and when did he know it?" It is a question of the legality and morality of what is already known. And on this, the country is rancorously split. Many contend that torture is inherently evil, morally outrageous and legally impermissible under both existing U.S. law and the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. Moreover, they argue, torture does not work. Its harvest is hatred, deceptions and lies. And because it is cowardly and cruel, torture degrades those who do it, as well as those to whom it is done. It instills a spirit of revenge in its victims. When the knowledge of torture is made public, as invariably it is, it besmirches America's good name and serves as a recruiting poster for our enemies and a justification to use the same degrading methods on our men and women. And it makes us no better than the Chinese communist brain-washers of the Korean War, the Japanese war criminals who tortured U.S. POWs and the jailers at the Hanoi Hilton who tortured Sen. John McCain. Moreover, even if done in a few monitored cases, where it seems to be the only way to get immediate intelligence to save hundreds or thousands from imminent terror attack, down the chain of command they know it is being done. Thus, we get sadistic copycat conduct at Abu Ghraib by enlisted personnel to amuse themselves at midnight. While the legal and moral case against torture is compelling, there is another side. Let us put aside briefly the explosive and toxic term. Is it ever moral to kill? Of course. We give guns to police and soldiers, and honor them as heroes when they use their guns to save lives. Is it ever moral to inflict excruciating pain? Of course. Civil War doctors who cut off arms and legs in battlefield hospitals saved many soldiers from death by gangrene. The morality of killing or inflicting severe pain depends, then, not only on the nature of the act, but on the circumstances and motive. The Beltway Snipers deserved death sentences. The Navy Seal snipers who killed those three Somali pirates and saved Captain Richard Phillips deserve medals. Consider now Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of 9-11, which sent 3,000 Americans to horrible deaths, and who was behind, if he did not do it himself, the beheading of Danny Pearl. Even many opponents against torture will concede we have the same right to execute Khalid Mohammed as we did Timothy McVeigh. But if we have a right to kill him, do we have no moral right to waterboard him for 20 minutes to force him to reveal plans and al-Qaida accomplices to save thousands of American lives? Americans are divided. "Rendition," a film based on a true story, where an innocent man suspected of belonging to a terrorist cell is sent to an Arab country and tortured, won rave reviews. But more popular was "Taken," a film in which Liam Neeson, an ex-spy, has a daughter kidnapped by white slavers in Paris, whom he tortures for information to rescue her and bring her home. Certainly, Cheney and Bush, who make no apologies for what they authorized to keep America safe for seven and a half years, should be held to account. But so, too, should Barack Obama, if U.S. citizens die in a terror attack the CIA might have prevented, had its interrogators not been tied to an Army Field Manual written for dealing with soldiers, not al-Qaida killers who favor "soft targets" such as subways, airliners and office buildings ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V13 #242 *********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca Moderator's email: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca List owner: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca FAQ list: http://www.canfirearms/Skeeter/Faq/cfd-faq1.html Web Site: http://www.canfirearms.ca CFDigest Archives: http://www.canfirearms.ca/archives To unsubscribe from _all_ the lists, put the next four lines in a message and mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca unsubscribe cdn-firearms-digest unsubscribe cdn-firearms-chat unsubscribe cdn-firearms end (To subscribe, use "subscribe" instead of "unsubscribe".)