From: Dave Reay, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Well, is that not rather hypocritical?
Not really, I believe the similarities between the police and shooters
are very close, 150 years of the organised shooting of handguns as a
sport, and about the same length of time for the organised policing of
this country, but the abuse of power lies very strongly with the police.
At the time of the handgun ban we were closely matched in numbers,
without 80 years of persecution of the shooting public I think we would
have greatly outnumbered the police.
>The other common
>thread is that shooters are not all the same as Hamilton
>and Ryan, etc. Great offence is taken when it is
>suggested that shooters are all the same, but not an
>eye is blinked when everyone tars the Police with the
>same brush. Imagine the uproar if I were to dare suggest
>that all shooters have homicidal tendencies and should
>not be allowed anywhere near law abiding people.
Our record is very clean in comparison to the police, "bent coppers" are
more commonplace than "homicidal shooters"
>Back to anonymity. Why should a person who is merely
>doing his or her job be placed under the extra pressure
>that disclosure of identity would bring? Can anyone who
>disagrees with this say that they would be prepared to
>do the same job and be named and photographed publicly?
I do not have a problem with that, except that this should also have
extended to the Martin bloke, why should he have been subjected to the
sort of media attention that the police are protected from? He is as
much a target as you are!
>Does the person who wants guns banned
>have any less right to say that than anyone here? Like
>it or not, this is a democracy and although there are
>some dreadful laws, it is the duty of the Police to
>enforce them.
Yes, but it is not the duty of the police to try to create laws, the
handgun ban is an evil law and has brought naught but evil in its wake.
It has driven a wedge between the most law abiding and the law upholders
even if the handgun ban was repealed tomorrow, that divide will be there
forever, that is how evil it is!
>As an aside, I have spent lots of time in trying to
>effect a reconciliation in my area. I have invited
>clubs and societies to our training wing to see
>how we train and what kit we use.Our licensing dept.
>has invited clubs to visit them to see what goes on.I
>have liaised with local clubs to assist their members
>with problems in licensing issues. I have stuck my
>neck out for shooters over long barreled pistols,
>moderators and other things that cause grief.
I do not doubt youre good intentions, but, this smacks of guilty
conscience, and that will not restore our sport. The only thing that
will restore our sport will be the acknowledgement that "We were wrong"
from both the politicians and the police, and unless the "Court of Human
Rights" tell them so I cannot foresee them ever accepting that.
> I am a
>shooter through and through and have always tried to
>help the private shooter as much as possible, as all
>who know me will corroborate.
>Having read the posts here, though, it puts a
>different light on things in many respects. Although
>I know there was resentment, I didnt realise it was
>so deep and virulent. I am having a deep rethink of
>my philosophy.
This sounds like a thinly veiled threat, are you about to turn into an
"anti" because so many are against a bad law? The operations of the ACPO
were not youre responsibility so why do you have a problem because youre
attempt to defend them is met with such hostility? No body blames you
personally, but when you play the "Devils Advocate" you must expect a
lot of heat!
--
Dave Reay
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
