Posted on 12/02/2005 9:29:19 AM PST by Heartofsong83
NRA Assisting Canadian Gun Lobby with Election MONTREAL, Dec. 2 /CNW Telbec/ - Buoyed by recent successes in the US Congress and Brazil, America's powerful gun lobby - the National Rifle Association - is turning its sights to Canada. At a session in Toronto, December 3 session, organized by the Canadian Shooting Sports Federation, the NRA will conduct training sessions for the Canadian Gun lobby. The website notes: "We have a Federal election looming on the horizon and we must be prepared.... How do we protect our rights? By being more politically active and effective at the grass roots. And who better to show us how than the most powerful lobby group in the world, the National Rifle Association." (http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/2005_agm.html) Wendy Cukier, Professor at Ryerson University and President of the Coalition for Gun Control says: "Canadians don't want the NRA interfering in our election. Most Canadians want stronger gun laws not more guns. They should be concerned - NRA is the wealthiest, most powerful and sophisticated lobby in the world. Recent estimates put its annual budget at over $100 million and that can buy a lot of influence." "The NRA is coming to Canada 7 weeks before Canadians go to the polls. The Conservative party has already promised to dismantle Canada's gun control law including both the registration of all firearms AND the licensing of gun owners. In last year's election the Conservatives were echoing NRA rhetoric, talking about gun owner "rights" which Canadian law does not support." "Most Canadians know that the NRA's arguments are nonsensical" said Cukier "What we have most to learn from the US experience with guns is what to avoid. The notion that more guns will make us safer flies in the face of the evidence. If arming for self protection worked, the US would be the safest country in the world. Clearly it's not - in 2003 the US had 11,700 gun murders (4.0 per 100,000), we had 161 (0.51 per 100,000) even though rates of homicide without guns are comparable. We are concerned about 50 gun murders this year in Toronto while Chicago, a city of comparable size had over 400." "But often facts don't count. The effectiveness of the NRA cannot be denied. In the US it has successfully rolled back the minimal screening required by the Brady Bill, stopped the renewal of the assault weapons ban; increased the ease with which Americans can carry handguns (and use them) and most recently got legislation passed protecting gun manufacturers from litigation. It has blocked progress at the United Nations on the illicit trade in guns and was involved in the defeat of the referendum in Brazil to ban the sale of guns." Cukier noted: "It's particularly ironic that the NRA would come to town 3 days before the anniversary of the Montreal massacre and at a time when Toronto is mourning those killed in the recent surge of handgun violence. We know that this violence has been fuelled by guns diverted from "law abiding" Canadian gun owners as well as guns flowing over the border. We have made significant progress in combating the misuse of guns in Canada - 500 fewer people are killed a year now than 15 years ago - and Canadian laws are considered a model to the rest of the world. But we still have a long way to go. The NRA and illegal guns are two exports from the US we don't need."
For further information: Wendy Cukier, President, Coalition for Gun Control, (416) 766-4804, (416) 979-5000 x 6740; Patrick Leclerc, Coordinator, Coalition for Gun Control, (514) 725-2021; Background Information: www.guncontrol.ca
And who better to show us how than the most powerful lobby group in the world, the National Rifle Association."
(http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/2005_agm.html) Wendy Cukier, Professor at Ryerson University and President of the Coalition for Gun Control says: "Canadians don't want the NRA interfering in our election. Most Canadians want stronger gun laws not more guns. They should be concerned - NRA is the wealthiest, most powerful and sophisticated lobby in the world. Recent estimates put its annual budget at over $100 million and that can buy a lot of influence."
"The NRA is coming to Canada 7 weeks before Canadians go to the polls.
The Conservative party has already promised to dismantle Canada's gun control law including both the registration of all firearms AND the licensing of gun owners. In last year's election the Conservatives were echoing NRA rhetoric, talking about gun owner "rights" which Canadian law does not support." "Most Canadians know that the NRA's arguments are nonsensical" said Cukier "What we have most to learn from the US experience with guns is what to avoid. The notion that more guns will make us safer flies in the face of the evidence. If arming for self protection worked, the US would be the safest country in the world.
Clearly it's not - in 2003 the US had 11,700 gun murders (4.0 per 100,000), we had 161 (0.51 per 100,000) even though rates of homicide without guns are comparable. We are concerned about 50 gun murders this year in Toronto while Chicago, a city of comparable size had over 400." "But often facts don't count.
The effectiveness of the NRA cannot be denied. In the US it has successfully rolled back the minimal screening required by the Brady Bill, stopped the renewal of the assault weapons ban; increased the ease with which Americans can carry handguns (and use them) and most recently got legislation passed protecting gun manufacturers from litigation. It has blocked progress at the United Nations on the illicit trade in guns and was involved in the defeat of the referendum in Brazil to ban the sale of guns." Cukier noted: "It's particularly ironic that the NRA would come to town 3 days before the anniversary of the Montreal massacre and at a time when Toronto is mourning those killed in the recent surge of handgun violence.
We know that this violence has been fuelled by guns diverted from "law abiding" Canadian gun owners as well as guns flowing over the border. We have made significant progress in combating the misuse of guns in Canada - 500 fewer people are killed a year now than 15 years ago - and Canadian laws are considered a model to the rest of the world. But we still have a long way to go. The NRA and illegal guns are two exports from the US we don't need." For further information: Wendy Cukier, President, Coalition for Gun Control, (416) 766-4804, (416) 979-5000 x 6740; Patrick Leclerc, Coordinator, Coalition for Gun Control, (514) 725-2021; Background Information: www.guncontrol.ca
That looks better - I just cut and pasted it from Canada Newswire...and it didn't look all that great.
Geez, these whiners are trying to scare Toronto voters, who aren't going to vote Conservative anyway, while that will get the rural voters out to vote and swing some more seats...
That's all they CAN do. They can't debate on fact.
I'm sure a lot of Canadians want to waste another Billion on a failed program.
They are making up their numbers again. US gun deaths in 2003 were about 8500, not over 11000. I have no idea why the left insists on taking what is already a big true number and inflating it to make it an even bigger lie?
It is like the lefts civilian casualty numbers for iraq. If 50,000 died, they will claim 200,000.
If 1000 people attended a rally, they claim 5000.
Simply stupid.
Well, it just feeeeels good.
Good to see the NRA going up to help out neighbors to the north. Hopefully that can get rid of that national gun registration they have up here.
My, my; havn't we gotten some Canadian socialist frump's bloomers in a twist?!
"The notion that more guns will make us safer flies in the face of the evidence."
Looks to me as if she's making up her "evidence" as she goes along; annecdotal reports from people who have actually had to LIVE in this socialist utopia seem to paint a rather different picture.
Does anyone have the REAL statistics to compare with Komrade Wendy Cukier's probably bogus ones?
Other posts from our Neighbor to the North suggest that the socialists are losing their monopolistic clutch on power up there, and are none too pleased about it.
There is an excellent article in the last "American Rifleman" about the Brazilian miracle; the victim disarmamanet forces included deep-pockets commies like Georgie SOROS apparently, who were shocked and outraged that their supposedly unstoppable will was thwarted by popular resistance, in spite of the government / media blitz for more "Gun Control".
Don't you just love to see the commies squirm when things are not going their way for a change?
Here ya go....
http://www.gunfacts.info/
Hey - good to see you here on FR, JimV!
Come to think of it - Komrade Klink up in Kanuck bitterly resents the NRA getting involved in "her" Country (like she owns it) but they don't seem to have a problem with Komrade SOROS poking his ample proboscus (and Pesos Grande) into Brazil's affairs, now do they?
Good old double standard again, isn't it?
Go GIT some, NRA!
They're trying!!!
Let's see the Liberals try to defend a $2 billion waste...it may not move the national polls, but it will consolidate their support in their strongholds like Toronto, and that won't win back power...
One of the inefficiencies of the Canadian parliamentary system is that grass roots activism doesn't work as well there than it does here. Sure, you can lobby the different political parties, but voters have a strong propensity to vote party lines, not individual candidate. Even the parties parachute in candidates and disregard the local riding associations if they believe the riding (equavalent to U.S. congressional district) strongly faovors one particular party. Ballot initiatives are also non existent. So the question remains, how does one promote grass roots activism in a government structure that has minimal response to it?
<< 2003 [America] had 11,700 gun murders (4.0 per 100,000), [Canida] had 161 (0.51 per 100,000) [BUT the] rates of homicide without guns are comparable. >>
"Would it make yah happier if they was thrown offa buildings?" -- With apologies to Archie Bunker.
In any case, guns don't kill people, abortions do.
In Canada around 5 times per capita more than in America.
Fun w/ math. Gun murders to gun murders is an apples to oranges comparison. So w/ ridiculous amounts of gun control, you haven't reduced the murder rate, just the gun murder rate. Also, I wonder where they get their stats from. Too often, left-leaning groups will lump justified police shootings and killing in self-defense as 'murder'.
I think she is refering to the "rollback" of the retention period on gun purchase records to one day.
I have deconstructed and analysed her "propaganda release" on one of my web pages at:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~akimoya/rfc/CFGC.Lies.html
Your comments would be appreciated.
I'm trying to post a letter I wrote to the Editors that ran this story, but it turns out looking like the first post - all run together in one big paragraph, no line breaks, no formatting.
What causes that, and how do I fix it?
"What causes that, and how do I fix it?"
Wherever you need a paragraph break, type this: <p>
For more HTML help see this thread: HTML Sandbox
----- Original Message -----
From: Bruce Mills
To: lifeedit@northernlife.ca
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: NRA assisting gun lobby
Wendy Cukier is a hypocrite of the highest order. She claims that the NRA coming here to hold a seminar on grass-roots activism is somehow "interfering" with the Federal Election. But I don't recall her complaining when anti-gun fanatic Michael Moore came here and directly involved himself in the last Federal Election, touting for Paul Martin. She has no qualms about making use of information directly from the US anti-gun lobby groups Violence Policy Center, Handgun Control Inc, and the Brady Campaign in her lobbying efforts with Canadian MPs. The Coalition for Gun Control is itself a registered anti-gun lobby group, which has received government funding for their efforts. She, and they, involve themselves in a number of jurisdictions outside of Canada, including the United Nations.
But the biggest lie is that Canadians don't have the right to keep and bear arms. Nothing could be further from the truth. We derive this right from the same sources as do our American cousins: Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, and right through the British North America Act to our current Constitution. While this right is being heavily regulated and infringed upon, it has never been specifically extinguished. This right still exists, and that is what the "gun lobby", made up of individual law abiding and freedom loving gun owners, is fighting for. Cukier won't stop until this right is stripped from us, and everyone else in the world, eradicating the private ownership of firearms. At least the NRA is honest about what they do - which is more than I can say for her and her ilk.
Bruce
Hamilton
Ontario
We don't need gun control, we need Liberal control - Kick The Rascals Out!
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