Over the years, I have developed a very dejected view towards the media's handling of anything firearms-related. A good day it would be if you can find a neutral reporting of guns. But alas, we live in a fairly socialistic country and as such, it should come as no surprise to see continued negative spin and even outright lies when it comes to reporting about guns. Recently, I saw two instances of this which gave me grave stomach upset.
First, the good ol' CBC, who, unfortunately, happened to give us two of our recent Governor-Generals, Michaelle Jean (current) and Andrienne Clarkson. No, I dislike them not because they are women, but because they are left-wing, tree-hugging nutjobs (and in Jean's case, she is a known sympathizer of Quebec separatism). Anyway, CBC, the station that tries to make itself "culturally relevant" by bringing you the not-very-funny and ridiculous-concepted Little Mosque on the Prairie, has shown again and again, its absolute willingness to all-out lie to advance its liberal agenda.
The latest attempt can be seen here in this CBC Marketplace report:
CBC Market Place "Report" on Replica Guns
The subject is replica guns.
Now, why does this matter to me? Well, due to this report, my local gunshop now no longer stocks air pistols (BB and pellet). Watch the report first and then keep reading here.
There are several issues with this documentary. One is that the CBC marketplace reporter and crew take several liberties to deliberately make guns look like they're some sort of evil, even though common sense will tell you a gun is just an inanimate piece of metal, an object. These are not in any chronological order, but my first and biggest issue is with the reporter. She has no clue that there are different classes of airguns. They just said that there are BB guns and airsoft guns. Obviously this is not true. So, based on what I know, I'll give you the facts.
Airguns are propelled in one of four ways: 1) by pumping air into the gun, compressing it. When the trigger is pulled, that air is released, pushing the projectile with it. 2) by compressing a spring, usually by breaking the barrel (most often on air rifles). When the trigger is pressed, the spring decompresses, pushing air out and the projectile with it. 3) CO2 gas cartridges, which is CO2 gas in a canister, either 12g or 88g. A pull of a trigger releases measured amounts of the gas which push the projectile out of the gun. 4) PCP, which I believe stands for pre-charged pneumatic (if it's different, contact me - it's late and I'm too lazy right now to look it up) which is pre-filled either with an airtank or manually pumping something like a bicycle pump to fill up the air tank. It's beyond the scope of this blog entry to discuss the pros and cons, but that's a general rule of the power plant options for airguns.
Airguns are broken down into many categories:
I don't consider airsoft a true airgun categorty, but airsoft shoots very light plastic projectiles and its velocity (how fast the projectile goes when leaving the barrel) is around 200 - 350FPS (feet per second). This is what people use for airsoft wars and airsoft guns are often marked by that ugly and tacky orange tip at the end of the gun. I am not into airsoft at all as you can probably tell by now.
BB guns shoot a small steel ball (BB) - they are ALWAYS under 500FPS. Their accuracy is not good because of the fact that they get shot out of smooth barrels. Mostly for plinking and backyard fun.
Pellet guns are lead pellets which have a front end and a skirted end, the front end can be any number of shapes including flat (wadcutter), round, pointed, and hollowpoint. Depending on the power of the gun, the use of the pellet can be anywhere from casual target shooting and plinking to competition target shooting to hunting. The CBC Marketplace report did not make this differentiation and also failed to mention that many pellet guns (a lot of rifles) require a firearms licence, as they shoot over 500FPS AND generate more than 4.2FPE (foot points energy).
By not making these distinctions, one who knows nothing about airguns can think of airsoft in the same vein as a pellet gun in the same vein as a BB gun. They are all different.
In the report they got this teenage guy to go into the store to buy a airgun (probably airsoft). He walks out with it and brandishes it in public. Law-abiding gun owners, whether firearms grade or not, do not do this. The CBC either does not realize, or does not care, that what that kid did is against the law. Yet the impression they want to leave is that anyone can go in and buy this and start shooting at people.
Also, that part about finding airsoft plastic BBs all over the street. Yeah, that was as much of a plant as I have ever seen. So all the sudden they are talking, look down and lo and behold, there are airsoft BBs strewn all over the street. Yeah right. Why would CBC lie about this? The same reason as another instance you saw and are about to read my assessment.
That lady reporter blatantly lied when she went to shoot that airsoft gun in Port Perry. First, it was an airsoft gun - I can tell by the report / sound of the gun not to mention by looking at it. Even if you argue it was a BB or pellet gun, what she did with it is impossible. Upon shooting it, she gave a recoil with her hands and said "Geez Louise!". Like, what-the-hell-ever, lady. Neither BB or pellet or airsoft guns recoil - they don't make air pistols shooting over 500FPS so whatever she shot can not and did not recoil. The only gun that I have felt recoil that was an airgun was a Gamo Hunter Extreme, which shoots...1400FPS. That is a firearms grade airgun, and even then, the recoil was so, so mild (it's really just the spring decompressing). Air pistols don't recoil, sorry.
Now, where this affects me. My favourite outdoors store, Le Baron - their gunshop immediately pulled all of their air pistols from their shelves because the CBC showed several pages of their catalog selling pages and pages of air pistols. What they neglected to show is that it is explictly stated that permits are required for certain models of airguns. Also, LeBaron's policy, not shown in CBC Marketplace is to visually inspect and record ID information for all airgun and ammo purchases (even if it is not firearms grade). I have been in the gunshop and seen them turn down people due to lack of ID. So that 14-year-old kid in the Marketplace story who went into some shady store in Vancouver to get an airsoft gun, he wouldn't have had that easy of a time at LeBaron.
Now, I'll focus on the Toronto Star. They recently had a series of reports about guns in Toronto (guess it was to capitalize on some of the hoopla surrounding last week's Toronto's Sportsmen Show, which also is a topic in and of itself for another time and another day). I'm not sure what their goal was, but if you look at the first article, it had this gunshop owner pointed out a side-by-side (SXS) shotgun in the direction of the camera. The average person who is not conversant with guns may look at that and not think good things. I think that was the star's point. But if you look carefully, you'll see that the gunshop owner has the action broken (hinge) and is obviously checking the gun - he's not deliberately pointing it at the cameraman. The gun is totally safe. Second, he has a plethora of other guns all under glass shelving behind him - I hope that that is a detail that is not lost on people - law abiding gun owners go above and beyond to ensure that their guns are locked up to meet and exceed legal standards.
I wonder about the Star's true intentions in publishing a map of which area / jurisdiction owns the most guns in the Toronto area, including exact numbers of guns owned, whether the gun owners are hunters or merely target shooters and whether the per capita ownership of guns in that area has been increasing or decreasing over time (trending). I fail to see what point of providing this information is, other than to give potential criminals a shopping list of where to find the most guns. I won't discuss the exact specifics, but I do want to make a very clear point, and I don't care how it sounds:
The two highest places with the highest gun ownership rates are heavily populated with people of European descent. I would bet my bottom dollar that these areas are very, very low crime areas (and this would be in line with John Lott's theory in More Guns, Less Crime).
Conversely, the two areas with the smallest percentage of legal gun ownership are...(drumroll) the Jane and Finch corridor area, and Rexdale, both heavily Black-populated areas and high crime areas. This again is consistent with U.S. statistics of big cities who have large urban African-American populations, greater crime, and the lowest rates of gun ownerships. If any demographic needs to have more law-abiding gun owners, it is in these areas. This also proves once again that gun control does not work - anywhere you look, places that have more guns by law abiding citizens have less crime and places where guns are either frowned upon or banned outright, crime is very high (and to no one's surprise, gun crime, with use of illegally obtained guns).
Of course, the Toronto Star would never produce any type of crime statistics based on race or culture. They would be afraid to make minorities look bad. Yet it's OK to give out the locations and the types of guns that law-abiding gun owners have. The Star recently offered my wife and I a free subscription and didn't even ask if we wanted it. That paper is not good enough for me to wipe me arse with, much less read.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tamil Protest In Toronto Today
There are not too many things in the world that I hate more than protests and demonstrations. I have commented before that I truly doubt that anyone's mind will really be changed by a rally, a protest, or a demonstration; rather, it is the protester that probably is the only one that feels that they are making an impact. Perhaps what I hate even more is a protest about something that is not relevant to our country. And a protest that ends up inconveniencing the general populace. This can be anything from greedy union members who are on strike and decide to block entraceways or roads, to any number of social commentary issues, which has its protesters shutting down traffic and such. I should be very clear here - I don't just dislike protests for stuff I couldn't give a rat's ass about, but I also don't like protests for issues which matter to me (ie. I am a staunch opponent of abortion, but I don't believe anti-abortionists should block traffic or whatever, to make their point).
So you can imagine that even though it had no direct impact on me per se (other than taking up some newspaper headlines which I had to wade through while reading), today's Tamil protest that shut down key parts of the city's business core in Toronto, gave me a bit of a irritation. Ok, a lot.
First, as everyone can tell you, there are two sides of the story. The Tamil community are protesting because of claims of genocide in the Sri Lankan civil war. They say that kids are being killed and so forth. What you are not hearing is the other side - I am neither Indian nor Tamil, but I do have a friend from Sri Lanka (Sihanese) who gave me a quick rundown of the history. Ever heard of the Tamil Tigers? The Tamil community loves these guys. But ask any intelligence agency and they will tell you that these guys are terrorists. I didn't need to ask anyone to know that - it is clear in the heinousness in crimes committed by Tigers in the Toronto and Vancouver areas (and elsewhere) to know this. Moreover, much of the fundraising and support for these terrorists comes right from the Tamil community. Canada and 30+ countries considers the Tigers a terrorist organization. Yet, the protesters today, freely wave Tamil Tiger flags (which has a picture of a Tiger on it, with rifles and bullets in the background).
But let's say that I didn't know either side...I still would be absolutely irritated that they decided to inconvenience the public to try to make their side known. Honestly, I am so glad, for so many reasons, that I don't work in downtown Toronto. I am clearly a heterosexual male, but I would probably choose to be gay rather than working in downtown Toronto ever again. It is a cesspool of the worst the city has to offer. Traffic is terrible, people are rude, the streets smell, everything is overpriced...no thanks! Anyway, I do know a lot of people work there and make a living in doing so, whether they like it or not. The business district of Toronto is an important part of the city, so for any group's protest to cause traffic chaos is simply not thinking of the overall good of the city, especially if they are a citizen of it.
Furthermore, and this is perhaps my biggest beef with today's protest, is that what is being screamed and bantered about is not even taking place in Canada! Like, can anyone who was inconvenienced today really do anything about it? Better that they go on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and scream to the government bureaucrats who may have a remote chance of listening (which is doubtful, since Canada doesn't really have much, if any, influence or presence in that part of the world). But as it stands, all this kind of thing does is just irritate people, in that it makes non-Tamils wonder about where these people's loyalty lies. I was not born here, but am a proud Canadian and Canadian issues always come first; things in my ancestral homeland play a (distant) second. By not adopting this way of thinking, one wonders where my loyalties lie and why I don't just move back to my ancestral homeland if I am so concerned about matters "over there". Now, some people may say that well, if people don't protest and cause inconvenience, then perhaps segregation may still be in play. But even then, that's a different kettle of fish, since segregation happened on American soil, so it was an American issue. The Sri Lankan civil war is not a Canadian issue, so the average Canadian cannot effect the outcome or doesn't care (or likely a combination of both).
One can also slag folks like me who disagree with such things as being xenophobic, but isn't that the politically correct language nowadays - that for those who don't think that people should hyphenate loyalities be branded a bigot or racist. I am a visible minority immigrant, so it's kind of hard to make that charge stick on me - I just call it like it is. And I call today's protests an exercise in counter-productivity. You will not get people's support by deliberately pissing them off with an issue that is not a Canadian one.
Ultimately, this again makes me wonder why people even bother coming to this fine country if their minds and hearts still reside in their previous homeland. Don't people come to Canada for a better life? My parents sure did. It's fine to be interested in matters from around the world, but don't forget, you are a Canadian first. For all the energy expended at raising "awareness", these people better be damn well standing on one of the overpasses along the Highway of Heroes the next time a Canadian soldier who died on the battlefield is repatriated and show equal, if not more concern for the country that they now call home.
So you can imagine that even though it had no direct impact on me per se (other than taking up some newspaper headlines which I had to wade through while reading), today's Tamil protest that shut down key parts of the city's business core in Toronto, gave me a bit of a irritation. Ok, a lot.
First, as everyone can tell you, there are two sides of the story. The Tamil community are protesting because of claims of genocide in the Sri Lankan civil war. They say that kids are being killed and so forth. What you are not hearing is the other side - I am neither Indian nor Tamil, but I do have a friend from Sri Lanka (Sihanese) who gave me a quick rundown of the history. Ever heard of the Tamil Tigers? The Tamil community loves these guys. But ask any intelligence agency and they will tell you that these guys are terrorists. I didn't need to ask anyone to know that - it is clear in the heinousness in crimes committed by Tigers in the Toronto and Vancouver areas (and elsewhere) to know this. Moreover, much of the fundraising and support for these terrorists comes right from the Tamil community. Canada and 30+ countries considers the Tigers a terrorist organization. Yet, the protesters today, freely wave Tamil Tiger flags (which has a picture of a Tiger on it, with rifles and bullets in the background).
But let's say that I didn't know either side...I still would be absolutely irritated that they decided to inconvenience the public to try to make their side known. Honestly, I am so glad, for so many reasons, that I don't work in downtown Toronto. I am clearly a heterosexual male, but I would probably choose to be gay rather than working in downtown Toronto ever again. It is a cesspool of the worst the city has to offer. Traffic is terrible, people are rude, the streets smell, everything is overpriced...no thanks! Anyway, I do know a lot of people work there and make a living in doing so, whether they like it or not. The business district of Toronto is an important part of the city, so for any group's protest to cause traffic chaos is simply not thinking of the overall good of the city, especially if they are a citizen of it.
Furthermore, and this is perhaps my biggest beef with today's protest, is that what is being screamed and bantered about is not even taking place in Canada! Like, can anyone who was inconvenienced today really do anything about it? Better that they go on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and scream to the government bureaucrats who may have a remote chance of listening (which is doubtful, since Canada doesn't really have much, if any, influence or presence in that part of the world). But as it stands, all this kind of thing does is just irritate people, in that it makes non-Tamils wonder about where these people's loyalty lies. I was not born here, but am a proud Canadian and Canadian issues always come first; things in my ancestral homeland play a (distant) second. By not adopting this way of thinking, one wonders where my loyalties lie and why I don't just move back to my ancestral homeland if I am so concerned about matters "over there". Now, some people may say that well, if people don't protest and cause inconvenience, then perhaps segregation may still be in play. But even then, that's a different kettle of fish, since segregation happened on American soil, so it was an American issue. The Sri Lankan civil war is not a Canadian issue, so the average Canadian cannot effect the outcome or doesn't care (or likely a combination of both).
One can also slag folks like me who disagree with such things as being xenophobic, but isn't that the politically correct language nowadays - that for those who don't think that people should hyphenate loyalities be branded a bigot or racist. I am a visible minority immigrant, so it's kind of hard to make that charge stick on me - I just call it like it is. And I call today's protests an exercise in counter-productivity. You will not get people's support by deliberately pissing them off with an issue that is not a Canadian one.
Ultimately, this again makes me wonder why people even bother coming to this fine country if their minds and hearts still reside in their previous homeland. Don't people come to Canada for a better life? My parents sure did. It's fine to be interested in matters from around the world, but don't forget, you are a Canadian first. For all the energy expended at raising "awareness", these people better be damn well standing on one of the overpasses along the Highway of Heroes the next time a Canadian soldier who died on the battlefield is repatriated and show equal, if not more concern for the country that they now call home.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
First Baptist Church of Maryville, Illinois Tragedy
It absolutely broke my heart to read about the tragedy that struck Maryville, Illinois' First Baptist Church on Sunday morning. Accounts say that a gunman walked in and while details are sketchy, he did approach the front of the church, had some words with the pastor and then shot him, killing him. His handgun then jammed at which point he produced a knife and somehow stabbed himself before being tackled by two parishioners who also got stabbed.
I don't know Pastor Fred Winters, but his family is in my prayers for the forseeable future. I cannot imagine what they must be going through right now - he had two adolescent or teenage daughters. Been married for 22 years, and has pastored that church just as long. Such senseless violence, in a church of all places - a place that is supposed to be a shelter or refuge for both saved and unsaved alike. Thankfully, Pastor Winters knew the Lord.
I can't say where the gunman's head was at when he perpetrated this awful crime, but I will be praying for him as well, for his salvation, as hard as that may be for me and I'm sure, others, to do.
I read about this account once I got home from a new church that I started attending (in the past two weeks). This church is a rather large church, much like the Maryville congregation. It is situated in a fairly remote location. And I was sitting there thinking, in the past couple of years, there have been several reported church shootings. It's sad when people may feel apprehensive about going to church in the upcoming weeks. I remember after the Colorado and Tennessee church shootings, I went to my next church service wondering what my own plan would be should a gunman burst onto the scene during a service. But these shootings are so rare, but when it happens, people take notice.
And unfortunately, people tend to look at the whole gun control debate as a result. Lots of website comments have indicated that concealed carry laws or the ability to exercise the same, may have averted this tragedy. I'm not so sure of this - after all, the accused shot the pastor pretty quickly, by all accounts - even if someone in the congregation was armed, would they have been close enough to the perpetrator and pastor in order to safely fire a shot to stop the gunman? I'm not so sure. Maybe it would have subdued him after he took the shot and saved the two heroes from getting wounded in tackling him. But I think Pastor Winters would have been shot regardless.
I'm pro-firearms ownership, but I am on the fence when it comes to concealed carry. On some days, I'm a staunch supporter of it. On other days, I have to think long and hard. I am a firm believer that those who wish to perpetrate public shootings tend to pick the "gun free" zones like churches and schools. Illinois have fairly strict regulations for gun ownership (that is, compared to the rest of the U.S. I know this because the fellow I deal with at my local gun shop is from Chicago). I'm not sure if they are a concealed carry (CC) state or not, but regardless, I am not sure if it will help.
I worry about who gets CC licences, even though I agree with them in principle. Think about this - the gunman today is reported to not have a previous criminal record. In effect, he could have gotten a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) if he wanted, if Illinois is a CC state (which again, I'm not sure - I suspect probably not). Think of all the law abiding citizens that cut you off on the road. Have you been upset by that? I have. Have I wanted to crash my car into them to teach them a lesson? Sometimes. Have I uttered obscenities towards them? It's to my shame that I mention that once or twice, the answer is yes. Now, my wife will tell you, I'm a pretty genteel person overall. But just as with even the most calm people, something...eventually...can set them off. I am just not sure whether giving everyone a CC is the right thing to do - overall, I do know that more guns do equal less crime. Deterrence is a strong thing. Had the gunman known that parishoners at First Baptist Church can and are armed - would have have selected that church? I have a hard time believing he would. Again, notice that the public shootings for the past 15 years or so almost always seem to be in a place that is considered gun-free (schools, malls, churches, restaurants). You almost never see these tragedies happening at gun clubs or target shooting places, even though there is a high concentration of guns there.
Now, back to churches. I'm not sure what the answer is here. Perhaps armed guards are an answer, but has it gotten so bad that we have to resort to this? Maybe so - the Bible tells us that the depravity of man gets worse and worse over time. People should be able to go to a church or a school without fear of violence inflicted upon them. But it is becoming clear that such a notion may be idealistic at best. People can't just wish away violence. Unfortunately, it's everywhere.
A good starting place is prayer, and not just for victims, but perpetrators as well. People need the Lord more than ever, and there hasn't been as fertile of a ground for evangelism than ever before. Perhaps if more people knew the Lord, less of these things would happen. Even then, I realize that I too am projecting an idealism that may not mirror reality. But God is more powerful than the laws that we enact or not enact, and is more than powerful enough to change the hearts of man.
In the meantime, I'd encourage all my readers to keep First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, in your prayers, and especially Pastor Winters' family as they mourn and try to make sense of this terrible tragedy. May God's enduring peace and His comfort blanket over them at this time.
I don't know Pastor Fred Winters, but his family is in my prayers for the forseeable future. I cannot imagine what they must be going through right now - he had two adolescent or teenage daughters. Been married for 22 years, and has pastored that church just as long. Such senseless violence, in a church of all places - a place that is supposed to be a shelter or refuge for both saved and unsaved alike. Thankfully, Pastor Winters knew the Lord.
I can't say where the gunman's head was at when he perpetrated this awful crime, but I will be praying for him as well, for his salvation, as hard as that may be for me and I'm sure, others, to do.
I read about this account once I got home from a new church that I started attending (in the past two weeks). This church is a rather large church, much like the Maryville congregation. It is situated in a fairly remote location. And I was sitting there thinking, in the past couple of years, there have been several reported church shootings. It's sad when people may feel apprehensive about going to church in the upcoming weeks. I remember after the Colorado and Tennessee church shootings, I went to my next church service wondering what my own plan would be should a gunman burst onto the scene during a service. But these shootings are so rare, but when it happens, people take notice.
And unfortunately, people tend to look at the whole gun control debate as a result. Lots of website comments have indicated that concealed carry laws or the ability to exercise the same, may have averted this tragedy. I'm not so sure of this - after all, the accused shot the pastor pretty quickly, by all accounts - even if someone in the congregation was armed, would they have been close enough to the perpetrator and pastor in order to safely fire a shot to stop the gunman? I'm not so sure. Maybe it would have subdued him after he took the shot and saved the two heroes from getting wounded in tackling him. But I think Pastor Winters would have been shot regardless.
I'm pro-firearms ownership, but I am on the fence when it comes to concealed carry. On some days, I'm a staunch supporter of it. On other days, I have to think long and hard. I am a firm believer that those who wish to perpetrate public shootings tend to pick the "gun free" zones like churches and schools. Illinois have fairly strict regulations for gun ownership (that is, compared to the rest of the U.S. I know this because the fellow I deal with at my local gun shop is from Chicago). I'm not sure if they are a concealed carry (CC) state or not, but regardless, I am not sure if it will help.
I worry about who gets CC licences, even though I agree with them in principle. Think about this - the gunman today is reported to not have a previous criminal record. In effect, he could have gotten a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) if he wanted, if Illinois is a CC state (which again, I'm not sure - I suspect probably not). Think of all the law abiding citizens that cut you off on the road. Have you been upset by that? I have. Have I wanted to crash my car into them to teach them a lesson? Sometimes. Have I uttered obscenities towards them? It's to my shame that I mention that once or twice, the answer is yes. Now, my wife will tell you, I'm a pretty genteel person overall. But just as with even the most calm people, something...eventually...can set them off. I am just not sure whether giving everyone a CC is the right thing to do - overall, I do know that more guns do equal less crime. Deterrence is a strong thing. Had the gunman known that parishoners at First Baptist Church can and are armed - would have have selected that church? I have a hard time believing he would. Again, notice that the public shootings for the past 15 years or so almost always seem to be in a place that is considered gun-free (schools, malls, churches, restaurants). You almost never see these tragedies happening at gun clubs or target shooting places, even though there is a high concentration of guns there.
Now, back to churches. I'm not sure what the answer is here. Perhaps armed guards are an answer, but has it gotten so bad that we have to resort to this? Maybe so - the Bible tells us that the depravity of man gets worse and worse over time. People should be able to go to a church or a school without fear of violence inflicted upon them. But it is becoming clear that such a notion may be idealistic at best. People can't just wish away violence. Unfortunately, it's everywhere.
A good starting place is prayer, and not just for victims, but perpetrators as well. People need the Lord more than ever, and there hasn't been as fertile of a ground for evangelism than ever before. Perhaps if more people knew the Lord, less of these things would happen. Even then, I realize that I too am projecting an idealism that may not mirror reality. But God is more powerful than the laws that we enact or not enact, and is more than powerful enough to change the hearts of man.
In the meantime, I'd encourage all my readers to keep First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, in your prayers, and especially Pastor Winters' family as they mourn and try to make sense of this terrible tragedy. May God's enduring peace and His comfort blanket over them at this time.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Get Yer Ammo Now Before They're Gone, Boys and Girls...
Maybe it's me, but the last six months or so, I have noticed an general increase in anything firearm related. No more evident was this than when I went to my local gunshop recently (3 weeks ago) to buy a few rounds of .223 Remington and happened upon one of the two boxes that had a lower sticker price. The clerk swore under her breath, and said, "Fine, I'll give two boxes to you at the same price." I asked her why the price discrepancy, and she said, "price of ammo went up". Now, I sort of knew this for the .22 rounds that I bought in December, compared to the cheaper price that I got the same rounds for in August. At the time, I was told that the price shift was due to the Canadian dollar weakening. Makes sense. I asked if it had anything to do with Obama winning the U.S. election. Maybe, is the general answer received by many with whom I've spoken.
I even more recently (yesterday) thought I'd buy another box of the .223, since it seemed like it was in short supply, and when the lady got the box out, the price tag was higher than 3 weeks ago...the total jump from last year's price to yesterday's price was something like 23%. I didn't end up buying the ammo, since I figured that I don't shoot .223 that often, but I wonder whether I should have bought the box while I was there.
I have noticed everything from airguns to air rifles to firearms have been increasing in price, as well as the ammo. I find it hard to believe that all this has to do with the Canadian dollar. If nothing else, you would think that prices would be lowered in these crappy economic times. But I did a little bit of digging, and the firearms industry is doing just fine. In fact, demand has far outstripped supply recently, and there have been a lot of people suggesting that Obama is on the cusp of implementing his anti-gun agenda, if he hasn't already started. One would have to be a complete idiot to believe that Obama is not going to do anything restrictive when it comes to guns. His voting record indicates that he is a staunch gun controller, and he has surrounded himself with people who share the same view.
I was reading about a report that has circulated around the internet that says that Canadian officials feel a certain affinity with Obama and would like to test the waters with an ammunition import ban, partuclarly "military-type" of rounds like the NATO 5.56x45mm and 7.65x51mm, amongst others. Essentially, you will see rounds like the .223 and .308 affected, as well as .50BMG and others.
Now, this is nothing new. And it is consistent with what I have been seeing - for instance, you'd be hard-pressed to find the Butler Creek 25-round mag for the Ruger 10/22 in any Canadian store nowadays, unless it's old stock, and even then, it would have been already snatched up. The U.S. government last year decided to stop the export of these to Canada, since they feared that it would make the 10/22 look more military-like with a large capacity clip. Yet, you can find the 25 round clip for the Remington 597 (similar class gun as the 10/22) anywhere. Also, for those who have restricted PALs in Canada, you may have a harder time finding the popular AR-15, as the Canadian government considers it in the "assault rifle" class and sets the AR-15 as a restricted weapon, because of its military and bad-ass type of look. And it shoots the .223 round, which is considered "military class". Yet, you can easily find non-restricted semi-automatic rifles that shoot much more powerful calibers, but they are not put in such a scrutinized class, because they "look less dangerous" and look more like a hunting rifle (which they are).
Anyway, I can see the collective governments of our two countries coming to some sort of agreement on limiting available guns and ammunition. Even though I support Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government party, I get the sense that while he may be a fiscal conservative and to a degree a social one, the guns issue is not high on his priority list. Consider the fact that there was much talk of the Conservative scrapping the hated Canadian long-gun registry. Harper's been in power for 3+ years now, and the registry is still on the books. If you couple this with his seemingly positive first experience with President Obama during his visit last month, you would think that they were best buddies.
Anyway, the point is that I can personally substantiate the fact that ammo and guns are going up in price. Some guns are now no longer sold at my gunshop, even higher power air rifles - the reasons remain unknown (at least to me) though I have my suspicions. Your best bet at this time would be to stock up on ammo as much as possible. No, this is not an alarmist approach as with stocking up bottled water during the Y2K scenario a decade ago. That was based on speculation and conjecture and not really based on any concrete evidence that the world was going to blow up. Of course, I am not suggesting that now, but what I am saying is that I can read the tea leaves as much as the next guy, and seeing the trend in the past year has led me to believe that at some point, law abiding gun owners will have more restrictions put on them than ever before, and while I detest the act of hoarding, sometimes you need to in order to preserve your way of life, as well as defend your individual rights. At the very least, you will know that you are contributing to probably the only active and flourishing industry in these bad economic times.
I even more recently (yesterday) thought I'd buy another box of the .223, since it seemed like it was in short supply, and when the lady got the box out, the price tag was higher than 3 weeks ago...the total jump from last year's price to yesterday's price was something like 23%. I didn't end up buying the ammo, since I figured that I don't shoot .223 that often, but I wonder whether I should have bought the box while I was there.
I have noticed everything from airguns to air rifles to firearms have been increasing in price, as well as the ammo. I find it hard to believe that all this has to do with the Canadian dollar. If nothing else, you would think that prices would be lowered in these crappy economic times. But I did a little bit of digging, and the firearms industry is doing just fine. In fact, demand has far outstripped supply recently, and there have been a lot of people suggesting that Obama is on the cusp of implementing his anti-gun agenda, if he hasn't already started. One would have to be a complete idiot to believe that Obama is not going to do anything restrictive when it comes to guns. His voting record indicates that he is a staunch gun controller, and he has surrounded himself with people who share the same view.
I was reading about a report that has circulated around the internet that says that Canadian officials feel a certain affinity with Obama and would like to test the waters with an ammunition import ban, partuclarly "military-type" of rounds like the NATO 5.56x45mm and 7.65x51mm, amongst others. Essentially, you will see rounds like the .223 and .308 affected, as well as .50BMG and others.
Now, this is nothing new. And it is consistent with what I have been seeing - for instance, you'd be hard-pressed to find the Butler Creek 25-round mag for the Ruger 10/22 in any Canadian store nowadays, unless it's old stock, and even then, it would have been already snatched up. The U.S. government last year decided to stop the export of these to Canada, since they feared that it would make the 10/22 look more military-like with a large capacity clip. Yet, you can find the 25 round clip for the Remington 597 (similar class gun as the 10/22) anywhere. Also, for those who have restricted PALs in Canada, you may have a harder time finding the popular AR-15, as the Canadian government considers it in the "assault rifle" class and sets the AR-15 as a restricted weapon, because of its military and bad-ass type of look. And it shoots the .223 round, which is considered "military class". Yet, you can easily find non-restricted semi-automatic rifles that shoot much more powerful calibers, but they are not put in such a scrutinized class, because they "look less dangerous" and look more like a hunting rifle (which they are).
Anyway, I can see the collective governments of our two countries coming to some sort of agreement on limiting available guns and ammunition. Even though I support Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government party, I get the sense that while he may be a fiscal conservative and to a degree a social one, the guns issue is not high on his priority list. Consider the fact that there was much talk of the Conservative scrapping the hated Canadian long-gun registry. Harper's been in power for 3+ years now, and the registry is still on the books. If you couple this with his seemingly positive first experience with President Obama during his visit last month, you would think that they were best buddies.
Anyway, the point is that I can personally substantiate the fact that ammo and guns are going up in price. Some guns are now no longer sold at my gunshop, even higher power air rifles - the reasons remain unknown (at least to me) though I have my suspicions. Your best bet at this time would be to stock up on ammo as much as possible. No, this is not an alarmist approach as with stocking up bottled water during the Y2K scenario a decade ago. That was based on speculation and conjecture and not really based on any concrete evidence that the world was going to blow up. Of course, I am not suggesting that now, but what I am saying is that I can read the tea leaves as much as the next guy, and seeing the trend in the past year has led me to believe that at some point, law abiding gun owners will have more restrictions put on them than ever before, and while I detest the act of hoarding, sometimes you need to in order to preserve your way of life, as well as defend your individual rights. At the very least, you will know that you are contributing to probably the only active and flourishing industry in these bad economic times.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Vince Li - Lock Him Up For Life and Give Tim McLean Some Justice
There's not a whole else that burns me as much as our Canadian dysfunctional so-called justice system. For years, many people have indicated that the criminal justice system is like a revolving door in Canada. Criminals roam free, excused for their actions by any variety of bleeding heart liberal justifications for their behaviour. If you've ever watched the movie Primal Fear, it raises the issue that mental competency (or lack thereof) can easily be feigned. Plus, with a good enough (read: sleazy) lawyer, the blame for anyone's criminal actions can be easily shifted elsewhere, resulting in the bad guy getting a lesser sentence, despite damning evidence. Paul Bernardo is one of these pieces of sh-- (I'll just abbreviate it to POS from hereon in), who, while convicted on clear unrefutable evidence that he savagely raped and killed two teenage girls as well as his teenage sister-in-law, due to Canada not having a death penalty, this scum bag how has his living expenses, meals and lodging (albeit in a prison) covered by the Canadian taxpayer. In the U.S., depending on the state, he would have been six feet under by now.
Enter Vince Li, another POS who savagely killed and gruesomely mutiliated a fellow passenger aboard a Greyhound bus last year in Manitoba. Tim McLean did not provoke the attack, nor did anything that warranted such an awful death at such a young age. Police say that Li not only savagely killed him with a knife, but started to eat his body parts, putting some parts in his pocket or scattering them throughout the bus. Thankfully, passengers locked him in the bus while authorities arrived, so he was apprehended by the police.
At the recent conclusion of his trial, it was deemed that he was found not criminally responsible due to mental illness so rather than locking him up in prison for the rest of his life, he is now going to be "treated" at a psychiatric hospital of some sort. Li claims that "God made him do it.". Oh brother.
Now, I know I am going to get flamed by people who say that I am devoid of compassion and understanding. Perhaps I am, but you know, Mr. McLean's family is right - whatever the cause of his actions, he still acted. I don't buy the argument that psychologists and psychiatrists like to maintain, that there are times where one does not have even a semblance of control over their actions. The overwhelming vast majority of the population does not go around murdering people, much less doing it in such a way that is, I think it's safe to say, universally considered grotesque and all out wrong. We're not talking self-defence here. We're not talking mob killings here where it may be argued that the target deserves what he/she gets. We're talking about an innocent person here, who was minding his own business when out of nowhere, some looney bin starts to stab him repeatedly. People should not have to fear riding buses (though I have not taken public transit for years due to the increasing depravity of some public transit riders).
The fact is, a guy like Li, even if I would concede has mental problems, should be locked up in a prison for the rest of his life. Canada does not offer the death penalty, so the most severe punishment is life in prison (which in Canada means 25 years without parole, I believe). He can get treated in jail, if the system wants to work on his issues. But he should not be released to a mental hospital where security is not as tight, and where, given the right behavioural stimuli and playing his good behaviour cards right, "experts" may deem him fit for release to the general public at a future date.
Now, for those who think it's better to rehabiliate than to lock up a murderer (which is what this guy is, no matter what the courts say), let me ask you - would you be willing to let him be released in your residential area? Would you be OK with him as a neighbour, knowing he butchered an innocent person on a bus? Anyone who does this to another human being without provocation has forfeited his / her right to peaceful existence amongst the general populace.
I have talked about this before, and will mention it again. It is easy to claim to be a friend of the behavioural sciences and afford grace to those who are mentally unstable, but until you have an experience where you see the fallacy of the system, you will continue to dream idealistically that everyone, regardless of their societal threat levels, should be given a second chance. If you read this blog for a while, you'll know a few years back, a lady showed up at my door on a warm Saturday night in August. Neither my wife and I knew who she was, but she started to knock on my door, and that gravitated to trying to kick down my door. When this happens to you, the fear in your heart is tremendous. I made several mistakes that night, the first of which was confronting her. My initial assessment of her was that she was drunk, but there was no alcohol on her breath. She claimed that we kidnapped her child and that she wants into the house. I stood in the doorway and refused entry, while my wife called the police. All this happened, while my 2-year-old was sleeping upstairs.
Once I refused her entry, I can see that she started to seethe. She started cursing me, hurling racial epithets at me, saying stuff like "You f***ing Chinese people come to this country and kidnap our children" and worse, and started to move close to me (I was neither armed nor knew what to do in that case at the time). I just stood my ground and prayed quickly to God that He would protect me. Thankfully she backed away once my wife said that the cops were coming. Now, the cops later revealed that she had a mental condition and was obviously off her medication. My question to the officer was, "well, what the hell was she doing roaming the streets, driving a car?" Apparently officers check in on her "periodically". But in my view, that's not good enough. Vince Li could be that woman in a number of years...one event can trigger him to do the unthinkable. It's foolish to expect people like this to take their meds and hope that they do, without any form of consistent supervision. I mean, if that woman was armed and killed me or my wife, what would the socialists say then? Sorry, I'm not offering my life for some social experiment. Next time a crazy comes to my door, I will be fully armed with my Remington 870 stoked with 00 buckshot and regardless of their mental disposition, if they try to attack me, I will hit back and chances are, they will not get back up. You see, I am an equal opportunity defender, when it comes to my home and my family.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Mr. McLean's family now has to attend annual reviews for Li to ensure that he remains in custody. It's bad enough they lost a son to this killer; now, the system puts the onus on them to ensure that they participate in his annual reviews to ensure he continues to be institutionalized. It is conceivable (especially given the Canadian system of judicial dispensation) that down the line, this guy can be released, and without a criminal record, he can go where he wants, live where he wants, and do what he wants. Dare I say it, for people like this, these events are not a one-time occurrence. I found out later that the lady who was at my door who claimed that we kidnapped her children trashed a donut shop previously. Again, I ask, why is she allowed to roam amongst the general community? I would ask the same of Vince Li, who obviously by his actions demonstrated that he is a threat to the general public. As a result, he should be locked up indefinitely, not given another chance due to the justice system shifting the blame.
Enter Vince Li, another POS who savagely killed and gruesomely mutiliated a fellow passenger aboard a Greyhound bus last year in Manitoba. Tim McLean did not provoke the attack, nor did anything that warranted such an awful death at such a young age. Police say that Li not only savagely killed him with a knife, but started to eat his body parts, putting some parts in his pocket or scattering them throughout the bus. Thankfully, passengers locked him in the bus while authorities arrived, so he was apprehended by the police.
At the recent conclusion of his trial, it was deemed that he was found not criminally responsible due to mental illness so rather than locking him up in prison for the rest of his life, he is now going to be "treated" at a psychiatric hospital of some sort. Li claims that "God made him do it.". Oh brother.
Now, I know I am going to get flamed by people who say that I am devoid of compassion and understanding. Perhaps I am, but you know, Mr. McLean's family is right - whatever the cause of his actions, he still acted. I don't buy the argument that psychologists and psychiatrists like to maintain, that there are times where one does not have even a semblance of control over their actions. The overwhelming vast majority of the population does not go around murdering people, much less doing it in such a way that is, I think it's safe to say, universally considered grotesque and all out wrong. We're not talking self-defence here. We're not talking mob killings here where it may be argued that the target deserves what he/she gets. We're talking about an innocent person here, who was minding his own business when out of nowhere, some looney bin starts to stab him repeatedly. People should not have to fear riding buses (though I have not taken public transit for years due to the increasing depravity of some public transit riders).
The fact is, a guy like Li, even if I would concede has mental problems, should be locked up in a prison for the rest of his life. Canada does not offer the death penalty, so the most severe punishment is life in prison (which in Canada means 25 years without parole, I believe). He can get treated in jail, if the system wants to work on his issues. But he should not be released to a mental hospital where security is not as tight, and where, given the right behavioural stimuli and playing his good behaviour cards right, "experts" may deem him fit for release to the general public at a future date.
Now, for those who think it's better to rehabiliate than to lock up a murderer (which is what this guy is, no matter what the courts say), let me ask you - would you be willing to let him be released in your residential area? Would you be OK with him as a neighbour, knowing he butchered an innocent person on a bus? Anyone who does this to another human being without provocation has forfeited his / her right to peaceful existence amongst the general populace.
I have talked about this before, and will mention it again. It is easy to claim to be a friend of the behavioural sciences and afford grace to those who are mentally unstable, but until you have an experience where you see the fallacy of the system, you will continue to dream idealistically that everyone, regardless of their societal threat levels, should be given a second chance. If you read this blog for a while, you'll know a few years back, a lady showed up at my door on a warm Saturday night in August. Neither my wife and I knew who she was, but she started to knock on my door, and that gravitated to trying to kick down my door. When this happens to you, the fear in your heart is tremendous. I made several mistakes that night, the first of which was confronting her. My initial assessment of her was that she was drunk, but there was no alcohol on her breath. She claimed that we kidnapped her child and that she wants into the house. I stood in the doorway and refused entry, while my wife called the police. All this happened, while my 2-year-old was sleeping upstairs.
Once I refused her entry, I can see that she started to seethe. She started cursing me, hurling racial epithets at me, saying stuff like "You f***ing Chinese people come to this country and kidnap our children" and worse, and started to move close to me (I was neither armed nor knew what to do in that case at the time). I just stood my ground and prayed quickly to God that He would protect me. Thankfully she backed away once my wife said that the cops were coming. Now, the cops later revealed that she had a mental condition and was obviously off her medication. My question to the officer was, "well, what the hell was she doing roaming the streets, driving a car?" Apparently officers check in on her "periodically". But in my view, that's not good enough. Vince Li could be that woman in a number of years...one event can trigger him to do the unthinkable. It's foolish to expect people like this to take their meds and hope that they do, without any form of consistent supervision. I mean, if that woman was armed and killed me or my wife, what would the socialists say then? Sorry, I'm not offering my life for some social experiment. Next time a crazy comes to my door, I will be fully armed with my Remington 870 stoked with 00 buckshot and regardless of their mental disposition, if they try to attack me, I will hit back and chances are, they will not get back up. You see, I am an equal opportunity defender, when it comes to my home and my family.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Mr. McLean's family now has to attend annual reviews for Li to ensure that he remains in custody. It's bad enough they lost a son to this killer; now, the system puts the onus on them to ensure that they participate in his annual reviews to ensure he continues to be institutionalized. It is conceivable (especially given the Canadian system of judicial dispensation) that down the line, this guy can be released, and without a criminal record, he can go where he wants, live where he wants, and do what he wants. Dare I say it, for people like this, these events are not a one-time occurrence. I found out later that the lady who was at my door who claimed that we kidnapped her children trashed a donut shop previously. Again, I ask, why is she allowed to roam amongst the general community? I would ask the same of Vince Li, who obviously by his actions demonstrated that he is a threat to the general public. As a result, he should be locked up indefinitely, not given another chance due to the justice system shifting the blame.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Changes
In our lifetimes, I am sure we have all been through situations where we have a tough decision to make. It may not be an easy decision. It may not even be a comfortable decision. But make it you must.
I am thankful that in my life, I have only had to make a handful of such decisions. I don't enjoy change, and oftentimes have trouble pulling the trigger on a difficult decision, so sadly, I try to find ways to mitigate such decisions from having to be made in the first place. But sometimes it's inevitable that the decision has to be made.
My wife and I have been pondering such a decision for at least a couple of years now. And it was a very difficult decision to make, as it affects our children, not to mention our own personal spiritual life. We have decided that after 13 years, that we will be leaving our church. Now, for those who don't go to church, you may sit there and say, "who cares? It's just church." Maybe. But I guess you've never experienced the sense of community and belonging that comes with being part of a church. The sense of support and encouragement that a body of believers provides one another. The spiritual cohesion that develops, since let's face it, real born again Christians are in the great minority nowadays. It is indeed like moving to a new city, starting a new job. There's a certain sadness that comes with it, in terms of familiarity but also in terms of relationship.
I won't get into the reasons why we are making the change, but we not only made the decision (and make it collectively - this was not "my" decision, nor "her" decision), but have acted on it and swiftly too. We believe we have found our new church home and it is closer to our house and we've already made some contacts.
But still, there is a certain melancholy that comes with making such a significant change. There are many, many people at our church with whom we are quite fond, with whom we have shared joys and tears, friends who we regard like our own family and people who have helped carry us in difficult times. Sure, we will make new friends, but the fact is, some of the people who we only see on Sundays, we will probably never see again. That is hard for my wife and I to wrap ourselves around. But you know, we recognize that like everything else, there are strengths and areas of improvement. We still want to show that we value our old church's strengths but continue to support programs financially and by our attendance. But I suspect that over time, as we move into programs at our new church, this too will eventually fade out.
13 years. My wife and I were married at this church. Both of our kids were dedicated there. I served there briefly as an elder and my wife as the children's ministry co-ordinator for a while. I think back of our time with fondness and have very few regrets. I recognize that no church is perfect, but just like anything else like a house or car or what food to eat or what music to listen to, there is a sense of personal preference involved, I will admit. But moreso with churches, there's also the added sense of where God wants us to be at this particular time. It is in this vein that my wife and I sensed God's calling us out pretty clearly. And while it is uncomfortable for us, we will continue to trust in His goodness and in His ability to know our spiritual needs and what we have to offer to any church.
I know that it is God who is leading us somewhere else, since we have already experienced some really interesting coincidences at the new church thus far. My wife and I have prayed about it and we both are in agreement that God is moving us elsewhere. My wife and I don't always agree with everything, so for us to have unanimous agreement in how we sense God's direction, that to me says something. I didn't know anyone there until last week when I met some people. With sweaty palms and a nervous smile, I started to shake hands and introduce myself to total strangers, but in essence they weren't strangers but fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who I have just met. It's not like I am going to a business convention where people make connections in order to enhance their careers.
Another affirming sign for us was the fact that our son felt at home in the new church's children's program. My wife sat in on the first week, while I sat in on worship and compared notes afterwards. I told her that the worship and sermon and testimonies were very encouraging and she said the same about the children's program. It's a good start thus far.
I have heard that the number one question for preacher-teacher John McArthur in his 40-years in ministry and preaching, is "I don't have a good church to go to - where do I go?" His answer is "the best available that you can find". We are pleased to have been able to find one fairly quickly and without much searching.
I am thankful that in my life, I have only had to make a handful of such decisions. I don't enjoy change, and oftentimes have trouble pulling the trigger on a difficult decision, so sadly, I try to find ways to mitigate such decisions from having to be made in the first place. But sometimes it's inevitable that the decision has to be made.
My wife and I have been pondering such a decision for at least a couple of years now. And it was a very difficult decision to make, as it affects our children, not to mention our own personal spiritual life. We have decided that after 13 years, that we will be leaving our church. Now, for those who don't go to church, you may sit there and say, "who cares? It's just church." Maybe. But I guess you've never experienced the sense of community and belonging that comes with being part of a church. The sense of support and encouragement that a body of believers provides one another. The spiritual cohesion that develops, since let's face it, real born again Christians are in the great minority nowadays. It is indeed like moving to a new city, starting a new job. There's a certain sadness that comes with it, in terms of familiarity but also in terms of relationship.
I won't get into the reasons why we are making the change, but we not only made the decision (and make it collectively - this was not "my" decision, nor "her" decision), but have acted on it and swiftly too. We believe we have found our new church home and it is closer to our house and we've already made some contacts.
But still, there is a certain melancholy that comes with making such a significant change. There are many, many people at our church with whom we are quite fond, with whom we have shared joys and tears, friends who we regard like our own family and people who have helped carry us in difficult times. Sure, we will make new friends, but the fact is, some of the people who we only see on Sundays, we will probably never see again. That is hard for my wife and I to wrap ourselves around. But you know, we recognize that like everything else, there are strengths and areas of improvement. We still want to show that we value our old church's strengths but continue to support programs financially and by our attendance. But I suspect that over time, as we move into programs at our new church, this too will eventually fade out.
13 years. My wife and I were married at this church. Both of our kids were dedicated there. I served there briefly as an elder and my wife as the children's ministry co-ordinator for a while. I think back of our time with fondness and have very few regrets. I recognize that no church is perfect, but just like anything else like a house or car or what food to eat or what music to listen to, there is a sense of personal preference involved, I will admit. But moreso with churches, there's also the added sense of where God wants us to be at this particular time. It is in this vein that my wife and I sensed God's calling us out pretty clearly. And while it is uncomfortable for us, we will continue to trust in His goodness and in His ability to know our spiritual needs and what we have to offer to any church.
I know that it is God who is leading us somewhere else, since we have already experienced some really interesting coincidences at the new church thus far. My wife and I have prayed about it and we both are in agreement that God is moving us elsewhere. My wife and I don't always agree with everything, so for us to have unanimous agreement in how we sense God's direction, that to me says something. I didn't know anyone there until last week when I met some people. With sweaty palms and a nervous smile, I started to shake hands and introduce myself to total strangers, but in essence they weren't strangers but fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who I have just met. It's not like I am going to a business convention where people make connections in order to enhance their careers.
Another affirming sign for us was the fact that our son felt at home in the new church's children's program. My wife sat in on the first week, while I sat in on worship and compared notes afterwards. I told her that the worship and sermon and testimonies were very encouraging and she said the same about the children's program. It's a good start thus far.
I have heard that the number one question for preacher-teacher John McArthur in his 40-years in ministry and preaching, is "I don't have a good church to go to - where do I go?" His answer is "the best available that you can find". We are pleased to have been able to find one fairly quickly and without much searching.
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