New Petition

[Blu]

nfrancis,

Well - none - that's the point. None of these guys are crying into their beer - they crack on with the shooting.

That's a fair one, I also crack on with my shooting but I always keep a wary eye on the antis and the government and get proactive when I have to. Look the way I see it is that thousands of law abiding UK sportsmen were punished when one (Hamilton) individual did what he did. Tell me mate, how the hell is that right? To me it's an outrage, punishing the law abiding majority because of one, someone who by all accounts should never have been allowed to hold firearms in the first place if what I've read on the subject is correct.

Blu

[Demonic69]

I wonder how many blokes were busy shooting instead of kicking up a fuss when their pistols were taken away. That went well for them then.

I don't read my own signature!

[Sandgroper]

Is this the type of stuff you will be encouraging and campaigning for?

Why do you feel the need to take a positive and inspirational event such as the above and generate a negative post out of it, we are not in competition with the NRA, or anyone for that matter.

Given we are a body of unpaid volunteers operating around the country, our goal posts are somewhat different to what a confederation of financed organisations might aim for.

So - I guess the answer to my question is no then.

Sigh... OK - lets all keep clicking... :-(

I would say it's a yes - from the Firearms UK website

Firearms UK is an Association campaigning for the protection of firearms ownership within the UK. Primary objectives are to encourage unity and positive action within the shooting community and to promote and defend individual firearms ownership and the shooting sports.

[nfrancis]

That's a fair one, I also crack on with my shooting but I always keep a wary eye on the antis and the government and get proactive when I have to. Look the way I see it is that thousands of law abiding UK sportsmen were punished when one (Hamilton) individual did what he did. Tell me mate, how the hell is that right? To me it's an outrage, punishing the law abiding majority because of one, someone who by all accounts should never have been allowed to hold firearms in the first place if what I've read on the subject is correct.
Blu

Groan - we've been here a million times - move on...

What on earth do you expect a society to do? A classroom of 5 and 6 years old are shot to death by a member of a shooting club with legally held firearms! This was the second time in 10 years a nutjob shooter had gone manic and murdered lots of people. What did you expect - a three strikes rule or something?

The guy shot a classroom of 5 year olds - do you remember? He obtained his guns legally, he was 'trained' by a shooting club, he practiced his marksmanship down at the local shooting club. He was given hints and tips on how to 'work the system' and get as many guns as he could and as much ammo as he could by his local shooting club. He was, no doubt, told to fight tooth and nail if his local constabulary asked why he wanted various firearms and was given stock answers on how to answer these 'awkward' questions to justify why he wanted what he asked for.

Ring any bells? Exactly the same happens now. Exactly the same happened in 1997 and exactly the same happened in 1987. Please don't give me all this conspiracy bullshit about police oriented pedophile rings, incompetence, anti shooter and the like because this is exactly the kind of crap which just reinforces the notion that the average shooter is just the type of nutter guns should be kept away from.

Forget the 'antis' as you refer to them - they are largely irrelevant. They only exist because we feed them. Ignore them, get on with what we want to do and don't draw attention to them. I see no 'antis' at any sporting events I attend or organize because its hard to be anti anything that is sane and rational and sensible.

[nfrancis]

I would say it's a yes - from the Firearms UK website

Firearms UK is an Association campaigning for the protection of firearms ownership within the UK. Primary objectives are to encourage unity and positive action within the shooting community and to promote and defend individual firearms ownership and the shooting sports.

I expect to see them all at the Pistol AD event (now called the Phoenix) supporting all the shooters and events in which we will be shooting our newly re-instated .22 pistols in 5 years time then...

[Blu]

nfrancis, What do I expect a society to do? How about avoiding kneejerk reactions and punishing a majority for the actions of one. How about putting it to a vote of the the people and seeing what they wanted done about it, no doubt the vote would have gone against pistol owners the media frenzy that was whipped up at the time but at least it would have been the will of the people instead of the will of the media.

Hey you may be okay with the punishing of the majority of law abiding pistol owners at the time because of the actions of one man. I'm not, I should never be held responsible or punished for the actions of someone else. Don't lecture on school shootings friend, we've had more than our fair share of them over here, what we don't do is let the media or the government hold the rest of us responsible or let them punish us for the actions of a few. Oh and you can "Groan" all you like friend, me I prefer to stand up and be counted and not bend over and take it up the ass.

Blu

[Blu]

nfrancis, OH and you say don't worry about the antis, well I say you're wrong because there more than a few of them holding positions of power in both local and central government, I'd worry and be very wary about my sport if I lived there.

Blu

[nfrancis]

nfrancis, What do I expect a society to do? How about avoiding kneejerk reactions and punishing a majority for the actions of one.

Idealistic rhetoric I'm afraid.

How about putting it to a vote of the the people and seeing what they wanted done about it, no doubt the vote would have gone against pistol owners the media frenzy that was whipped up at the time but at least it would have been the will of the people instead of the will of the media.

Oh indeed - we'd have been trounced - not a firearm left in legal ownership. I'd be thanking the representative 'democratic' system we have in place for placing a barrier between the 'will of the people' and more common sense status quo

[nfrancis]

nfrancis, OH and you say don't worry about the antis, well I say you're wrong because there more than a few of them holding positions of power in both local and central government, I'd worry and be very wary about my sport if I lived there.
Blu

I've no idea where you live and what impression you have of living in the UK but you are mistaken I'm afraid. You are inventing such a threat for other reasons I suspect. Tell us what they are if you wish.

Guns may well be an emotive issue here but shooting, legitimate shooting, generally isn't. As I say - 'antis' as you refer to them are largely a political obsession for the likes of people who frequent forums similar to this one and may wish to chew the cud.

From a field shooting, target shooting, game shooting or generally any other type of shooting perspective here in the UK what you refer to as 'the 'anti' is not a real issue.

[Blu]

nfrancis

Idealistic rhetoric I'm afraid

Yeah you're right, you are afraid, afraid to stand up and be counted.

Oh indeed - we'd have been trounced - not a firearm left in legal ownership. I'd be thanking the representative 'democratic' system we have in place for placing a barrier between the 'will of the people' and more common sense status quo

750,000 signed the petition to ban private ownership of firearms, 750,000 out of how many millions adults in the UK? Fine you can bow and doff your cap to the democratic system that allowed you to keep what you have and as restrictive as it's ever been. But in the words of Gill Marshall Andrews, of the Gun Control Network "And I don't think that it would have been possible to make the kind of progress that we have made without that tragedy."

Problem is friend, you don't get it, you never will, you're just too busy being thankful to your lords and masters and cracking on with what they have so generously allowed you to keep. Far as I'm concerned, being as thankful as you are makes you just as bad as people like Gill Marshall Andrews of the GCN. People like you just make her job all that much easier as they chip away at your chosen sport.

Blu