Why voluntary self-regulation didn't work:

[Gerkraz]

Brian: I'm not saying that it's IDEAL, but while we're just sitting around waiting for people to "organize" (if that's even going to occur) then it can't hurt for me to write to my MP to voice my concerns.

The fact is that, when the ASCA shenanigans happened a while ago, there was a lot of serious talk going around; there seemed to be genuine interest in doing something about the airsoft situation in Canada. I myself have a political lobbying background; it's been something I've been doing for the francophone community in Newfoundland and Labrador since I was 14 (believe it or not). At the time ASCA stopped selling guns, I made it clear to the important parties that I was ready and willing to help in any way I could. I am *highly* interested, in case this wasn't clear already, in putting my experience to use in this matter. However, no one seems to be able to agree with what (if anything) needs to be said to the government, and no one seems to be willing to step up to the plate and spearhead a federal lobby.

So again, while I wait for the more experienced, well-known and older members of the community to start something, what else can I do, other than offer my assistance to them and personally write the people who I vote for to let them know how I feel?

If the Federal Government wants to ban airsoft, and if you disagree with them, why WOULDN'T you say anything? To me this doesn't make sense; this isn't how democracy works.

[Brian McIlmoyle]

Originally Posted by Gerkraz

snipped

If the Federal Government wants to ban airsoft, and if you disagree with them, why WOULDN'T you say anything? To me this doesn't make sense; this isn't how democracy works.

There is no evidence that the federal government is planning on changing the existing laws... so there is no "ban" looming that we have to take action against to prevent.

With the RCMP taking over the administration and enforcement issues with respect to firearms.. they cut out the middle man and brought the enforcers much closer to the community.

All that has happened is an increased level of enforcement of already existing laws.

So we can cool the "stop the ban" talk.. there is no ban to stop...

So if we all go off and write letters about " saving airsoft" or stopping the ban... well you will be easily ignored... as there is no ban in place .. and none planned that we know of ( ignoring municiple by laws)

If you want to offer your services to an organization... get your PAL and get active in the existing firearms lobby... You can get to work right away. Any work that goes to eliminating the registry.. and amending existing firearms legislation to allow responsible gun owners access to their objects of desire can not hurt our chances of getting changes that benefit the airsoft community when it is our turn to lobby for clarity and reasonable access to replicas for responsible owners.

Frustrated with lack of action in this community... then go and help an existing already organized community.. because it is the same people who we will be asking to take action on our issues.

[Gerkraz]

I realize that there is currently no evidence for that, but I was merely using a hypothetical situation to illustrate my point, which was that if people feel that one of their liberties is going to be taken away, that it makes no sense to take it lying down.

People here seem pretty uneasy about the whole situation, so even IF there's no concrete evidence, people are starting to feel that their sport is at risk.

Do you deny the fact that people on this site are worried that the government might ban, or otherwise restrict, airsoft? Of course not, because people ARE worried.

From my understanding of airsoft in Canada, this has been a worry since day 1. The tactic before was to try and fly below the radar; we were worried about what would happen, so we did our best to keep it on the down low. However, airsoft is now on their radar, thanks to dumbass kids who pull stupid stunts using similar guns. So now is the time for people to contact their representatives and explain that the majority of airsofters are not irresponsible morons and that you (we) feel that any bad publicity the sport of airsoft is getting is completely unfair and unrepresentative of the players who partake in it.

If we take a safe and sane approach by saying we promote 18+, training, safety, use only on approved fields and that we disapprove totally of airsoft use in crimes (we do), we have a chance of getting through to whoever our representative is. We can also explain to them that we'd love to get legal support in clarifying the status of airsoft guns so we can continue our sport while being serious about criminal uses. This is something Greylocks suggested to me when the whole ASCA thing occured.

Originally Posted by Brian McIlmoyle

Any work that goes to eliminating the registry (...) can not hurt our chances of getting changes that benefit the airsoft community

Neither can writing your MP, but for some reason, many of you seem to think that's a bad idea.

Truth be told, it's not the community inactivity that I'm fed up with, it's the ANTI-activity that people are pushing forward; when people say they are going to write their representatives they are encouraged NOT to by members of this board, something I find completely ridiculous. The fact that this is a free country and a democracy notwithstanding, now that airsoft is firmly in place on the government's and law enforcement's radar, people should be encouraged, not discouraged, to speak to their representatives.

[Brian McIlmoyle]

Originally Posted by Gerkraz

I<snipped> people should be encouraged, not discouraged, to speak to their representatives.

It is not kids playing that has caused the increase in enforcment it is the illegal trade that has done that.
Coupled with the increased incidence of replicas being used in crimes.

I think the RCMP is drawing a line between the proliferation of high quality replicas within the criminal element and the Illegal trade in them.. and they are likely not far off the mark.

Individual owners are not even on their radar.. and likely won't be because ther is nothing illegal about having these things ( regardless of when you got it)

But collecting more and more of them off the street certainly caused the police to investigate where they are coming from... and where they are going.
Add to this the FACT that is is now the federal Police who are charged with this task....and we see increased pressure on importers and generalized uncertainty about the future.

And this is where we find ourselves today...

As an individual that is unknown to the recipient... expressing concerns about your access to replicas in a letter to your MP simply does not hold much water... and may have the effect of drawing attention to the community at large ... and right now this community is not ready for or capable of responding to increased scrutiny in any manner that is helpful to the overall aim of preserving the existing access to replicas.. such as it is.

This is where I have made errors in the past by bumping up the profile of Airsoft... Where I may be ready to come out into the light... that does not mean that everyone is... and this has to be taken into account in your actions as a member of this community, as fractured and diffuse as it is.

[Bakes]

....