Quebec –-(Ammoland.com)- In this post-Bill C-19 world, the CFOs are working overtime to create a need for themselves.
They represent “kangaroo court” sensibilities and the postings should be discontinued across the country.
Responsible firearms owners know that Chief Firearms Officers never did provide a useful service. We also know they are not required in the future. That is our best advice to the federal government, which is the source of the CFOs’ genesis and income.
In order to cling to a mandate when the national long-gun was scrapped, the CFOs insist that gun stores must maintain the decades-outdated ledgers that are the property of the CFO. Meanwhile, Bill C-19 states that the ledgers must go the way of the Model-T. So, the CFOs choose to ignore Parliament and refuse to recognize the legislation. In some countries, this cavalier attitude by law enforcement civil servants would cause panic and great concern. It is the first domino that falls in a police state.
Gun stores will no doubt continue to collect customer information as a part of doing business. They need information for inventory, warranties, and up-selling customers, just like any other retail business. But, that information should be kept at the pleasure of the company and shouldn’t be accessible to CFOs to monitor firearms owners.
Remember the gag photograph of the CFO staff in PEI that was circulated during the debates prior to Bill C-391? It showed law enforcers wearing sunglasses and squatting on a pile of confiscated guns. Gunnies everywhere winced at the staffers with their fingers on the triggers in a public parking lot. The poster overlay says, ‘WANTED / GUNS…OR ELSE!!!’ The poster is someone’s idea of humour, but given the attitude of many provincial CFOs in recent weeks, it is ironic and prophetic.
The active role of the CFOs is now limited to swaggering through gun shows giving the evil eye to potential customers and firearms retailers. They are checking for trigger locks and infractions in a room full of sport shooters and hunters who value firearms safety above all else. They are spending their time working with the wrong crowd because we are not criminals.
It is increasingly obvious that certain CFOs have carved a sweetheart deal with their provincial premiers. While they pretend to interpret the Firearms Act differently from the feds, they are actually doing an end-run around Parliament. All the more reason to put the Firearms Act in our crosshairs and pull that legislative trigger.
Canada heavily invested in CFOs to keep the citizenry under the government’s thumb when the Liberals brought the wrath of Allan Rock down on the land. The registry has been lifted and there is no practical reason to continue employing civil service dinosaurs to enforce laws that no longer exist.
And there will be even less need for CFOs when the Harper government opens up Bill C-68 for some serious house cleaning. And that, too, is our best advice.
About the CSSA
The CSSA is the voice of the sport shooter and firearms enthusiast in Canada. Our national membership supports and promotes Canada’s firearms heritage, traditional target shooting competition, modern action shooting sports, hunting, and archery. We support and sponsor competitions and youth programs that promote these Canadian heritage activities. Website www.cdnshootingsports.org
