Glad I don't live there . . .

A CAR-JACKING in Venezuela. Citizens 1 Carjackers 0, it seems.  Violent, to be sure, but perhaps this might help see how the NRA and Tea Party types regard owning guns and the right of self-defense. Where they live, you see, sooner, rather than later, you'll probably need one.

The Cons : long on guns, short on memory

Con MP Candice Hoeppner, gun lobbyist Tony Bernardo, and Con MP Garry Breitkreuz at the CSSA Blast in Calgary on April 2-3, 2010

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CBC : NRA involved in gun registry debate :

Bernardo, a frequent guest on NRA chat shows updating U.S. gun owners on the fight to kill the Canadian registry, said the NRA was instrumental in helping him set up his Canadian lobby group, CILA, the lobbying arm of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), and a mirror group of the Institute for Legislative Action, the NRA's lobbying arm.

Bernardo : "We have been working hand in hand with the NRA regarding international issues for the past three and a half years."

"The NRA’s Canadian Situation Infommercial ... was entirely set up by CILA. Its production cost was over $100,000 and was entirely paid for by the NRA."

CSSA media release, June 8, 2010 :

Team CSSA welcomes former Breitkreuz staffer as new Communications Director :

"While Brant was working with [Con MP] Garry Breitkreuz, he acted as liaison with the CSSA on a variety of gun-related issues, including the long-gun registry. The CSSA worked with the MP's office on Bill C-301 and later Bill C-391," explains Bernardo."

Manitoba Con MP Candice Hoeppner, sponsor of Bill C-391 to kill the long gun registry, Sept 14, 2010 :

"I’ve never spoken, e-mailed, had any contact. I don’t know anyone at the NRA."

Okey dokey then.

Why does Stockwell Day hate the police?

It seems our man at the Ministry of Public Safety has decided that tracking lethal firearms into this country just isn't all that important.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day is facing criticism for failing to endorse regulations to track illegal guns imported from other countries.

Several of Canada's major law enforcement agencies, including the Canadian Police Association, allege that Day has quietly shelved plans that require gun importers to put identifying marks on all firearms coming into the country.

Hang on! That little event was decided on several years ago. While I was not aware that it was a 1 Dec 2007 effective date, I do remember this was something that became legislation quite a while ago.

"It's unfortunate that Canada in a quiet and almost hidden fashion has decided to abandon those commitments," [Dave] Griffin [Canadian Police Association executive officer] told CBC News on Friday.

The regulations were created three years ago and are part of several international agreements Canada has signed, Griffin said.

There we are. So, did Stockwell, the minister of Public Safety sit down with the police to discuss this?

He said he found the decision buried in an obscure part of the Privy Council Office website.

Makes no sense, does it? This is the Public Safety minister tossing off a method of tracking firearms that the police could only find a useful tool. And then to just shelve the idea without consulting or advising police forces? Maybe it's not so mind boggling.

It. Was. A. Liberal. Program. And the gun lobby despised everything to do with controlling their weapons, especially if it came from a Liberal government.

"The fact is this government has been captured by the gun lobby interests and aren't interested in gun control," [Ujjal] Dosanjh told CBC on Friday.

Yup. Day took his advice from his "Firearms advisory council" and totally ignored the police, as Dave Griffin has only too clearly discovered.

Strange, wot? Not really.

Tony Bernardo, a member of Day's firearms advisory council, said there's no evidence to suggest that import marks on firearms will help trace illegal guns.

Tony Bernardo. That would be the executive director of the Canadian Institute for Legislative Action. The name may be a little misleading but the purpose of the group is described as: a Canada wide coalition of pro-firearms and shooting organizations devoted to preserving, promoting and protecting firearms and related activities. CILA has a full time representative in Ottawa and maintains offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.

Now, if you drop the "Canadian" from the name and just go hunting for institute for legislative action you wind up on, voila! the National Rifle Association site. The most powerful gun lobby in. the. world.

Coincidence? Let's just say that no cop would believe in that coincidence.

Let me explain to Dave Griffin. Stockwell Day has done a little arithmetic. Campaign support comes in dollars. From which of two sources do the Conservatives get more political donations: the gopher gun crowd or police associations?

H/T CC