|  |     Hey, come on any of you Canadian noters alive out there? This is
    effecting YOU, so let's hear from you. I am trying to decide whether to
    join the Liberal riding association and attend the meetings and couse a
    general raucous, or whether to scream and yell at the OFAH to change
    thte tactic and get all firearm owners to join the Reform party.
    
    So let's hear from you.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Les
 | 
|  |     I have a serious problem with the OFAH suggesting that its members join
    the Liberal party.  While I have no party ties at this time, I believe
    that it is not in our best interest to have this group suggest that we
    join the Liberals - OFAH should be lobbying the government to punish
    the criminals not the gunowners (sounds familiar, eh?).  The $10 to
    join the Liberals would be better spent (I would hope) by OFAH fighting
    for proper legislation rather than adding to the party's coffers. 
    After the next election, if unfavorable legislation is tabled, will we
    be urged to join the party in power ?  
    
    I think that the Reform party would better reflect the views of
    gunowners but again I think if members are inclined to join a party in
    which to raise the concerns of gun rights, the choice of party should
    be theirs, not OFAH's.
    
    Personally I feel OFAH has crossed a line in this tactic, but since we
    are limited in those associations which lobby for us, I will continue
    to support them however I am going to try to get a letter out
    reflecting my views of this tactic.
    
    Lorne    
 | 
|  |     Thanks for the response,
    
    My views are basically the same, and I have already send a letter to
    the OFAH. Nevertheless, their idea is somewhat interesting, although
    with the basic complacency affecting the public at large, seems
    unlikely to have a ny major impact. It would be kind of interesting if
    we got off our complacent butts, marched to the local Liberal riding
    association and took over the party.
    
    A few months ago I sent a letter to the OFHA suggesting that they
    organize a stop-buying hunting and fishing licenses activity. This
    could potentially get the attention of the provincial governments, as
    it would be their coffers that would be directly affected. The reply
    that I got was basically that it was too confrontational an approach
    and might possibly back fire. 
    
    My personal view, and this is in talking to a lot of fellow hunters, is
    that in good old Canadian fashion, if the government does bring in
    these new restrictions, they will be ignored much like that last set is
    being ignored. For example, most of the guys I know are not renewing
    their FAC's, since now it costs considerably more than the $10 it used
    to cost. So, as hardly anybody is renewing their FAC's hardly anybody
    is going to register their guns. Much like the tax on cigarettes, once
    it got to the point of being unreasonable, people went and shopped
    elsewhere, the criminal element got a boost and the government had to
    relent and drop the taxes significantly. I find it hard to imagine that
    they would start locking up for four years (proposed minimum second
    offence sentence for possession of unregistered firearm) average Joe 
    Blow's caught moose hunting with an unregistered rifle.
    
    Les
    
 |