Thanks Canadian Customs...

[twsmith]

Thankfully we have Canadian Customs to protect us from the evil airsoft monster. Maybe I should start playing paintball instead. Although I've heard that they have started cracking down on more realistic looking paintball guns as well.

Sometimes I seriously consider moving to the US. I wish our politicians would grow some balls and tell soccer moms to mind their own business. Heart disease kills thousands more people in this country than guns do, and airsoft (as far as I am aware) has yet to kill anyone. If they don't like airsoft guns, then they don't have to buy them for their kids, but why should taxpaying adults be unable to purchase equipment for their hobby? The video games and television sets they plant their kids in front of are a greater risk to their kids' health than airsoft guns. Obesity in this country is a far greater health risk, at least airsoft gets people outside and exercising which is 1000 times healthier than sitting on their asses in front of a TV or computer.

I can think of a lot of toys more dangerous than airsoft guns. Skateboards, rollerblades, bicycles and stray hockey pucks all cause more injuries to kids and adults alike. Maybe we should ban all sports which require safety equipment. That way their precious little babies could stay at home and live long enough to die from heart disease before they have a chance to move out of their parents' basements.

As for the use of airsoft guns in crime, what would you rather be robbed with a real gun or an airsoft gun? I'd rather have a stressed, possibly high or mentally ill person pointing an airsoft gun at me than a real gun. Knives and syringes are much cheaper and readily available weapons for them to use in crime, so why even worry about them using expensive and relatively harmless airsoft guns. The government should punish the criminals not the responsible taxpayers who just want to be able to conduct their hobby in peace.

As responsible airsofters, we store and transport our airsoft guns to the playing field safely and responsibly. When we play, we wear proper protective eyewear and we respect the club/field rules. So why should we be oppressed by soccer moms, Canadian customs and the existing firearms regulations for playing a sport which is safer than Canada's national past-time (hockey)?

Free Airsoft!

[Janus]

</rage post>

Tagged for great justice.

[Hunter Killer]

I completly agree! The worst part is, the Government can keep arisoft guns out of the country but not the real thing....

[diamond_SEA]

People, mail your M.P.s!

Call for the first Canadian Airsoft General Conference, invite the RCMP, Customs, and many avid airsofters and work this all out.

My vote: The airsoft bill- final elimination of the so called "grey area" that airsoft is placed in, regulation of airsoft sales through associations such as ASC, and the like. Because the majority of airsofters take this seriously and are more responsible with thier guns than hunters with thier rifles.

Time to get organized before its too late....

[JOHNUSA]

well i know a million dudes here in the US who would sign whatever you guys needed. perhaps we can have a march for canadian airsoft laws.

H

[syne]

Originally Posted by JOHNUSA

well i know a million dudes here in the US who would sign whatever you guys needed. perhaps we can have a march for canadian airsoft laws.

H

Yes Please.

[takatorikku]

hear hear

[XxNewbyxX]

for the past year i have watched news stories blow airsoft out of proportion. what have you avid airsofters done about it? it is about time we all stop bitching about the laws and actually do somthing. the only way the laws will ever turn in our favour is if we all actually do somthing for once. write, petition, rally, protest ect... the list goes on of the things we can do to make a name for ourselves; and show what we do is not hurting anyone.

[jamilsaleem]

Originally Posted by XxNewbyxX

for the past year i have watched news stories blow airsoft out of proportion. what have you avid airsofters done about it? it is about time we all stop bitching about the laws and actually do somthing. the only way the laws will ever turn in our favour is if we all actually do somthing for once. write, petition, rally, protest ect... the list goes on of the things we can do to make a name for ourselves; and show what we do is not hurting anyone.

who else is up for it.....

[attack-beaver]

not be an ass but guys how many airsofters are out there? few thousand maybe? we're like David and the Goliath is the vast armies of the soccer mom. its sad to say we can try but we may dig our selfs deeper because once more soccer moms know about airsoft the more people we have gunning against it (no pun intended).

[E-Dub]

Originally Posted by jamilsaleem

who else is up for it.....

You know I'm down buddy!

[philstructo]

yeah i agree about an airsoft march

[KaOz]

Originally Posted by JOHNUSA

well i know a million dudes here in the US who would sign whatever you guys needed. perhaps we can have a march for canadian airsoft laws.

H

Hello,

Very good point: If you could, please start a petition and send it out - give it a month's time to get as many names as possible... please. The quicker we move, the better.

Cheers,
KaOz.

[KaOz]

Originally Posted by attack-beaver

not be an ass but guys how many airsofters are out there? few thousand maybe? we're like David and the Goliath is the vast armies of the soccer mom. its sad to say we can try but we may dig our selfs deeper because once more soccer moms know about airsoft the more people we have gunning against it (no pun intended).

My Friend,

With a mentality like that... black people would still be slaves, women would not be able to vote and genocides would still exist!

If you think positive, you do positive. Not to bring political ideologies into this but as Karl Marx said, "United We Stand, Divided We Fall"

Cheers,
KaOz.

[Dracheous]

WHOA WHOA WHOA.


JOHNUSA, hang on a minute, I don't mean to make any offense to you here, but getting a petition from the states to have something changed in Canada would KILL this sport for us.

The liberal party is ALWAYS chewing up with this anti-American crap. We have this submited, the Liberals would be all over this to twist it into a "Conservatives support civilians owning machine guns and assualt rifles!" And not to mention how they'd twist up the NRA in to this.

Heck they even have David Suzuki telling FIVE year olds that Harper is killing polar bears and seals! ((Okay, so he's said that Conservies didn't do any green, and he's been trying to say that the polar bears are dying off anyway, thats another thread)) And you want us to go to our MP's saying, "LOOK! Not only are there a thousand of us that play this game safely and follow the laws while doing this, we have a thousand signatures from people in the states saying that they do this as well." It'd get turned into a farce.

Help from an organization "like" the NRA would be helpful, as its a large group dedicated to preserving citizens right to fire-arms and some where in their doctrine the safe use of them as well.



I think that if we got everyone in Canada together on one petition and one action we'd have a chance. We would have to move to get us seen as a minority group. We should also investigate going the route of being a "re-enacting" group, perhaps not a right out "re-enactment" as people can't seem to come together on that idea, but finding some niche where our sport fits. Sure, there is some re-acting to it, but theres also a lot of unorganized role playing to it too. And lastly we have to stress the point that this is a game, and a hobby to some ((gun doctors)). And the thing is we really have to look at the venues available to make it so that we appear as safe as the next guy, and those guys are our 'friendly' neighbors, paintballers.

And I know there are quite a few thousand people into this game, just look at how extensive this board's sign up is. And then there are people out there that do not sign up here and don't partake in this board. Heck at the last Quickpass in Rawdan there was 180 some people! That was one game that had people from Quebec and Ontario, but I'd wadger that alot of people were not there. There were a few from Ottawa that were not there, and Toronto probably had a large populous of their players not there. And thats not getting anyone from maritimes or going out west!


Even if there were somewhere from 1500-2000 names on this list. Thats 2000 people that we could perhaps have get PAL's, which is money in the governments pocket, and a way for them to legitimize everything. Or 2000 people that would be stimulating economy because we do buy goods for our game. We have retailers that deal in everything from consumables to the guns, and gear. Look at anyone thats gotten into this sport, how much money have they spent? This year alone I've probably spent a couple thousand on it alone, and thats a conservative estimate.

The biggest thing that those 2000 names would be, is that it'd show the public that there are 2000 men and women that play this sport with responsibility and safety in mind. Thats 2000 people that are just trying to have fun, but are getting looked bad upon, because little Timmy O'tool didn't get taught to play safe with the $40 toy gun he got at Canadian Tire or Walmart. But its not like those are the only 'toys' that kids are not being taught to use safely, just look at how many kids get stranded or drown out on ice flows with their snowmobile because they just didn't stay off the ice or stick to the marked crossings for snowmobiles? That's why there are licensing for those machines now. So if that means the PAL for us, then fine, but the thing sits that we need to appear responsible and an organized group to anyone that looks this way.