Rifle clubs, MPs and politics

[paxtond]

I'm a little confused, what extra are we being asked to do? How do they want us to prove we are eligible

[Mezzer]

getting the public and disinterested politicians to support the idea of raising FAC/SGC fees

"Disinterested": Having no personal stake in the outcome. Hence, able to take an objective view.

So, the thinking is that we don't like politicians applying objective judgement?

Not so much an objective view in my opinion, but rather that they have no significant knowledge of the topic. Hence they are empty vessels, ready to be filled by one-sided stats and assertions dreamed up by the police and Labour et al.

None of the main parties will be picking up my vote (for what it's worth) because none of them deserve it and I'll be telling them exactly that when they come knocking on my door. If the post firing chit-chat of an evening at our club is anything to go by then I'm not the only one who thinks this way.

So something like this idea of actively telling MPs they're losing our vote already sort of covers your intention not to vote for them anyway?

Gaz;

Yeah it does. However, I do enjoy the doorstep jousting with the various party reps though and to be honest, I'd miss it if they stopped ringing the bell.
I guess the trick is to get the club memberships, various shooting organisations and dealers / suppliers mobilized and all singing with one voice on this issue. Now THAT would be something!

Mezzer

[ukrifleman]

As far as I am aware, there are 170,000 FAC holders and 620,000 Shotgun Certificate holders in the UK out of a population of about 68 million, which makes us a very small fish in a very big pond.

Those of us who have taken the trouble to glance at the latest Firearms Legislation, will no doubt have seen the comment by the Minister of Policing, that Firearms ownership for citizens in the UK, " Is a Privilege, not a Right" This is from a Tory Minister, goodness only knows what measures a Labour or even worse a Lab/Lib coalition would come up with.

I can see that MP'S representing rural areas might be more approachable than ones who represent a densely populated urban one, where shooters might be a tiny minority.

Although it can't hurt to approach your MP, it is probably more effective to Lobby the respective organisations that promote shooting in all its aspects.

Having said that, I would hope that those of us who want to preserve our sport, support those organisations by becoming members.

ukrifleman.

[Thomas Turner]

As far as I am aware, there are 170,000 FAC holders and 620,000 Shotgun Certificate holders in the UK out of a population of about 68 million, which makes us a very small fish in a very big pond.

Think of it this way there's almost 800000 licence holders, more shoot at clubs and with airguns, even Archery enthusiasts will be sympathetic to our cause, and of course our families and friends it could amount to many millions of people if rightly motivated by the various shooting organisations, standing up and being counted as shooters enjoying their sport/hobby/occupation even for some, I've always had airguns and been sympathetic to shooting in general, recognising that it has it's place, to be honest I get sick and fed up of decent people lying low because of the stigma applied to us by the media and the idiots who have just read too much Enid Blyton thinking foxes and all the other animals that need controlling are simply cute and do no harm.

Politics are part of the problem I've seen it here, shooters being divided by party politics rather than uniting behind he cause, I've only been involved since earlier this year and I've met lots of people that I like and I don't give a rats arse who they vote for or worship and that's the way I want to keep it, it's a sport, and is sport not supposed to bring people from all walks of life together? Which begs the question is there a sporting body/organisation which promotes all sports who could add weight to our cause? Plus which shooting organisation would it be best to join if you could only afford to join one?

[Graham M]

even Archery enthusiasts will be sympathetic to our cause,

Ya think!!!!!!!!!!!!
When they banned pistols we took a petition around our club and the shotgun crowd REFUSED to sign it.

Some of them even made the comment that they were glad to see the back of a bunch of "Cowboys" who "Often brought the sport into disrepute".

It was only when it was muted that shotguns may be affected that they finally cottoned on. The cheeky barstewards actually brought a petition around the bar in the social club asking people to stop the banning of P/A and S/A shotguns (which was later reduced to restricting the magazines).
Being told to F..... er.... go away didn't go down very well, but that is what we are up against.
We are our own worst enemies.

G.M.

[Thomas Turner]

Being told to F..... er.... go away didn't go down very well, but that is what we are up against.
We are our own worst enemies.

That's like the bloody car wheels arguing over who's the most important :cool2: I know there are preferences even within Archery... purists if you like, but I have met so many target shooters happy to shoot anything from a catapult to practically a cannon and truly enjoy it myself included :lol: lets hope they all get it now because if the likes of Brian May have anything to do with it, it will all get banned right down to an angry looking bread knife. :roll:

[Chuck]

That's like the bloody car wheels arguing over who's the most important

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

twerps like Brian May should be classified as "dangerous badgers" and added to the list. He only gets publicity because of his fame in a queer band. He probably knows sod all about guns and the countryside - as said, too much Enid Blyton

[Mezzer]

So ........

Would we (as shooters), be better off with an organisation akin to the American NRA representing our interests?

I guess it's as much to do with money as anything else but would we be prepared to get our wallets out and pay the going rate for staff, lawyers, campaigns, PR and all the other things that are required to protect our hobby / lifestyle?

All too often the anti-gun brigade use divide and conquer tactics against us when a very robust response (supported by legalities as required) from a single focal group representing our interests would nip these things in the bud and let people see that we are NOT an easy target ... pardon the pun! I fully appreciate that there is a cost to all of this but what price do we place on our enjoyment of our hobby?

Thoughts / comments?

Mezzer

[Graham M]

It costs $35 (£21.65) a year to join the NRA. Compare that to the £65 - £81 (@ $105 - $131) a year to join the NSRA (depending on membership) or £66 (@ $107) to join BASC, and you can already see that there is more incentive just in money terms alone for American shooters to join their NRA.
I used to be a full annual member of the NSRA, but when it got past £50 for me to just shoot 10 x 25yd cards I knocked it on the head.
There isn't any incentive to join a rifle association over here, especially when you have seen the top bananas at the NSRA regularly walking off with half the frikkin' funds.
And no-one wants to involve the police because they are frightened of the negative publicity!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wtfwtf

G.M.

[whoowhoop]

Anybody know what happened to the Shooting Industry Fund?
Anybody ever aware of it?
I can only think that if it becomes more difficult for us to carry on shooting, how much harder will it be for overseas visitors and newcomers.
The loss in revenue and to the industry would be catastrophic.
We need this to be an international stance with reciprocal support and advice from other organisations abroad.
What we don't need is another clowder of self interest clubs taking revenue and doing nothing useful.
And we don't need a March or a petition.
We need a voice.
And we need to fund it