Pandering to the Red Necks

I'm not sure what it is about the gun registry that drive red necks crazy but out here in Saskatchewan nothing gets them quite so riled up, except perhaps daylight saving time. Not a logical argument in sight. You should see the bumper stickers out here. The Harper government loves these guys.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police think it is a good idea to register long guns and I don't think you could find a more, small "c" conservative group than them. I understand why they figure a registry is a good idea. When old Jarod gets a few beer in him and gets mad at the world because he has gotten behind on the payments for that new 4 wheel drive F150 crew cab pickup and starts taking pot shots at the neighbours, it would be good for the cops to know if the bugger has a .22 or an arsenal of assault rifles. I don't know but if I was a cop, I'd like to know.

Of course, Harper and his gang argue that the cop can't be sure of what guns might be in the house because the registry isn't up to date. They argue that it just gives the police a false sense of security. They don't mention of course that the registry isn't up to date because this government decided to put into place a moratorium in place which stops the police from pressing charges to anyone who refuses to register. Now that is a weird circular argument if I ever heard one.

The same government that wants to "get tough on crime" wants to make it easier for people to hide gun ownership. Go figure. Oh I forgot, that guy with a gun, taking pot-shots at anything that moves isn't a criminal. He's just having what we might describe conservatively as "Having a bad day."

So in a society where we have to get a licence or permit

• so we can drive, 
• get married,
• before we can sell hot dogs in the street,
• to renovate your house,
• for your dog
• to register your boat
• so you can fish or hunt

that is all fine. No one complains. What it comes to guns however, that is another story.

Little Stevie complains that the gun registry is expensive and excessively bureaucratic when it is his responsibility and the responsibility of his Minister to make sure it isn't. The RCMP isn't working they way I think it should either. I still don't think we should scrap them.

So let’s just cut all this bull about scrapping the long gun registry, stop the moratorium, fix whatever inefficiencies exist in the system and get back to work. Get these guns registered as soon as possible then throw the book at anyone who refuses to comply.

Let me assure you. I will not lose a minute's sleep if a couple of red necks go to jail for refusing to comply with the law. In fact, I'll feel a little safer.

And while we are at it, let’s make the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon or possessing an unregistered hand gun so onerous, that no one would dare break that law.

You Are Suppoese to Read Your Own Press Releases

Saskatchewan Conservative Mps have often been accused of having a bad case of foot in mouth disease. From Gerry “the cracker” Ritz to Tom ”A team” Lukiwski the Saskatchewan Tory team of lightweights never fail to amuse and infuriate us.

The latest fool on the Hill is the little known Garry Breitkreuz from the Yorkton-Melville riding.. Garry doesn’t like gun control and the Tories have launched an orchestrated campaign to ridicule Ignatieff's decision and to try to bring pressure to the eight Liberal MPs, who supported the bill at second reading, to stick to their guns when it comes up for a final vote next month.

A big team player Garry jumped on the bandwagon and issued his own press release about the matter this week. Unfortunately for Garry he had to apologize for what some suggest was urging Liberals to beat Michael Ignatieff “black and blue” in that release.

Breitkreuz was quoted calling Ignatieff's attempt to head off elimination of the registry "an act of desperation that insults the intellect of Canadians." That Ignatieff is "a bully who may well be committing political suicide." The release goes on to say. "His true colours are showing and, if his caucus has any integrity, those colours should be black and blue."

He also called the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to task for saying that the registry helps save lives. Describing the association he said "It's like a cult that is led by organizations of police chiefs who pretend the registry helps them do their jobs. They should be ashamed."

Liberal MP Wayne Easter, one of the MPs the Tories are trying to court, called it "a tirade that's unbecoming of a member of Parliament." Easter, who broke ranks and voted last November to scrap the registry, said the release was "off the wall" and called questioned whether Breitkreuz might have inhaled too much air on the Hill on Tuesday, which was heavy with the smell of marijuana during a protest against restrictive pot laws. "Was he out there talking to the wacky tobacco groups or something? I think he must've got too much of that smoke up his nose and it affected his brain."

Reminiscent of an incident of a Saskatchewan Party MLA who recently claimed to have been misquoted in her own press release, Tuesday afternoon the MP is reported to have said that he did not write the release, which was issued under his name earlier in the day. Mystified by it all Breitkreuz is quotes as saying "I want to apologize for the language in the news release. It was over the top," he said in a phone interview from his office. I don't know how that got out of here."

It must be a bit frustrating for the Yorkton MP after 15 years in the House of Commons and he finally got his name in the big city newspapers, for looking like a fool.

A bit of advice Garry. You are supposed to read these releases before they go out under your name.