My name is Linda, and I can be reached at: freefall7@shaw.ca
I coordinated the BC Fed-Up II rally on the grounds of Parliament in Victoria, BC (1998). It's not hard to understand that someone who has raised five kids gains a strong 'instinct for coordination". It literally becomes second nature.
My husband and I are long time firearms owners. My husband is also a hunter, and has been involved in the BC Summer Games as a competitor and as a Zone Rep with BC Target Sports Association (BCTSA), in the Smallbore Rifle section. If you know any Juniors that are interested in the Abbotsford 2004 BC Summer Games, tell them to check out either of these groups, or send us an email .
It is public record that we fought in all three levels of court (Provincial Court of BC, Supreme Court of BC, and BC Court of Appeal), without benefit of legal counsel, regarding a firearms matter. Boy - talk about learning law the hard way! We may have won repeatedly, but sadly it took five years of our lives we will never get back.
I strongly believe that as parents and grandparents, it is "our" responsibility to educate and teach our young about firearms. A firearms component should be included in all safety programs, taught in an age appropriate manner. In this day and age it is essential to teach safety on many different topics. Firearms and hypodermic needles are two items rarely considered in such programs, yet highly important. The basic "Stop - Don't touch - Tell an adult" rule can be taught at any age. Education removes the 'fear' component, and instills responsibility, both for the parent and for the child. One of the best posters I have seen for opening discussion with your kids can be found here: http://www.ssaa.org.au/adkidsafe.html. Sadly, our government has chosen to waste fantastic sums of money to register rifles and shotguns, instead of spending money on educating our young where it might actually save some lives.
One recent role in firearms activism was to facilitate a survey
in the fall of 2003. That survey is closed, but you can still
read about it. I called it THE
SURVEY THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE - a.k.a. "What do firearms owners want?"
That first survey was followed by a first poll.
THE FIRST POLL IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR A SHORT TIME
NOTE: The poll will be replaced soon with a new survey/poll. Please check back.
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