Dear Editor,
Regarding the letters which you state are strongly in favor of elimination of the useless and dangerous gun registry.
Here are some of the reasons. It is grossly incomplete, horribly expensive, error riddled, and out of date. Police on the street DO NOT use it and when forced to do so through automatic queries generated by the most mundane checks of say, parking tickets or addresses, they are thrown in the garbage, for to rely on the severely flawed and incomplete data would place the officer’s life in grave danger.
Why is it that no one seems to mention that LICENSING was ALREADY in place through the "Firearms Acquisition Certificate" where REAL screening was done by LOCAL police forces which had a better and more intimate knowledge of those applying for a "FAC?" Now screening by the CFC is a JOKE because almost NONE of the references or information is checked. Of all my club members and shooting sports acquaintances who applied for a PAL including me, I have not been able to find a SINGLE REFERENCE WHO WAS EVER CALLED! PAL's are issued to anyone unless the person has a CPIC criminal record which is the only check INFREQUENTLY done. (Remember that convicted murderer “Mom” Bouchard obtained a PAL applied for from JAIL!!) References are often faked as are names and addresses, and then the recipient of a "PAL" can go and buy guns and ammo. This happened far less under the FAC system where the applicant had to go to a police detachment and apply where he/she was checked face to face.
A return to that system, now that the RCMP are back in charge of firearms, would ensure a far better system, that did not make instant criminals of all law abiding firearms owners. And it was infinitely less expensive and it was effective, whereas the current boondoggle has no meritorious features, and is totally useless.
Don Klein
Secretary Valley Rifle Club
RR 1
Bon Accord, Alberta. T0A 0K0 780-921-2407
