Anti-gunners:

My family - both here in New Zealand and in UK are not shooters. - Indeed it might be fair to say that they are - on the whole - 'anti-gun'.

My relations who are very solid citizens - focus their lives on their careers and on giving their offspring the best educational support and opportunities for keeping afloat in that high density population - while at the same time themselves studying and upgrading their own qualifications in an effort to maintain their careers and incomes in an upward direction.

 The British branch seem to all be vegetarian - having years ago decided that the supermarket meat products available are so poorly produced by 'factory farming' and so adulterated with hormone growth chemicals, antibiotics etc., - that they are all better-off without eating such product.

British law basically bans gun ownership with few exceptions - so the only contact that Brits generally have with firearms is through the lurid media reports of illegal violence, murder and mayhem - so it's not really surprising that they generally "are against it".

The islands that make-up the UK are very crowded with 64.1 million inmates and have much less room to stretch than the lucky folk of North America, Australia, and us here in New Zealand - where we maintain a basic right as law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms.

However, I feel that shooters here are neglecting our public image and risking an almost total loss of public support. - Our 'media' exclusively report hunting accidents and criminal gun use - and who can blame them - as there certainly is nothing much positive to tell.

- Bikers  hold annual motorbike rallies delivering Christmas presents for kids in hospitals and without fail they get great footage on all TV channels and in the papers. - What do we do?

I strongly feel that time is long overdue that our National Shooting organisations apply a levy on top of membership fees - say Ten Dollars only - and also add a similar fee on all competition entrees - and present the monies each year to help a deserving charity - complete with the best publicity we can extract.

 - We need to gain a friendlier - and less "antisocial" image for our overwhelmingly law-abiding members.

What A Great Effort Above.

 

We could do it too - all it takes is a few dollars & a little thought and effort.

 

Marty K.