I BELIEVE - We Have Come A Long Way:

 The ascent of 'man the killer' has taken some 14 MILLION eventful years - we Homo Sapiens (being genetically 98.4% Chimpanzee-Ape) have been living here perhaps for as long as 500,000 years .. depending on scientific definition - but only in the last brief 2,000 years have some of us been persuaded to accept the unfounded myth that one Christian  SUPERHUMAN is controlling all that happens here beneath our star-studded skies - a belief that includes horned devils and sinners burning perpetually in Hades beneath our feet .. while ecstatic un-grilled angels play incessantly upon harps in the clouds above.

One such self avowed Christian Believer is the New Zealand Commissioner of Police Andrew Coster.

Commissioner Coster at St Peters Church in Wellington

Before being appointed as Commissioner - Coster oversaw the development of the Government’s firearms reforms, including the BAN on semi-automatic firearms.  As a Christian solicitor - Andrew Coster has worked tirelessly to shepherd both tranches of gun law reform through the legislative process.

But I quote .. "It was always to be expected that firearms like this would remain in the community,’’  - Commissioner Coster said following a recent shooting ..

- So what was the point of BANNING them from lawful use?

- He is now publicly demanding "Faster access to guns and officers working in pairs"  following the recent shootings by nutters.

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Police Commissioner Coster is directly responsible for the management of NZ Firearms Licensing and the current massive delays in their processing ..

I assess that a period of 90 Days following payment of the Firearms Licence Application Fee and submission of that documentation might be reasonable. - any delay in excess of 90 days strongly indicates deliberate delaying tactics.

I do appreciate that the expanded 35 page Application Form may take longer to process than the one page form used for applying to join the NZ Police as a constable .. but both forms were purpose designed by police management themselves.

This New Zealand Government & the current Police management should not need to be reminded of the commitment to establish an Independent Firearms Licensing Authority that may be able to correct many such police management beliefs - such as that a firearms license is a privilege, - that self defense is not justification for holding a license .. and that serving NZ Police who are armed with semi-automatic rifles and pistols are not required to hold an endorsed Firearms Licence.

Marty K.

P.S.

A six-month Police pilot of a handheld LUMI DRUG SCAN device which allows frontline Police officers to carry-out on-the-spot screening of suspected drugs has shown some promising results.

“Identifying the drugs supports officers to consider the best way to resolve the incident and ensure the person in possession of the drug is considered for a health-based resolution.”

- 2.75 Million Dollars for Gang Druggies?

M.K.