Unregistered shooters take aim at gun law
Date: Oct 17, 2004 11:54 AM
PUBLICATION: The Sunday Herald
DATE: 2004.10.17
SECTION: NovaScotia
PAGE: A5
COLUMN: Monica Graham

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Unregistered shooters take aim at gun law

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ISLAND EAST RIVER – The rain came down sideways and heavy on Saturday afternoon
but it couldn’t stop a dozen diehard gun registration protesters from holding a
skeet shoot south of Stellarton.

Members of the Canadian Unregistered Firearms Owners Association met in the woods
at Island East River for the Gordon Hitchen Memorial Skeet Shooting Competition.

None of the guns used in the competition was registered.

“We want the police to come out here and charge us,” said Ed Hudson, a
Saskatchewan member taking part in the competition.

“We know that once we get it to court, we have a good constitutional challenge
to the law.”

Drug abuse and disrespect for life and property cause more crimes than guns do,
said Mr. Hudson, calling himself and another visitor from Saskatoon the “outside
agitators.”

Saturday’s turnout might have been higher if the weather was better, said shoot
organizer Al Muir of Plymouth.

But it’s more likely competitors were worried about being involved in a potentially
criminal activity, he said.

“A lot of people are simply afraid,” Mr. Muir said.

The local on-duty RCMP officer declared the skeet shoot a “non-event.”

In a radio message relayed to reporters by an off-duty officer catching up with
paperwork at the Stellarton detachment, Const. William Rudolph intimated that police
had more important things to do than get involved in a protest.

The association, which has more than 450 members across Canada, tried unsuccessfully
to get charged last year by hunting with unregistered firearms in Pictou County.

The group believes the Firearms Act wastes money and is unconstitutional.