CUFOA

Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association
Association canadienne des propriétaires d’armes sans permis

An Appeal to the Citizens of Canada Regarding your Rights and Freedoms

How do we react when our homes are broken into and our personal property stolen ? Most often the term "violated" is used to describe the feeling a person experiences when they find their doors and windows broken, their closets ripped open, and their personal items ransacked. Under these circumstances we want "Law and Order"; we want the "Law of the Land" to protect us.

But how do we react when the government grants itself the authority to act like a common thief ? How do we react when the police are given the power to purloin a person’s legally acquired personal property ?

This is exactly what is happening in Saskatchewan and in several other provinces under the new Firearms Act. The RCMP are indeed stealing legally acquired personal property. They are seizing and confiscating firearms, and they are doing so without laying any criminal charges which would justify their action.

We firmly believe that the Firearms Act violates seven of our basic civil liberties which are guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, specifically the Right to privacy, security of person, presumption of innocence, association, representation, mobility, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure. Therefore we are attempting to challenge the constitutionality of the Firearms Act in court. On thirty separate occasions over the past eleven months we have openly defied the Firearms Act by peaceful, public noncompliance all across Canada. The police have either ignored us or have chosen to lay spurious criminal charges which they later drop. During our most recent demonstrations the RCMP have seized and confiscated our firearms, issuing us only a small green paper "receipt" in exchange for the peaceful surrender of our property.

This act of seizure and confiscation is detestable, but the refusal of the RCMP to lay criminal charges is intolerable as this prevents us from challenging their offensive action in court. Their refusal to lay charges violates one of the most basic rights of citizenship; our Right to seek redress of grievances by appeal to the Queen, which we can only do in a court of law.

The reason why the government is refusing to charge us has now become apparent. They know that in light of recent political revelations and empirical evidence this unjust Act will disintegrate in open court and expose the fact that they have wasted over a billion dollars on a totally unnecessary and futile law which they promoted for purely political purposes.

Regardless of one’s personal view of the Firearms Act, every citizen must support the right to challenge a controversial and untested law in court. Just as Dr Henry Morgentaler forced Canadians to face the issue of women’s reproductive rights, and just as gay/lesbians are now forcing Canadians once again to face some uncomfortable issues, we are calling for an open debate on the validity of the Firearms Act. The issue is not about promoting a "culture of safety" as the federal government would deceitfully have us believe. The responsible ownership of firearms has never been a significant problem in Canada, and the Firearms Act does nothing to curb the criminal use of firearms. The real issue facing Canadians is whether our government can get away with passing a law for purely political reasons and not be held to account. Can a government truly be legitimate while denying citizens the means to correct a wrong ? All of our Charter guarantees are worthless if the government is "free" to deny us the means to redress our grievances.

Therefore, we now appeal to our fellow citizens of Canada. We have willfully and knowingly defied the Firearms Act. We have provided the RCMP, the local police services, and federal crown prosecutors in each province with enough material evidence and signed statements to require their charging us for violating several sections of the Firearms Act and the related sections of the Criminal Code. If there are any citizens of Canada who still believe that the Firearms Act is worth supporting, we respectfully ask that you call your local RCMP detachment or police service and demand that they charge us for our flagrant disregard of this law. Demand that we be prosecuted to the full extend of the law for deliberately and intentionally transgressing the Firearms Act.

Please, if you are still under any illusion that the Firearms Act will somehow decrease crime and make you safer, do your civic duty: turn us in. Let’s test this law in court.

The telephone number of your local police or RCMP detachment is listed in your phone book.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Edward B. Hudson DVM, MS

DOB:29Apr45

402 Skeena Crt

Saskatoon

Saskatchewan S7K 4H2

Jack McKelvie Wilson

DOB 08Nov52

33 - 2401 Koyl Ave

Saskatoon

Saskatchewan S7L 5X8

Joe Gingrich, DDS

DOB: 15Mar47

Box 2409

Wthite Fox

Saskatchewan S0E 1E0

Kingsley Beattie

DOB: 07Nov32

1344 Kilborn Ave

Ottawa

Ontario K1H 6L4

Don Hart

DOB: 05Mar65

RR4

Kemptville

Ontario K0G 1J0

Bruce Montague

DOB: 13Dec58

P.O. Box 393

Dryden

Ontario P8N 2Z1

Earlene Hart

DOB: 17Apr47

7761 Burritts Ave

Burrritts Rapids

Ontario K0G 1B0

Jim Turnbull

DOB: 31Aug34

Box 114

Jarvie

Alberta T0G 1H0

Yvon Dionne

DOB: 04Jul42

596, chemin Pinguet

St-Damase-de-L'Islet

Quebec G0R 2X0

Al Muir

DOB: 16Feb56

PO Box 1337

Stellarton

Nova Scotia B0K 1S0