Team CSSA Special Report – October 17, 2015: Guest Election Commentary by Dr. Judith Ross  

GUEST ELECTION COMMENTARY – DR. JUDITH ROSS  

This looks as though it could be a very close election. Every vote will count. In the last election, one riding was won by just 18 votes so don’t think that your vote or the votes that you can bring to the polls are not important.

Yes, you can vote for your Conservative candidate, urge your friends and family and people at your gun club to vote Conservative, and you can even vote early at the advance polls so that you’re free to do a few things to help on election day.

You can also do a few more little things to help.

In the time that remains before election day you can: display a lawn sign or a window sign, volunteer to deliver lawn signs, volunteer to drop off Conservative leaflets. You can do this in your own riding or even in a nearby riding if that riding looks more promising. These little things do make a difference.

You can talk to your Conservative riding association about how you can help on election day. They will need volunteers to: act as scrutineers in the polling places, to drive Conservative voters to the polls, to be present when the polls close and the ballots are counted. Helping to get out the vote and to make sure that it is counted does make a difference.

These are little things that need to be done and all of us are able to do some of them to help. If keeping your guns and getting common sense firearms laws is important to you (and we know that it is) then please do your bit to help elect Conservative candidates. Your help may make the difference.

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TEAM CSSA SPECIAL REPORT: VOTE!

Among the most precious rights Canadians enjoy is the ability to elect our leaders. This is the very cornerstone of democracy and sadly, is taken lightly by so many people. 

Countries like Australia have taken the step of making it illegal not to vote although many have questioned whether this simply leads to low-information voters voting for whoever has the prettiest hair. Obviously, Canada has hung the responsibility to vote on the shoulders of our citizens, but many have not risen to the cause. Voter numbers seem to be on a decline with every election. 

While certainly in many cases, the quality of the candidates running can cause apathy in the general population, the fact that things are very good in our homeland can rear its head and cause people to stay home. Sometimes individual election issues, such as gun control, can play a huge part in voter turnout.

This election is going to be pivotal. The Liberals and NDP have promised to ramp up their relentless attacks on lawful firearms owners. One has to wonder what they think they’re gaining by this, they aren’t stupid and know that crimes committed with firearms will not be affected by this type of political action. Indeed, even a cursory search of widely available information shows the ineffectiveness of such laws. Yet they pursue this goal with a single-mindedness of purpose, despite the potential alienation of two million + gun owners, their families and their friends. Doesn’t really sound like a sound electoral strategy, does it?

Yet on it goes. An important difference in this campaign is that the media have taken an unprecedented role against the Conservatives. Never have Canadians witnessed such an aggressive and transparent media attack on any group like we have witnessed in this election. Except for the time they turned their pens and cameras on lawful firearms owners that is… anyone remember the 90’s?

All these players are aware that the gains that our community has made have been relatively small, and they are equally knowing that public safety wasn’t compromised one iota, yet they have stated their intention to roll back the gains we have made and impose even greater restrictions. Once again, why?

Crime control? Not hardly. This is all about ideology, not crime. Once again, why?

It is the real question that always goes unanswered, but one can be sure of this: “any motive a democratic government has in the disarming of a peaceful populace must be viewed with the utmost suspicion.”

That is not being alarmist. The same could be said of a government that builds a unnecessarily huge and aggressive military when it is not needed, or any one of a dozen other examples one can quickly think of.

Of course, the difference is that this issue, our firearms, is our issue. For most of our members, it is hugely important and for others less so. Some don’t care at all. 

If this is your issue, then do a favour to yourself and help out your local candidate. Campaigns run on money and manpower and many campaigns are needing one or both. As an example, we have been told every one of the Durham Region Campaigns need manpower badly. Pounding signs and literature drops are not challenging activities. Please get involved.

But most importantly. VOTE!

Every vote matters and in this campaign, it matters more than most. Vote early, take advantage of the advance polls and Elections Canada offices. Life can sometimes get it the way so don’t take the chance that it will rear it’s head on Election Day. Vote as soon as you can. Vote for whomever you like and for whatever your issue is. But vote, it’s how our democracy functions and the “use it or lose it” clause applies in spades.

And if you value your firearms, vote Conservative. Not because they have better hair or younger candidates, but because they have been the ONLY political party that has given you an ounce of respect. This is real folks. This one matters.

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The CSSA is the voice of the sport shooter and firearms enthusiast in Canada. Our national membership supports and promotes Canada’s firearms heritage, traditional target shooting competition, modern action shooting sports, hunting, and archery. We support and sponsor competitions and youth programs that promote these Canadian heritage activities. 

To join or donate to the CSSA, visit:  http://www.cssa-cila.org/membership.html  

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