A sad greeting from Christchurch

I am sorry...firstly I am sorry that as a member of the NZ firearms community that trained with one of NZ's most respected gunsmiths I have been absent from the conversation for far too long, secondly I am sorry that it has taken such events for me to add my voice to the throng but such is life and we will all be forced to discuss and debate these matters now.

There are a couple of things I am not sorry for...I am not sorry for being a firearms owner, I am not sorry for being a firearms owner with a specific interest in military pattern firearms and the shooting disciplines that rely on such items.

These will be tough times as we (as a community) are vilified, guilted by association and treated as a danger to society by our very ownership of firearms that at one point in their past were designed as implements of combat. Now more than ever we need to communicate with a unified voice that we are not, and were not the problem and a singluar event (no matter how tragic) cannot form the basis for legal doctrine.

sad times but I'm here.

Rob

Welcome Rob

Welcome Rob.

Thanks chaps. hope I can do something productive in the conversations to come

Welcome Rob

Welcome Rob.

Hello Bob. Welcome.

Sad times.

^

Thank you all, its a weird event to unite us but perhaps inevitable

Welcome Rob - very tough times on many levels for all kiwis, and hunters/gun owners. I just hope we see a rational, non-emotive discussion after a thorough and professional investigation into this event and individual.
Sadly I don't think we'll get that - the media and various individuals are already heavily politicizing this awful tragedy inflicted on our country by one nut job.

I still have a winery/conference center booked for June. I am open to having a sit down and discussing what we can do.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by berg243

welcome. reasoned discussion is what is needed from ALL parties in the wake of this event.

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Hi @berg243. I think that's a bit much to hope for. "Reasoned discussion" is difficult with knees bashing chops, and that'll be going on for quite awhile.

Welcome.

Welcome Rob.

Same here Rob, same here

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tussock

I still have a winery/conference center booked for June. I am open to having a sit down and discussing what we can do.

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Welcome Rob
@Tussock I suspect it will be too late.
damage will be done.

Welcome Rob, is a sad time mainly for the Muslim community. What's also sad is the way certain politicians (politician) have been point scoring like crazy from this event. Sickening. And what's sad and predictable is the usual bullshit populist reaction which is gun banning. Politicians always know they can score with that one amongst ignorant and antigun sections of the public.
Anyway, enjoy the forums and wait and see what happens.