Thread: Only 800 Or So Hunters Have Made A Submission To Date

A late addition for those who might want to take issue directly with one of Gun Control NZ's claims (see their website):

I would like to respond directly to one point I believe is raised in opposing submissions; that "Police have provided data which shows that people who obtain a firearms licence as teenagers are more likely to commit crimes than their unvetted peers. Given this data, we recommend that a higher minimum age is established for holding a full firearms licence. We recommend that the minimum age should be at 18, as it is in Australia."

To suggest that the act of applying for, being granted, and holding a firearms licence predisposes a 16 year old to crime - yet this is somehow avoided if the applicant waits another two years - is patently ridiculous and unsupported by any credible mechanism.

I respectfully suggest that any group or individual which promotes this position and has misinterpreted/manipulated statistics in order to support it, is clearly lacking in critical thinking and common sense. They are interested in restricting and penalising law-abiding firearms users by any means, rather than identifying and addressing actual safety concerns. I suggest that all other views promoted by these same groups or individuals will be a product of the same bias and should be viewed as such.

Please put the above in your own words if you want to use it.