The first battle of the Texas Revolution was fought near the colony of Gonzales Texas in 1835. Mexican authorities demanded Gonzales give up their lone cannon to the state. Settlers from Gonzales defiantly responded "Come and take it!" Mexican soldiers were dispatched to take the cannon, a skirmish ensued, and they left the scene beaten up and without the cannon. The town proudly displays the flag created for that battle today. .Alberta's dispute with Ottawa over the proposed federal seizure of firearms isn't as dramatic as that of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution of course. We are not on the brink of civil war and the government isn't calling people to arms. With the tabling of The Alberta Firearms Act (Bill 8) in the Alberta legislature though, the provincial government is sending a strong signal to the federal government they won't be playing ball with any firearm seizures. While the province may not be able to stop the federal government from banning types of firearms and vows to seize them, the province doesn't have to facilitate the effort either. .While the Danielle Smith government appears to be backpedaling somewhat on past promises to pursue a provincial pension plan and a provincial police force, they are standing firm on commitments to defend the property rights of citizens when it comes to firearm seizures. .The provincial government can't tell the RCMP what to do, but they have a great deal of control over the actions of municipal governments and municipal police forces. Bill 8 proposes limiting municipalities and municipal police services from entering into firearms-related funding agreements with the federal government. This is significant. The federal government likes dangling the transfer of funding in front of other jurisdictions to buy their compliance with legislation. The Alberta Firearms Act takes that implement out of the federal government's toolbox. .Police forces at all levels have limited resources. They're stretched thin dealing with spiking rural crime, deadly urban gang wars, and the crime associated with a growing opioid addiction epidemic. Most police chiefs and officers aren't eager to dedicate time and resources to chasing down recently illegalized hunting rifles possessed by law abiding firearm owners. They are surely happy this new legislation makes it difficult if not impossible for the federal government to compel them to act as enforcers for Ottawa's whimsical firearm legislation. .Bill 8 codifies the Alberta Chief Firearms Office’s role in administering the federal Firearms Act and expands the role to include engaging with and advocating for Alberta’s firearms community. .Teri Bryant has been a proactive and outspoken advocate for safe, responsible firearm use since she took on her role as Alberta's first Chief Firearms Officer. In having her role clarified through legislation, she will be even more effective at her task. .Bryant recently appeared as a guest on my show to explain her role and some of its challenges. She spoke to me from Ottawa where she was advocating on behalf of Albertan’s firearms owners. She was diplomatic about it, but made no bones about how the ignorance of lawmakers on firearms issues needs to be countered. Empowering her to manage Alberta's firearm regulation makes it harder for Ottawa to try and assume that authority. Not that managing the disposition of property in the provinces was ever within Ottawa’s purview..Bryant is not out to police firearm owners, but sees her role as helping facilitate the safe and law-abiding use of firearms..The Liberal Party of Canada has always been ideologically inclined to try and disarm law abiding citizens. They wasted billions on a failed registry in the 1990s and are now trying to seize firearms through incrementally illegalizing them. They won’t stop trying to seize those firearms willingly..Ottawa’s goal of seizing firearms from law-abiding gun owners just became tougher thanks to Bill-8. They won’t be able to usurp authority over local law enforcement agencies to compel them to do their dirty work..The UCP government under Premier Smith just drew a line in the sand with Ottawa. They figuratively told the feds: “Come and take them!”
The first battle of the Texas Revolution was fought near the colony of Gonzales Texas in 1835. Mexican authorities demanded Gonzales give up their lone cannon to the state. Settlers from Gonzales defiantly responded "Come and take it!" Mexican soldiers were dispatched to take the cannon, a skirmish ensued, and they left the scene beaten up and without the cannon. The town proudly displays the flag created for that battle today. .Alberta's dispute with Ottawa over the proposed federal seizure of firearms isn't as dramatic as that of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution of course. We are not on the brink of civil war and the government isn't calling people to arms. With the tabling of The Alberta Firearms Act (Bill 8) in the Alberta legislature though, the provincial government is sending a strong signal to the federal government they won't be playing ball with any firearm seizures. While the province may not be able to stop the federal government from banning types of firearms and vows to seize them, the province doesn't have to facilitate the effort either. .While the Danielle Smith government appears to be backpedaling somewhat on past promises to pursue a provincial pension plan and a provincial police force, they are standing firm on commitments to defend the property rights of citizens when it comes to firearm seizures. .The provincial government can't tell the RCMP what to do, but they have a great deal of control over the actions of municipal governments and municipal police forces. Bill 8 proposes limiting municipalities and municipal police services from entering into firearms-related funding agreements with the federal government. This is significant. The federal government likes dangling the transfer of funding in front of other jurisdictions to buy their compliance with legislation. The Alberta Firearms Act takes that implement out of the federal government's toolbox. .Police forces at all levels have limited resources. They're stretched thin dealing with spiking rural crime, deadly urban gang wars, and the crime associated with a growing opioid addiction epidemic. Most police chiefs and officers aren't eager to dedicate time and resources to chasing down recently illegalized hunting rifles possessed by law abiding firearm owners. They are surely happy this new legislation makes it difficult if not impossible for the federal government to compel them to act as enforcers for Ottawa's whimsical firearm legislation. .Bill 8 codifies the Alberta Chief Firearms Office’s role in administering the federal Firearms Act and expands the role to include engaging with and advocating for Alberta’s firearms community. .Teri Bryant has been a proactive and outspoken advocate for safe, responsible firearm use since she took on her role as Alberta's first Chief Firearms Officer. In having her role clarified through legislation, she will be even more effective at her task. .Bryant recently appeared as a guest on my show to explain her role and some of its challenges. She spoke to me from Ottawa where she was advocating on behalf of Albertan’s firearms owners. She was diplomatic about it, but made no bones about how the ignorance of lawmakers on firearms issues needs to be countered. Empowering her to manage Alberta's firearm regulation makes it harder for Ottawa to try and assume that authority. Not that managing the disposition of property in the provinces was ever within Ottawa’s purview..Bryant is not out to police firearm owners, but sees her role as helping facilitate the safe and law-abiding use of firearms..The Liberal Party of Canada has always been ideologically inclined to try and disarm law abiding citizens. They wasted billions on a failed registry in the 1990s and are now trying to seize firearms through incrementally illegalizing them. They won’t stop trying to seize those firearms willingly..Ottawa’s goal of seizing firearms from law-abiding gun owners just became tougher thanks to Bill-8. They won’t be able to usurp authority over local law enforcement agencies to compel them to do their dirty work..The UCP government under Premier Smith just drew a line in the sand with Ottawa. They figuratively told the feds: “Come and take them!”
