High time for Arms Act to be scrapped

[goodboy_mentor]

It is high time for Arms Act to be scrapped, since it has failed to prevent criminals/terrorists/rebels etc of all shades to acquire firearms of their choice. Rather it has prevented/created difficulties for law abiding citizens to acquire firearms for their legitimate self defense within the framework of law. Maoists in Lalgarh, besides having AK 47s are reported to have medium artillery as per the link below:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/New ... 680636.cms

Law abiding citizens in order to possess a measly .32 or 12 bore gun have to pass insurmountable hurdles to get a "license", then pay through the nose to get a firearm.

Don't the forum members think it is enough, and it is a time for positive change?

[CZHarry]

As an outsider, I'll say this. I think you need to identify all pro-RKBA and pro-gun politicians. Make a list here, as they are found out. Come up with a plan to lobby them, or at least get their ear.
As any that live in the US can tell you, many of our lawmakers are pro-gun and vote against any Gun Control issues. Of course, many lawmakers are anti-gun, and are always trying to sneak in some sort of gun control law. We recently got the right to carry a concealed weapon while in a National Park (if you already have a carry permit). It was added into another bill, so to pass the main bill, they had to accept gun bill too.

You guys have a LOT of work ahead of you if you are going to change the status quo. Imagine how nice it would be to completely revamp the system. It will take a lot of dedication.
This NRA site is interesting, and contains a lot of information about what is going on with gun rights, what legislation is pending, laws, and much more. During elections, they give a list of all the candidates and give them grades, as to how gun-friendly they are, and how they have voted in the past. "A" is the best, "F" is the worst, of course.
http://www.nraila.org/

But you might say, "So what. That's the US, and this is India." Well, you need organization, you need a plan, you need to get an idea from a 'working model', and this may be a start. Getting your gun rights in India is sort of a roll of the dice, and how some politician feels that particular morning, or maybe he just doesn't like your face. There are no hard-fast-rules. Go to one place, get ignored. Go to another, and get refused.
What the NRA does for us, is they are a powerful Lobby group, very powerful. They speak for the common man and support our gun rights. They have 5 million or more members (like myself). They use the membership money to fight against gun control and the anti-gunners that make the laws. There are a couple of other big organizations, such as the Gun Owners of America, who also help us out.
Mainly, there are Federal Firearms Laws, and State Firearms laws. The Federal laws paint the big picture, the State laws paint the details. Sometimes the small details are very anti-gun, sometimes not, but at least there are hard, fast laws. Even if the cop or a certain politician doesn't like it or agree with it, well, that's just too damn bad. The law is the law.
Where I live, gun laws are fairly liberal, and, for the most part, law abiding gun owners know the laws and restrictions. When traveling through or to another state, it is up to the gun owner to know the gun laws of the place where you are going. If the laws are restrictive, you need to know how to legally get your firearm through that state without becoming a criminal.
But you have to start somewhere..... baby steps,.... one small victory at a time.

[goodboy_mentor]

Thanks for very informative reply, I am wondering how many forum members are interested in actually participating for a change? How many want IFG/GFI to be registered as a organization and carry on as http://www.nraila.org/?
Really sad to see not a single person living in India had the courage/idea to respond to this post, in spite of 52 "views"
Hope Indians living in India get awakened and stand for a change.......

[Virendra S Rathore]

Dear All,

Well I don't know great deals about all this but I can assure of my participation in any initiative. Though a novice learner with a national air rifle, I had still registered for GFI as well.
Even I also want to see action and will not back out when we need to burn our butts for the cause.
Otherwise I think this is no different than joining an Orkut community.

Atleast there was high level of activity and planned/well directed discussions when Abhijeet was here.
What have we done after formation of GFI?
I request the big GUN veterans, please come out with suggestions.
Whatever the end result, I'd be proud to have fought for a cause I believed in.

Regards,
Virendra

[Rottmeister]

if none, then at least the RottLord.

-- Sun Jun 21, 2009 16:17 --

This is also something I want to include in the petition that we hope to reach Mr. Varun Gandhi soon:

Gun Laws, Culture, Justice & Crime In Foreign Countries

http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?ID=78

Do other countries all have more restrictive gun laws and lower violent crime rates than the U.S.? How do U.S. and other countries` crime trends compare? What societal factors affect crime rates?

A recent report for Congress notes, "All countries have some form of firearms regulation, ranging from the very strictly regulated countries like Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Sweden to the less stringently controlled uses in the jurisdictions of Mexico and Switzerland, where the right to bear arms continues as a part of the national heritage up to the present time." However, "From available statistics, among (the 27) countries surveyed, it is difficult to find a correlation between the existence of strict firearms regulations and a lower incidence of gun-related crimes. . . . (I)n Canada a dramatic increase in the percentage of handguns used in all homicides was reported during a period in which handguns were most strictly regulated. And in strictly regulated Germany, gun-related crime is much higher than in countries such as Switzerland and Israel, that have simpler and/or less restrictive legislation." (Library of Congress, "Firearms Regulations in Various Foreign Countries, May 1998.")

[goodboy_mentor]

Thanks for the reply Virendra and Rottlord. It gives me confidence. Wish we begin from somewhere, and continue without loosing focus.

[Rottmeister]

And where is that somewhere? It should be from "HERE"; if we are waiting for 'somewhere ;, we shall lead to 'nowhere'. What we need first is to find out how many of the IFG-ans are going to sign the petition; then, we need to create the copy for the petition, select the news and reports to accompany the petition and choose the sections from the Arms Act and Indian Constitution speaking abt he gun rights. Besides, I haven't seen anyone else posting in the govt. portal; a single request for me is not going to break the ice. I think Virendra has the drive, so do you and I; let;s form the Trinity for the Indian RKBA Act.

[goodboy_mentor]

I am ready to begin from HERE, petition will be by "Whom" to "Whom". IFG is not a legal entity, it is just a website. Are there members in this forum who are willing to form a legal entity to begin from here?

[Rottmeister]

As I mentioned before, we must drag Abhijeet in for he is more knowledgeable on the legal aspects than any of us. Also, Lawman and Mr. Prabir Sircar; both of them are very knowledgeable on these issues. And Lawman is a Lawyer himself.

[CZHarry]

I only know of what is available in the US. If someone finds a better organization, use what is best for you. I can't even guess what kind of draconian anti-gun laws would have been passed if it weren't for the NRA protecting the rights of gun owners.
However, there's enough information to make my head explode if I tried to absorb it all at once. Don't try to do everything all at once. It's like baking a cake; if the heat is too high, the outside will be ready, but the center will be undercooked, and not palatable.

Here's a start for tips. Of course, make adjustments to fit in with local custom.
Guidelines For Communicating With The Media.
http://www.nraila.org/ActionCenter/Gras ... aspx?ID=12
"Few issues today are more misunderstood by the general public than the issue of gun control. Many of the commonly-held misconceptions result directly from the media's often skewed coverage of this issue. Letters to local newspapers, radio, and television stations to protest biased coverage of firearm-related issues help influence the media's presentation of this subject, as well as inform the public of the facts that support our position. Keep in mind that your letters do not always have to be negative. If you see a positive story relating to gun ownership, contact that media outlet to thank them and to encourage them to run similar stories in the future. Our "Write Your Editor" will help you identify and contact a variety of newspapers and TV and radio stations. Below are some tips to help you when contacting the media. "

This is a page that shows the various firearms laws of the 52 states. To get an idea of what is involved, you could take a peek. On the lower right side are links to the Federal gun law web site, the BATFE.
http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/
A good place to start is the FAQ area.
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/index.htm

Effectively Communicating With Your Lawmakers
http://www.nraila.org/ActionCenter/Gras ... aspx?ID=11
"As a voting constituent, you have a tremendous ability to influence the outcome of legislation. Ask any elected official which individual`s concerns are most important to him, and chances are they all will deliver the same response: his constituents`. All politicians are keenly aware of the fact that it is their constituents who hold the keys to their political futures. Therefore, constituent concerns are of the utmost concern to politicians. The best way you can affect the outcome of legislation is to directly communicate your views to your lawmakers. REMEMBER: Your lawmakers work for you! Since the primary concern of all politicians is to get re-elected, be sure you communicate your concerns with your own elected officials first! Then, if you wish to express your views to others who don`t directly represent you, you can do so. But make sure your legislators hear from you first! First some general information. NRA`s Institute for Legislative Action`s (NRA-ILA) website -- http://www.NRAILA.org -- has a wealth of information to assist you when you contact your lawmakers. Of particular note is our "Write Your Representatives" feature, which will enable you to identify and contact your lawmakers directly from our site. Also, keep in mind many times you will not be speaking directly to your elected official, but rather to a member of his staff. Contact with legislative staff is critical to the process, as staff has major input with lawmakers and has expertise in most issues on which legislators will vote -- including gun-related issues. Listed below, you`ll find some additional tips on effectively communicating with your elected officials."

Here are Programs offered by the NRA.
http://www.nra.org/programs.aspx

Firearms Training (Air guns included) is a good way to introduce people to the sport. Every week on the various gun forums, I can read of a person that took someone that has never handled a gun to the target range. After going through the Safety Rules and a little tutoring, the newbie finds that he or she has had a lot of fun and would like to do it some more. Another convert!
In the NRA Firearms Instructor training, safety and proper handling is emphasized. The important thing, I think, is that every Certified Instructor teaches the course the same way, no matter where they are located.

Take the children & a friend for a little range time. Women too. I have noticed they are usually better shots, and enjoy the sport because it gives them a feeling of accomplishment. It's instant gratification.
I can see one problem, and that's with acquiring ammo or pellets at a reasonable price & sufficient quantities to have a 'Fun Shoot'. This is another issue that will need to be addressed.

I'm not sure how GFI was to be structured, but some serious thought needs to go into whatever path you decide to take, and I'm sure it will take some time to organize. The NRA is HUGE. It is the gun owners friend, and the anti-gun politicians are afraid of it because of the legal clout the NRA has, backed by millions of (voting) members.

You have good news and bad news: At least you can own guns, but the laws-rules are not consistant, and seem to be a holdover from the days of British rule. You also need a way to buy imported guns & unlimited ammo at a reasonable price, but that's old news.
And let me add this. If you have watched any of the goings-on in Iran, you will notice that the militia thugs are shooting and killing the protestors, yet the civilians only have rocks to fight back with. Not one citizen has any other way to fight back. Gun Control.
Good Luck, you'll need it.