PrintMore long gun response
I respect the fact that Mr. Bob Wood carefully checks his emails before sending them, but he also ought to carefully read my letters to the editor before firing off a response.
His recent comment about me claiming that most farmers are against cancellation of the long gun registry is a case in point because I never even suggested that. I stated that the Harper government assumes that all farmers support his action and not all do and I listed some cases. After the publication of my letter I received a number of phone calls from farmers who support the gun registry, but I would agree that based on the last federal election results that the majority of farmers are opposed to the gun registry.
And Mr. Cutterbuck did offer some good recommendations to safeguard their yearlings. At the same time I take issue with his comment that most cattle are stolen alive. That is not the case recently in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan because there was evidence of blood on the ground and it’s a lot easier for two strong men to throw a dead yearling in the back of a pickup than try to catch a yearling on foot and steal it. I know, I grew up on a farm.
I also note that the rancher from Sturgeon County seemed to be in agreement with me regarding the increase in cattle theft in the U.S. that matches Canadian figures I have seen in western farm publications.
On the other hand, the letter from Frank Williamson that argues that there is correlation between long gun registry and cattle theft is not supportable. Yet I read and hear of farmers who have heard gunfire late at night, see tire tracks in ditches next to their grazing fields and are missing yearlings.
I also will respond on behalf of my cow calf farmer friend from Sturgeon County who had his two guns stolen and returned because they were registered. He is offended about Mr. Williamson’s comments about my friend returning insurance money for the guns and so am I.
Bob Russell, St. Albert
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