*Sensible* UK politician could do with some support

[Bruce in West Oz]

This is a direct quote from this morning's Sporting Shooter's Association of Australia e-mail alert.

I'm no Anglophile, but I loathe seeing someone publicly slapped down like this for expressing a view.

UK Sports Minister Ms Kate Hoey's email address is [email protected]

We have spoken to her office in Parliament House today and she would welcome information regarding the firearm issue in Australia which would support her comments as reported in The Guardian (see below)

Sarah Hall from The Guardian has an email
[email protected]

You may also wish to enlighten her on the roaring "success" of the Coalition's gun buyback in Australia.

Be nice.
-----
No 10 rebukes Hoey in gun row

The Guardian

Sarah Hall political correspondent
Thursday January 4, 2001

Downing Street last night slapped down the outspoken sports minister Kate Hoey after she attacked the ban on handguns introduced after the Dunblane massacre.

A spokeswoman stressed Ms Hoey's views, which drew immediate condemnation from anti-gun campaigners, were not shared by the prime minister and were a clear breach of laws banning all handguns introduced in 1997.

The careful distancing from the junior minister's views came after the maverick MP for Vauxhall told a shooting magazine fellow Labour MPs had taken a "very unfair attitude" towards legitimate shooting. She claimed
the ban had done nothing to prevent criminals getting their hands on weapons and suggested young children should be encouraged to learn shooting.

The minister appeared particularly provocative since her comments came barely a week after she contradicted the government line by calling for a return to terracing at Premiership football grounds, which have been all-seater since the Taylor Report into the Hillsborough tragedy.

Ms Hoey, an Arsenal fan who learned to shoot as a farmer's daughter in County Antrim, has been no stranger to controversy. She has consistently defended foxhunting, winning plaudits from the Countryside Alliance.

I realise the alert specifically calls for the Australian experience -- but some of my more erudite and scholarly friends here may be able to help with the American -- and especially the Canadian -- experience.

Or even just acknowledge/support her views.

B

[Amelia]

http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/g...417709,00.html

[USP45usp]

I admire that someone has come forward but the old addage of "too little, too late" comes to mind. It's almost impossible to get something back that you've lost, or let be lost. Ms. Hoey didn't seem to be too vocal during the primary disarmement process, but then again, I'm not under that government structure and didn't have access to parliment proceedings.

I'm not saying that all is lost in England, Australia, or Canada. Just right now, since most of the guns have been seized, or registred, or both, the fight is now harder to win.

We here in the US had a chance to show civil disobedience with the kali and ny registrations. Yet, it seems as if people are "rushing" to meet the deadline. I guess since kali is going to let out all the druggies, there will be room for a couple of thousand gun owners to take their place.

I just hope that no people have to go to the extremes to gain back what you've lost.

USP45usp

[Bruce in West Oz]

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

Anyone, especially a pollie, who has anything positive to say about shooting needs to be supported.

Otherwise, the antis think the fight's over -- and they've won. Even worse -- the government thinks whatever it does is "OK".

The fight in Australia is far from over. Yes, our backs are to the wall -- but we're not down yet.

B