[Brian McIlmoyle]

CBC Producer for Market place contacted me and asked me if I'd do an interview about "imitation Firearms"

CBC is liberal media.. that much is a given.. By the time they had talked to me thay had already interviewed a few politicians .. and Police officers... every one to the last had the position that "imitation Firearms" should be outright banned.

They wanted to talk to someone who used them for something other than holding up gas stations.

and they wanted to get some footage of people "having fun" using Imitation firearms.. to illustrate the other side of the equation.

The piece is first... not about airsoft... it is about "imitation Firearms" and the fact that a pellet gun that looks exactly like a HK pistol and shoots .177 lead pellets can be "sold to anyone without restriction" While some guns that shoot safer plastic pellets seemingly are more closely regulated.

Its a risk to speak to media.. but the fact is .. they were going to speak to someone...

I tried my best to show how imitation firearms have a legitimate use for responsible users in the proper conditions.

Regardless Erica had some rather pointy questions.. That I answered to the best of my ability.

Its not a positive report.. it not a negative report ... its a report about the access to imitation firearms .. and poses questions about their use and regulation.

I thought it was important that the opposing side to the "ban it all" opinion was presented.. for good or Ill I presented MY opinions as a citizen that has a vested interest in continued access to imitation firearms.

They could cut this any way they wanted to.. but I felt the producer wanted to present a balanced peice.. ( both he , his camera man and the recordest indicated that they wanted to come back and participate in a game because it looked likes loads of fun)

The final outcome was a question "what do you think should be done about the "imitation Firearm problem" I said that in my opinion you can not legislate away crime.. if you could we would be living in a crime free society. Existing regulations were sufficient if applied universaly to all imitation firearms.. however if there were something done.. they should make it an offense for persons under 18 years old to posses them.. and if they wanted to go further .. they should place imitation firearms under the non restricted PAL.

I tempered this with a statement that we live in a free society .. Goverment in a free society when faced with a contentious issue must choose the option that affords greater freedom not greater regulation.. or we can not call our society free.

I don't know if any of that will make it in to the final cut...

By the way.. the producer is watching this board... That is how they found me..

So lets not make it another story.. about the story... it will air.. and be gone.. and nothing will change... or it will .. but it certainly won't be because of anything I .. or any one else here says.