The following appears in today's [Canadian] Ottawa Sun newspaper. It is
particularly applicable to our Canadian listers, but could perhaps be a
lesson in stupidity to all of us.
Basically, knowing the level of paranoia in our government today - and,
I wager, in many others - this could have serious repercussions to our
hobby. Let's hope not. At least in the U.S., you have some protection
vis-a-vis the 2nd Amendment, but here and elsewhere, we're at their
mercy...
Here's NOT what to do with your restored military vehicle:
***************************************
Armoured car rumbles up Parliament Hill
By JASON CUMMING, Ottawa Sun
AN ARMOURED vehicle with a mounted
.30-calibre machine-gun drove up to
Parliament Hill Sunday night leaving
startled RCMP officers fearing a terrorist
attack.
Two cruisers intercepted and boxed in the
1959 Daimler Ferret scout car in front of the
Centre Block as 100 shocked tourists
scrambled for cover.
The nervous officers then ordered the two
occupants out of the five-tonne behemoth
that had approached with a man in a steel
military helmet sticking out from the
vintage reconnaissance vehicle's turret
located behind the menacing weapon.
"It was a genuine cause for concern," RCMP
Cpl. Marc Richer said yesterday. "From a
security perspective this is the worst
nightmare we could imagine."
Police discovered the gun was not
operational, but two Ottawa-area men --
one in his 20s, the other in his 30s -- were
questioned before being released.
A search of the vehicle revealed no
ammunition or other weapons.
The Ferret's owner told police he was
returning from an antique car show when he
decided to drop by the Hill around 8:30.
Although the vehicle was registered and
plated, investigators are consulting with the
Crown to see if charges are warranted.
"Dealing with this type of machine is almost
impossible," Richer said. "We can't compete
with that kind of machine.
"Even though there was maybe no malicious
intent, we can't look at it from a comical
perspective. This kind of situation is very
precarious."
Hill security has been stepped up after a
number of unnerving incidents the past few
years.
Last September, a suicidal former soldier
armed with a makeshift propane bomb
threatened to blow himself up.
About 18 months earlier, a Quebec man
drove his Jeep up the Centre Block steps
and stormed the main foyer before being
captured.
****************************************
They won't ban propane tanks and they won't ban jeeps, but what do you
bet someone somewhere starts talking about banning privately-owned
armoured vehicles, or at the very least, deactivated machine guns?
Apparently a related CBC News report indicated some individuals '...even
own 60-ton tanks!', with some degree of shock. This crap is GUARANTEED
to make any good little socialist politician go running to his little
red book for guidance and inspiration... "...gee something NEW we can
ban!"
I can't believe anyone would be this dumb. If any of you Canucks know
these yahoos, cuff them upside the head, would you? We have enough
trouble with this stuff without fools like these.
-- Regards,Geoff Winnington-Ball MAPLE LEAF UP! ==> Zephyr, Ontario, Canada ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maple Leaf Up - The Canadian Army Overseas in WW2 http://jump.to/mapleleafup ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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