Blanket ban is not the answer
Central Western Daily, Page: 7. Tuesday, 17 March, 2009
Orange shooting clubs say junior members should be allowed continued access to firearms in a controlled environment, or the sport will suffer.
The clubs were responding to calls by the National Coalition for Gun Control tc ban all access to firearms for anyone under the age of 18, following the recent school shooting massacre in Winnenden, Germany.
Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) Orange branch secretary Boyd Mackinlay said a blanket ban on firearm access for minors would be damaging to the sport “If it’s banned, we won’t have any Olympians because they need to take an interest at a young age in order to be developed in the sport,” he said.
Mr Mackinlay said under law, junior shooters were supervised at all times on the shooting range until they turned 18.
“Juniors are 100 per cent supervised in all shooting sports,” he said.
“They’re 100 per cent supervised when they get their junior permit by an adult who is appropriately licensed for that sport.” Mr Mackinlay said the tightly controlled environment taught minors to act responsibly and brought them skills that were valuable into adulthood.
“They’re in an adult environment, which teaches juniors to show greater responsibility,” he said.
“They’re learning to concentrate, to show maturity and to have self-discipline.
“They’re learning to handle the rules of the range in a strict environment that you don’t see anywhere else.” President of the Orange and District Pistol Club and two-time Australian representative at the WA 1500 World Shooting Championships Dean Brus said all juniors underwent a 12-month probationary period to ensure they could operate a firearm safely.
As part of this probation, junior shooters were required to attend an accredited safety training course. “If at the end of those 12 months they aren’t considered mature enough, they go on an extended probationary period,” Mr Brus said.
David Hopwood, of the Orange Clay Target Club said a blanket ban on firearm access for minors would be unfair as it was associating junior members of sporting clubs with individuals who committed crimes.
“That a junior shooter should be compared to people who commit those crimes is offensive,” he said.
“These are legal firearms that are kept in a safe at all times that can be inspected by the police at anytime.” Mr Mackinlay agreed, saying a blanket ban would not address the issue of illegal firearms.
“Blanket bans are never the answer as there will always be people who don’t comply and it punishes the people who do comply,” he said.
Ian Maybin, whose three children have been junior members of the Orange branch of the SSAA, said the sport had been beneficial to their personal development.
“They’ve learned to focus and have discipline, and to communicate with adults outside their peer group because of the strictly controlled situation they have on the range,” Mr Maybin said.
He agreed the sport would suffer if a blanket ban was imposed.
“Our minor training system is the training ground for our future Olympians,” he said.
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