[-Twilight]

Hi guys & galls,

Bad news from the Netherlands:

Our minister of safety & justice, Ivo Opstelten, has made a proposition which bans all dynamic shooting sports in the Netherlands. This, according to him, because he doesn't want a "lone wolf" to be trained in "combat scenarios". Unfortunately we have had a mass shooting here where a convicted mental patient was issued a firearms license, also Breivik was mentioned as a reason. Neither of them ever participated in dynamic sports shooting. Oh, and according to the law, convicted mental patients can't get a firearms license. The man ultimately responsible for handing out licenses is the before mentioned mr. Opstelten.

There's a lot more playing at the moment, and there still is a (slim) chance this proposition could be cancelled. But in the mean time, there's an online petition which could be signed. Not sure it will help, but sure it will do no harm. Hope you will help.

Here's the link (in dutch, sorry about that): http://petities.nl/petitie/dynamische-disciplines-moeten-blijven#tabs

Please sign your name in the box marked : "Ik" (I) and your location in the box marked "Wonende te" (living in)

If you have no problem revealing your name and location, please tick the box marked "mijn naam en woonplaats mogen publiek zichtbaar zijn onder de petitie." (My name and location could be publisized in this petition). Otherwise it would be marked as "anonymous".

Below that is a box for your email address, to which you will be sent a confirmation email after you press the orange button marked "ondertekenen" (sign)

In the e-mail marked "Bevestig uw ondertekening van "Dynamische disciplines moeten blijven" op petities.nl" (Conformation of signing of the petition 'Dynamic disciplines should stay') there's a hyperlinked sentence called "U kunt uw ondertekening bevestigen door op deze zin te klikken" (you can confirm your signiture by clicking on this sentence) or there's anoter link in it wchich starts by petities.nl etc which would have the same effect.

Thanks a bunch

On a sidenote, "oh, we'll give in this-and-this, so we can keep this-and-this" may sound exceptable in the present day, but it's disastrous for the future.

[mountainman13]

Good luck to you. I think you will see a lot of anti-gun action going on world wide in the next year. You may want to check your laws,to the best of my knowledge online petitions are inadmissible.

[-Twilight]

Admissible or not, at least by spreading the word I've got the feeling I'm doing something. Last week when the news came, I felt like I was kicked in the groin with a jackhammer. Today, that feeling hasn't subsided yet.

I guess what stings the most is that banning the dynamic sports is purely for political gain. Out of the 21 murders committed in the Netherlands with legal firearms - including LEO firearms- since 1999 exactly naught have been committed by someone who was a dynamic shooter. But in a few days it will be exactly a year since that terrible tragedy, and someone has to say they did something to make it safer. Of course that something isn't correcting the real issue- how can someone who is sentenced by a judge to a mental institution for suicidal tendencies obtain a firearms license-, but the easy way out by blaming law abiding citizens for having a sport.

And then to think I voted for that party.. Never again.

[mountainman13]

Definitely good to spread the word and get others involved. Creating a letter that can be easily forwarded to an official or even posting their number so people can call would probably be a better tactic. 200 phone calls is far more annoying than 200 signatures on a petition.
Keep us informed of the on going. I fear if this goes through we will be likely to see something similar coming to the US.

[robocop10mm]

This is the same nation of puzzies that fell to the Germans in THREE FREAKING DAYS. Screw the Dutch. I don't give a rats patotee what they do. The best part of that country left to go farming in South Africa.

[danf_fl]

I would hate to see such a fun sport banned. The idea of creating a "lone wold" and using such a sport for practice are the thoughts of one who is scared and does not trust the same people who put him in office.

[LubeckTech]

Why talk when you can argue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like there is a group within the government there who believes they can avert a tragety by passing a law. Work as hard as you can to point out competition shooters are not the ones who commit crimes ANYWHERE - even here in the US!! Banning any shooting sport won't stop someone up to no good from studying to do something bad. Point that out as LOUDLY as you can and you might have a chance. How long do you have until such a law might get passed????

Have you asked for help from IDPA + IPSC and their founders Bill Wilson, Larry Vickers or possibly Ken Hackathorn?? There is not much they can do but their input especially from a world renowned trainer like Hackathorn might help.

[-Twilight]

A glimmer of hope, today the proposal bij Opstelten was put through our equivalent of the Congress. A lot of parties where skeptical, to say the least. Even the ones I least expected to be negative about something which would effectively ban more guns in the Netherlands. Main reason, it was obvious mr Opstelten lacked arguments to back up his claims. Also some contradictions, for instance he claimed "we are all wearing combat gear" or something in that nature. Some guy from one of our most leftist parties replied "are you aware that according to the IPSC rulebook camo clothing is prohibited?".

"uhm... uhm.. -shuffeling papers- uhm... uhm.. No."

A lot of other questions where asked, especially regarding the legality of the agreement signed with our shooting federation. Since that agreement is questionable at least, downright against our constitution at most he didn't have a fair answer to that as well.

All in all, the black veil cast over me and my fellow shooters has lifted somewhat, although the actual vote still has to be done.

@ LubeckTech: Good idea, not sure if it's been already done or not but I'll ask our IPSC association if they can contact them.

[PrinC]

It is sad that this is the way the Netherlands is treating this issue. I can guarantee if this attitude happens in my neck of the woods the person responsible would not be re-elected. I believe the authorities have a responsibility to put measures to curb delinquent behavior on the part of citizens, but to openly deny them the opportunity to practice a skill known in international sports for the sake of the increase in activity due to a lack of proper monitoring systems to avert such incidents, to my mind.....is backward thinking.