Why I Formed Sensible Shooters

Myles Chandler
Spokesman for Sensible Shooters

As a life long shooter, I have been dismayed in recent years at how licenced firearms owners have been treated by politicians, political parties and indeed our own member organisations.

We, as shooters, have been let down, by treachery, by lying politicians and by compromised and ineffectual member organisations. Police have become hostile towards 250,000 law-abiding citizens, have made up law as they see fit, refused sensible suggestions and acted in a doctrinaire manner.

The last straw for me was COLFO’s abject surrender in their last submission on gun laws.

I’ve had enough, so much so that I have decided that enough is enough and to put my money where my mouth is. I have formed Sensible Shooters.

Sensible Shooters is

a political party, and never will be. Shooters have been let down by political parties and political processes. This new organisation is designed to side step those parties and process.

Sensible Shooters are firearms owners who are Police vetted, fit and proper law-abiding New Zealander gun owners. Sensible Shooters want to

for all licensed firearms owners who feel that the Government and the Police have not listened to their concerns over firearms reforms. Political ideology and  Police theory have outweighed common sense and best practice, sacrificing law-abiding gun owners’ rights without making our communities safer.

Sensible Shooters want to help the New Zealand firearms community. Sensible Shooters recognises the work of COLFO and other shooting organisations who may continue to offer a conciliatory response. Sensible Shooters can add to this with two clear goals that can make a real difference for law abiding gun owners.

Our purpose is to force the Government to govern, with accountable elected representatives making the law, rather than delegating responsibility to unelected Police to make up ad hoc regulations that impinge on law abiding firearms owners. Sensible Shooters will ask Police to respect current firearms laws, adhere to them and not make up ad hoc rules and regulations.

Sensible Shooters believe that the Royal Commission’s recommendation of setting up an Independent (of Police) Arms Authority should be implemented immediately and that any politician or member of the police who does not support the Royal Commission should be asked to account for their belief.

Sensible Shooters will stay focused on protecting shooters rights by a concentrated, professional campaign based on two distinct areas:

• Testing the Law for the Firearms Community
• Mobilising the Firearms Community at Elections

Sensible Shooters will act with good humour and grace. We believe that anger and bitterness are signs of a failing campaign. We will offer people who disagree with us the chance to argue their points, and will engage with all courteously. We believe reasonable people can disagree without acrimony, and intend to prove this point while being unafraid of fighting hard for our cause.

Our purpose is straightforward. We want to engage to ensure the rights of shooters are protected. We will do this in two principle areas.

1. Testing the Law: We will seek an independent referee in the form of a Judge or the IPCA to decide whether the politicians or Police are enforcing the law as the law was written. We will do this in a good-humoured manner but will be unafraid of bringing private prosecutions and civil claims against individuals who have failed the firearms community or have taken it upon themselves to overreach in managing firearms.
2. Electoral Campaigns: Sensible Shooters will organise to use the ballot box to demonstrate that shooters have the ability to alter elections. Sensible Shooters will help those politicians from all parties that seek to help the New Zealand firearms community. We will also be campaigning for change at the 2023 elections in the following Labour-held marginal seats:

I can’t do this without you. Will you join Sensible Shooters and help us fight hard for the rights of Licenced Firearms Owners?

Myles Chandler – Spokesman for Sensible Shooters

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