North County Leader

FingalAirsoft

Trash talk on airsoft in this weeks north county leader:(:(:(

http://www.northcountyleader.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=726:concern-over-purchase-of-imitation-firearms&catid=1:latest-news


Bloody TD's they'd say anything to get their face in the paper:rolleyes:

Damo 2k9

"I don’t want any person to come to harm at the hands of these products which do have the potential to cause serious injury or death."
What a load of bull****! :mad:

gerrowadat

So he's demanding a bunch of stuff that's already happening or has happened. Yay.

FingalAirsoft

gerrowadat wrote: »

So he's demanding a bunch of stuff that's already happening or has happened. Yay.

Yep he's a bit late...lol

deco nate

comparing airsoft to headshops,he is off his head!!
doesnt he know about the new laws that are
comin in place,metinks the iaa should get on to him
and have a chat,really bad comparing airsoft with
headsoft.

gerrowadat

deco nate wrote: »

comparing airsoft to headshops,he is off his head!!
doesnt he know about the new laws that are
comin in place,metinks the iaa should get on to him
and have a chat,really bad comparing airsoft with
headsoft.

Give him a bell if he's your local TD, there's an election coming up like it or not.

deco nate

belive me i would,if i lived in his area.

captaindanwaldo

Is it just me or does it appear like hes encouraging people to break the new law on personal importation because he considers it safer? Its all so...backwards!

Daz1214

The website of one particular firm states that it ‘is legal in the Republic of Ireland to collect, possess and regularly use’ these items

hes obviously completely clueless to the law as well

desertstorm

Dear Mr.Kennedy,

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Dismissive-****-Motion/108418282179?ref=ts

regards

The_ChiefDUB

Just wrote him an email there suggesting that he should have spoken to the IAA before he went off looking for column inches with uneducated scare mongering.

JonnyTwoCombs

Uneducated buffoon! :eek: Fianna Fáil, Fianna FAIL more like! :D

captaindanwaldo

JonnyTwoCombs wrote: »

Uneducated buffoon! :eek: Fianna Fáil, Fianna FAIL more like! :D

Sir, I salute you!!

Sod'o swords

It's ok, just go on his website and send a strongly worded email.
Oh wait

michaelkennedy.ie wrote:

If you see this page it means that Apache Domain Service for this domain is locked, or there's no such Apache Domain Service registered in Parallels Operations Automation.

fayer

gerrowadat wrote: »

So he's demanding a bunch of stuff that's already happening or has happened. Yay.

This proves the standard of our TD's. Its embarrassing to have idiots in office like this that dont even know what law their own party has brought in.

thermo

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,idiot,,,,,,,,,,,, elections are coming, our politicians are a joke, oh look a distraction!

Shiva

I wonder what his thoughts are on the upcoming Divorce Referendum ?

thermo

i wonder what his thoughts are on assisting the country in getting out of the recession, instead of spending his time talking this sh1t!

MerryDespot

FFS!!!!!

Seriously, this is the sort of supremely stupid crap that people churn out as a sad attempt to get some column inches. And look ... it worked!
The least I'd expect from my TD would be to:
1. Get his facts right
2. Sound out both sides of the argument (i.e. talk to some bloody airsofters not just the average NIMBY muppets who have nothing better to do than complain to make their sad little lives feel a little better)
3. Perhaps not waste his/her time on this pointless and alarmist drivel when there are, as Thermo and others pointed out, real problems that need to be dealt with. Aside from the fecking hole we've dug ourselves into with the finances (or lack thereof) in this country - what about going after the countless armed criminals instead of some lads engaging a perfectly legit sport!!!

I'm sorry, as serious as this topic is, I need to invoke the facepalm to calm myself the hell down:

bullets

Hopefully the IAA will provide some response to his comments.

One thing I have noticed though is that Head Shops tend
to stock overpriced ****e airsoft gear! Drugs n guns and all that gangsta rappa sh1tttte seems to go hand in hand.

The head shops of late seem to even start to paint orange tips on cheap airsoft gear or do some two-toneing.

There was 3 head shops in Limerick in total.
2 owned by same owner and one that was like a Mmmad store.

The MMmaad store closed down, but the 2 other were kept open selling bongs, elvis mirror, fluffy pink steering wheel covers, loads of bathsalts and fish food that could be snorted to make you high as well as cheap crap overpriced airsoft guns and some illegal Crossbow pistols that were defo over the ole 1j. The types that went in there to shop were scumbags, looser stoners and under age kids.

While I dont give a damn what people willfully smoke/take
dont like seeing airsoft gear (regardless of quality) being sold willy nilly in places like this. It gives off the wrong vibe,
signal to joe soap public.

~B

Masada

The north county who?????

in fairness lads, were only giving thier poxy little failure of a paper some google results by even bothering to get offended on here, let alone the fool they have talking in it.

MerryDespot

Fair point Masada - but aren't a few of the sites within the 'catchment' of that paper? But yeah, waste of time that could be better spent doing something else.

*DOBBY*

I have sent an email to Michael Kennedy, polite but very direct;).
Will let you know if I hear back.
Ah politicians.....

roryk1

im sorry to say that this man is my areas td some1 is voting sinn feinn nxt time around:D

judas1369

Yet another fine example of the FF smoke and mirrors show. Just about anything these days that serves as a distraction these days is fair game.
I do live in this constituency and shall be contacting his office re his ill informed comments and shall be pointing out that I am a registered voter and this sort of knee jerk off the cuff performance will only serve in my vote going elsewhere. If you do share your opinions on the subject with his office and are registered to vote, be sure to point this out as no politician will be too keen on alienating potential votes particularly if they represent FF.

Hivemind187

roryk1 wrote: »

im sorry to say that this man is my areas td some1 is voting sinn feinn nxt time around:D

Would this be the same Sinn Fein who two years ago said they were

"... concerned about the proliferation of these obviously dangerous imitation weapons in the community."

... I remember we all had a chuckle at the irony of that one. :rolleyes:

SpookyBastard

Hivemind187 wrote: »

Would this be the same Sinn Fein who two years ago said they were

"... concerned about the proliferation of these obviously dangerous imitation weapons in the community."

... I remember we all had a chuckle at the irony of that one. :rolleyes:

Hehe. Had forgotten bout that. Still amusing

kdouglas

Hivemind187 wrote: »

"... concerned about the proliferation of these obviously dangerous imitation weapons in the community."

in your best Gerry Adams-style accent?

Masada

kdouglas wrote: »

in your best Gerry Adams-style accent?

Funny thing is, I automatically read that in a Jarrrrayy Aaa'dums accent and all.,

Stonewolf

This is what happens when the people in the legislatures main qualification is promising to build a motorway to the back end of nowhere.

evilrobotshane

What's the chances he's not as ill-informed as he's making himself out to be, and once the retailer restrictions get rolled out he'll be parading his triumph at clamping down on the dangerous stuff he was warning about a few months ago, without mentioning that he knew it was coming anyway?

roryk1

well lad its happened again
http://www.dublinpeople.com/content/view/3229/57/
i hope this isnt goin to take off i love airsoft to much:)

fayer

roryk1 wrote: »

well lad its happened again
http://www.dublinpeople.com/content/view/3229/57/
i hope this isnt goin to take off i love airsoft to much:)

FYI
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055903850

Stercus Accidit

roryk1 wrote: »

well lad its happened again
http://www.dublinpeople.com/content/view/3229/57/
i hope this isnt goin to take off i love airsoft to much:)

Lol, you should have been round back in the day when every radio station and paper was baying for airsoft blood, this is laughable really, no need to worry.

You have the IAA to thank for that.

TheDoc

I should have stayed in journalism to write for papers.

I'd have a pulitzer at this stage....


Thankfully I read papers from the back, till it gets to the irish GAA part of the paper, then throw it in the bin.

JonnyTwoCombs

God! :eek: hope no body has seen page 60 of todays Star ( another quailty publication)

MagicIRL

You really have to laugh at what can only be refered to as complete ignorance. To have people of "power" or "educated jounalists" writing such muck in the hopes of getting some paper sales or some extra votes. Pathetic.

The worst part is that your average man or woman will read "Imitation Firearms" and think the immediate negative opinion - that theya re infact real guns. Lies, absolute lies.

God, This country never stops getting on my nerves. I love Ireland, its scenery is truely beautiful but the people.. oh the people... :mad:

*DOBBY*

got a response back from Michael Kennedy on Friday morning saying that he was aware of the activity of airsoft and that he was not against it at all but he was against the readily advailable easy supply of Immitation devices. He said he would prefer to see sales being exclusively available only online.

Needless to say I sent off yet another email to point out his inept ability to reference the plethora of material I gave him in the first email.
Awaiting his next response.......

SpookyBastard

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

Lol, you should have been round back in the day when every radio station and paper was baying for airsoft blood, this is laughable really, no need to worry.

You have the IAA to thank for that.

Yeah. I've said it before but I'd like to say it again. Thanks IAA Committees past and present, I owe you a beer.... given I don't know any of you I shall just give all the beer to Ronan

Hivemind187

*DOBBY* wrote: »

got a response back from Michael Kennedy on Friday morning saying that he was aware of the activity of airsoft and that he was not against it at all but he was against the readily advailable easy supply of Immitation devices. He said he would prefer to see sales being exclusively available only online.

Needless to say I sent off yet another email to point out his inept ability to reference the plethora of material I gave him in the first email.
Awaiting his next response.......

Unfortunately thats pretty much the kind of response you'll get from nearly any politician. The depth of their research generally goes no deeper than the bottom of a pint of Guinness.

Liz McManus is a prime example of this. We made her look like a prize plum on the radio when she made accusations against Go-Tactical based on template content on their website rather than first hand knowledge of a business less than ten minutes walk from her offices in Bray.

She also issued a press release which said "We pursue all legal avenues to close this shop down" - or words to that effect. The IAA confronted her threats of legal action and she said she was "Mystified" as to where we got the idea of her making legal threats.

The truth is most politicians dont handle their own affairs. Secretary's and political advisers and spin doctors are the ones who do the work and like any office job, they get lazy.

deepimpact

The cynic in me says that certain bandwagon-hopping politicians have had to find another target for their angst after the headshop issue has been "resolved"* by a "carpet banning" (politicians words, not mine) of the substances in the Misuse of Drugs Acts as amended.

That couldn't be the case, could it? :rolleyes:

*anyone with an ounce of experience can see that the MDAs are extremely limited in terms of controlling drugs. But that is an aside and off-topic.

Luckily, we have had some of the brightest minds in the IAA over the last few terms, so it is very easy to put up a defence against ignorant culchie backwater glorified county councillors.

The_ChiefDUB

*DOBBY* wrote: »

got a response back from Michael Kennedy on Friday morning saying that he was aware of the activity of airsoft and that he was not against it at all but he was against the readily advailable easy supply of Immitation devices. He said he would prefer to see sales being exclusively available only online.

Needless to say I sent off yet another email to point out his inept ability to reference the plethora of material I gave him in the first email.
Awaiting his next response.......

Looks like you got exactly the same response as I got from him.

Hivemind187

What amazes me is that they think the internet is some cure-all solution to criminal intent and not, as the facts would suggest, one of crimes greatest tools.

Scumbags and criminals are not computer illiterate - they are every bit as capable of purchasing items on the web as an honest citizen. In fact, per head of population I would say that the criminal element is better educated in online transactions than the average honest person.

Which leads to an amusing thought.

That criminals could use the credit cards stolen from honest citizens to purchase airsoft items that the honest person would a) have had difficulty purchasing online and b) have those items turned on them.

Who did restricting it to online sales only actualy protect?

(I realise this is a hypothetical argument but it appears that hypothetical is enough to direct legislation - fantasy directing reality. Amazing country we live in isnt it?)

BioHazRd

He also needs to be aware that it is very much easier for a "scumbag" to purchase an airsoft device online than it is to go into a respectable retailer only to be told "sorry that's not in stock, nor is that one, or that one......". We need to allow the retailers to carry on their business as they see fit within the eyes of the law. When the licenses are eventually issued, they wont be handed out like sweeties. There will be strict guidlenes that the retailers will have to adhere to. These are issues I will be raising with Mr. Kennedy myself.

SpookyBastard

Yeah, the online thing bugs me. When I went into GoTac in Bray they took my passport and details when I bought my M4. Much more of a deterrent to crims than using an online store. Personally, I actually think it'd be handy if there was an Airsoft Device licence (just like a normal gun licence). You don't hear any rubbish about real gun stores, I reckon most of us would gladly pay €25 a year for an Airsoft Device Licence if it'd help the sport to look respectable.

Then again, you'd have to be a bit of a silly criminal to buy a €200+ AEG which you can't fire (or give the game away) instead of any number of easily available €50 replicas. Much easier to go to one of the local markets and grab a rubbish air rifle or replica, pay in cash, no questions asked.

And now that I think of it, it's almost easier and cheaper to get a real gun. If I was to try and hold up a bank with my .22, at least I could prove it was real by putting a shot in the ceiling or something. The fact that I have a licence and the .22 has a serial number only matters if I'm caught or leave the gun behind. And in most cases you see guns recovered at robberies were themselves stolen so why bother with a replica at all?

thermo

SpookyBastard wrote: »

. Personally, I actually think it'd be handy if there was an Airsoft Device licence (just like a normal gun licence). You don't hear any rubbish about real gun stores, I reckon most of us would gladly pay €25 a year for an Airsoft Device Licence if it'd help the sport to look respectable.

on which planet would it be handy??? it would be a major setback to the sport in this country imo, next you would have us have driving licences for remote control toy cars.........

fayer

SpookyBastard wrote: »

Personally, I actually think it'd be handy if there was an Airsoft Device licence (just like a normal gun licence)..... I reckon most of us would gladly pay €25 a year for an Airsoft Device Licence if it'd help the sport to look respectable.

How many times has that idea been suggested.........

SpookyBastard wrote: »

You don't hear any rubbish about real gun stores

You dont as most if not all are being put out of business currently due to tighter licencing restrictions

Rogue-Trooper

SpookyBastard wrote: »

Personally, I actually think it'd be handy if there was an Airsoft Device licence (just like a normal gun licence).

SpookyBastard wrote: »

I reckon most of us would gladly pay €25 a year for an Airsoft Device Licence if it'd help the sport to look respectable.

There is such a thing and it only costs a tenner - it's called an IAA membership.

SpookyBastard

thermo wrote: »

on which planet would it be handy??? it would be a major setback to the sport in this country imo, next you would have us have driving licences for remote control toy cars.........

That analogy doesn't really work. Toy cars are obviously toy cars. That's the whole problem. Saying 'but it's a toy gun' doesn't change the fact that unless we go clear or 2-tone we are dealing with something that looks like an offensive weapon. Don't get me wrong, I'd love if the dummy politicians,etc copped on and realised that Airsoft is not the problem. To use you're own polite phrase 'on which planet' do you think that politicians and journalists are gonna leave Airsoft alone and accept the sale of RIF in their local areas?? It's far easier to attack the tiny airsoft community then tell the local neighbourhood watch to feck off.

fayer wrote: »

How many times has that idea been suggested.........
You dont as most if not all are being put out of business currently due to tighter licencing restrictions Today 21:11

I dunno fayer, perhaps my post count will indicate my newness here. And I understand that some newbie swinging in with his solution to the problem might come across wrong. That wasn't my intention. I'm sure much smarter folks than I have been puzzling over and working hard on making Airsoft a safe and respected sport. All I'm suggesting is that licensing something gives you more ground to stand on from my point of view. It's much harder to ban real guns when you can show all the licenced users and the fact almost none of them have committed any crimes. Add to that being able to point to how heavily regulated Airsoft guns are as an extra line of defence. You go from a postition of 'lots of airsoft guns are sold to lots of people and we don't really know what happens to them after that' to 'here are all the legal airsoft owners and they're all law abiding so anyone who is unlicenced is not part of the airsofter bunch'.

Also, just because increased gun control is causing some real gun shops trouble suggests that the restrictions are too tight or the market can't support the number of shops. Either way, there is no reason why licences for airsofters would do serious damage to the sport. How many of use pay our IAA membership fee every year just to give the sport a little extra legitimacy ?

Just my 2c of course but feel free to leave the shipment of fail over there in the corner. It'll save you having to repost the pic for my future posts

SpookyBastard

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

There is such a thing and it only costs a tenner - it's called an IAA membership.

Yeah. I'm a member (unlike many I play with) and I think the IAA are doing a bang-up job of keeping the sport safe. All I was saying was that maybe a licence would be an extra layer of respectability.

I guess we need to let my post be a sign to any airsofters new to boards or any new airsofter or anyone who wants to talk about doing something to help the sport to shut the hell up. God forbid they come in here and give an opinion. Much better to sit around moaning about how badly the sport is perceived whilst not suggesting any ideas. I know there is no quick fix solution and no easy answer but all I did was say what I thought might be handy... silly me. How bout we just forget I said anything and we can wait about til someone else comes a long daring to make a suggestion and give them a good ol' flamming. What big men we are :rolleyes:

thermo

we are not here to attack YOU,,,,,, all im saying is an airsoft licence is a daft idea especially as you know they wont give you a blanket licence and you will have to get one per gun and this will leave anybody with a large collection in a huge financial hole. would you have people licence hurleys as these can be an offensive weapon,,,,,,,, what about kitchen knives?
if you start to licence toys where does it end?