If it keeps our country safe then what have we got to complain about?
I'd be interested to see the evidence that this latest spot-check initiative makes us all safer. IIRC it's based on a recent spurious suggestion that 'terrorists' (unknown, unidentified, unquantified and unspecified) 'may' attempt to obtain weapons from licensed firearms holders. The checks are intended to ensure that we are all securing our firearms and shotguns as required by the conditions on our certificates. Unfortunately, the cosy security narrative unravels when you reflect that every GP surgery in the land now has 'coded markers' identifying each and everyone of us to the staff, who may or may not be 'terrorist' sympathisers. I'm sure some would accuse me of paranoia, but the number of confirmed UK terrorist offenders with links to the NHS is somewhat worrying. Remember the nice Doctor who tried to blow up Glasgow Airport?
For the sake of arguement, let's ignore the facts that a) sporting guns are hardly any terrorists weapon of choice and b) why run the risk of capture during a theft/home invasion, when you can jump on a ferry to Europe and buy whatever you want in the way of reactivated deacts in the Czech Republic. However, in the event that some random terrorists turn up looking to help themselves to my sporting firearms it appears that the authorities imagine the conversation will be something like, (Terrorists) "Hi, we're from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Judea. We've come for your guns." (Me) "I'm sorry they're secured as per the conditions of my firearms certificate, so they're locked up at the moment." (Terrorists) "Oh! Could you let us know when the cabinet will be open and we'll call back then?" (Me) "Certainly. Would 5 p.m. tomorrow be convenient?"
I think folk in authority need to get a serious grip on reality, rather than playing politically motivated a**e-covering games. The best security you can have is to minimise the number of folk that know you have firearms on the premises. Unfortunately, that rather mitigates against those of us who are trying to promote our sport to the wider world.
Clearly, if there is a
significant threat of legally held firearms being forceably removed from certificate holders under duress, perhaps we should be permitted to carry concealed handguns to counter the threat - just like a number of well known politicians do, across in Northern Ireland? In the interim, I think that our police officers could be more usefully employed during any slack hours chatting up members of the potential terrorist/criminal community rather than banging on people's doors asking to look at their cabinet.