OMG! Did the President of the Police Union Just Ask Us Out?! Yes! Yes Chris!

The Kiwi Gun Blog has been making a LOT of complaints to media when their coverage of firearm stories has been grossly unfair.

A positive result of that has been one important editor committing to telling the other side of the story.

The results can be seen HERE, HERE, and HERE

Good for him.

However in one article Chris Cahill of the Police Union said that shooters would not talk to him.

We have taken this as a clear invitation to fix that…..

Hi Chris!

Hope you are well.

I was just reading the article in Stuff.co.nz today (10.12.17)

I have to say that I was confused to see you quoted as saying:

“I’ve certainly learnt there’s some pretty strong opinions out there in the gun community … they’re not interested in any sort of debate or discussing”.

That is odd.

Because I have personally reached out to both you and your association to discuss Arms Control on numerous occasions and have been completely ignored.

Likewise on the numerous times that I have sought a clarification of the Police union’s actual policy in this area.

I finally reached your Communications Manager / Strategic Advisor Jane Young. She made a commitment during a phone conversation (July 11^th 2017) to engage with shooting groups on these issues.

Sadly – she then withdrew this offer immediately by email:  

“I would like you to please note that neither myself, nor Mr Cahill, will engage further with you or your Kiwi Gun Blog colleagues in the foreseeable future”.

FURTHER? You never did. Or with any other shooting organization that we have spoken to.

This was a very disappointing situation. More so as a dialog would be useful in understanding how you arrive at the figures you provide to the media. You see, nobody else can verify these using the available data.

After growing frustration at the lies you were telling the public – via the media, our law makers and even your own members, I contacted EVERY member of your union’s management (Wednesday 10^th May 2017) to express my concern at the damage that you were doing to their member’s credibility.

I contacted the National Secretary, the Vice-Presidents the entire Board of Directors (Representing your seven regions), the Chief Operating Officer, etc.

I detailed a dozen or more proven examples of your deceit. Including the editor of the Otago Daily times having to apologize for using your invented statistics. Radio NZ just lost a Broadcasting Standards complaint for the same.

Yet I did not receive a single reply from your union’s leaders? Not one.

It is therefore outrageous for you to invert reality and now suggest that it is shooters who will not engage with you.

But on a positive note I see that you also told media:

“It’s a legitimate concern that we should talk to gun owners more, and it might be surprising what common ground can reach at times.”

Wonderful. We delight in your sea change of position.

If you pick a February date that is convenient I will organize a modest number of representatives from the various shooting groups to gather in a venue of your choosing.

Let’s see if we can indeed find a positive and proactive – fact based – way forward.

I look forward to your earliest reply…

P.S. Out of interest… Jane claimed that “Mr Cahill has engaged with firearms owners”. Who were these shooters and when please? We can’t seem to find them.  

Will he accept?