Banning replica guns isn’t the answer

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/05/2021 (1796 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I HAVE concerns about the recent editorial headlined “Replica weapons ban is a life-saving measure” (May 11), which supports a ban because police killed two Manitoba men who were brandishing replica weapons.

By no means do I represent the whole airsoft community that uses replica firearms; however, I would like to dispute points of misinformation regarding our sport.

As many have read from news reports, airsoft replicas have been subject to misuse in various situations. However, simply banning the tool used within these scenarios will only attack the symptoms of the issue, while the underlying disease will continue to persist in its current state.

The causes of replica misuse can broken into three categories: 1. Poor education on replicas; 2. Lack of proper mental-health resources; 3. Socioeconomic inequality that leads to criminal misuse.

Under the current legislation, airsoft is classified as an “uncontrolled firearm,” which puts the onus of regulation on airsoft retailers themselves. While most retailers do properly regulate purchases, there are instances in which minors are able to purchase airsoft toys. Making it a legal requirement for adults to hold responsibility for the toys will drastically decrease the cases of negligence we see within our communities.

In cases involving self-harm, some individuals use airsoft replicas to threaten responding police officers in order to accomplish their goal of “suicide by cop.” However, banning airsoft replicas does not address the underlying problem of these cases, which is severe mental-health distress. As proposed by numerous Canadian civil rights groups, sending social workers to mental-health crises rather than armed police officers will yield more positive outcomes. Mental-health issues are the driving factor of such scenarios, not replica guns.

Regarding criminal misuse, the banning of replicas will only follow the trend of previous failed prohibitions. Those with criminal intent will still achieve their goals, regardless of the restrictions emplaced. A University of Toronto associate professor of sociology, Jooyoung Lee, states that banning firearms — in this case airsoft — does not address the underlying issues that lead to criminal misuse.

He states the main driver of criminal activity is the socio-economic situation of those involved in crimes. A much more appropriate, effective and cost-efficient approach would be to invest in impoverished communities to address the socioeconomic imbalance.

Every airsoft business within Canada is a small business. There are about 200 airsoft-related businesses, which employ an estimated 2,000 workers. The changes in the proposed firearms legislation, Bill C-21, will devastate this industry — in fact, the bill’s mere presence has already impacted the crippled airsoft scene. Businesses such as Devil Dogs Airsoft and Flagswipe Airsoft Fields had to close their doors completely, citing Bill C-21 as a primary driver.

Should the bill be implemented, all available inventory will be rendered worthless, as the bill not only prohibits sales and distribution of replicas, it will also make it illegal to destroy the replicas as they will be labelled a prohibited device. Associated stock, such as BBs and protective equipment, will also become useless, as they function with the replicas.

Discussions about airsoft and its place in society are not unique to this country. Other democratic nations, such as Japan, the United States and the entirety of Europe, all recognize that airsoft must be regulated. However, what all these jurisdictions also realize is that realistic airsoft replicas do have a place in the hands of the participating hobbyists.

There are those within Canada who believe these realistic replicas do not have a place within Canadian society. That position is respectfully opposed by the Canadian airsoft community. In addition to their use in the hobbyist community, airsoft replicas are widely used as movie props in the Canadian movie and film industry, and as alternatives to real firearm possession by some in the Canadian firearms community.

Further regulation may be needed to avoid further dangerous misuse; however, simply banning the replicas will cause much more harm than good to Canadian society. All of Canada’s opposition political parties have recognized that a ban is a poor approach to public safety.

Simply banning airsoft replicas will have little to no impact on the underlying issues discussed here. However, it will end thousands of livelihoods for those who engage in and depend on the sport.

Bill Chung is an airsoft enthusiast in Vaughan, Ont. Before the pandemic restrictions on group size and distancing, he used to play three or four times a week.