Am finding this a bit amusing in that it's the gentrified Brit, Salopian, who is 'rattling his sabre' here, while us independent-thinking sons of former frontiersman seem to be lining up like neutered sheep in preparation for a total lead ban...
As a wildlife biologist of thirty-two years, since retired, I'd urge all of us who love shooting our vintage guns (and at clays in particular - where a non-tox is most impractical) to not go 'belly-up' quite so readily as we appear to be doing. You can do this by choosing to speak out. Whether in public meetings or in letters to those policy-makers at the helm of this new debacle......insist upon all the references for the 'good science' that supposedly predicates the need for a complete ban of lead. Literally flood them with requests for proof, and then 'google' up what you are not being provided with.
Don't accept, as one of the posters recently related, some state-paid biologist (MN, I believe) standing before his audience vaguely telling them that the studies were conducted in some neighboring state - but he couldn't remember exactly which one.....Duh! Or 'that their DNR director is really committed to a non-tox program, and we need to resign ouselves to it'. Bollocks!
What we need is good, verifable data that withstands scrutiny, and if they actually can provide that - in quantity - then we need to appropriately reconsider our position. Short of that, a bit of revolutionary impulse may once again be in order, I would think. For now, and until more conclusive information is at hand, I'm with Salopian on this.
Remember that the bureaucrats pushing their various agendas count on our timidity before an audience in such matters, our fear of asking the wrong questions, and especially, our inherent complacency.
Just some thoughts,
Rob Harris
