Dear James:
There is a nasty trend to require a government permit to possess body armor. This is very disturbing because the right to protect yourself is the most basic of human rights – the right to life. It is a slap in the face to deny law-abiding people protection that is [in itself] purely passive and harmless.
Australia has “led the way” in telling citizens that they need state permission to protect themselves – armor is illegal to import without permission, and illegal to own “without authorization” in several Australian states.
Now this evil idea has caught on with Canadian politicians – in 2009 the province of British Columbia made it illegal to possess body armor without a permit. To get a permit you must “prove a reasonable need”.
Exceptions are made for law enforcement, licensed security workers and “Individuals who possess a valid firearms licence”. Otherwise, no permit means your armor can be seized, up to a $10,000 fine and six months in jail.
If you believe you are “at imminent risk” you can apply for a 90 day exemption and hope that the bureaucracy approves it before you are attacked. Good luck with that!
Manitoba has passed a ban with NO exemption for firearms license holders.
Alberta’s ban is currently awaiting final proclamation.
and Nova Scotia is now proposing a ban.
This legislation is evil because it will cause the death of innocent folks who, because of all the bureaucratic hassles, cannot (or will not) buy a vest ahead of time. Then they will not be able to get a vest fast enough when the need arises.
The argument given is to keep criminals from using armor but this is naive, as serious criminals will have little problem buying armor via the black market. Do criminals have too much of a problem getting illegal guns or drugs? Should we ban cell phones, because they are so useful in carrying out a crime?
Over the years I have helped many people who needed protection in a hurry: victims of criminal attacks, fearing further attacks, and witnesses to court cases, to name just a few examples.
In the US a felony conviction bars you from using Body Armor, but law-abiding citizens are perfectly free to protect themselves. Right now the only notable exception is Connecticut that has a ban on mail order sales. (But you can still buy locally). We hope this odious legislation does not spread, but advise folks to be on the lookout, especially in the “Nanny states”. Be ready to call your Representative vote at the ballot box. And be ready to vote with your feet, if need be.
Yours truly, – Nick at BulletProofME.com Body Armor