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Further to this the assignment editor indicated that he has reporters out looking for retail operations that are selling airsoft guns so they can 'get pictures of them'. He specifically wanted to be able to take an airsoft pistol to a police station and interview a police officer, showing him the gun and getting his response. I can't see how we could get a positive response from this, no matter how I look at it, even if the police officer is an airsofter. The AE said this story is a segway from the fellow that police shot back in 2000 at an emergency room in Mississauga and they are rolling that into the current debate about handguns in Toronto. What I told him about that was police would have shot that guy if he was wielding a bar of soap shaped like a gun, real, replica, imitation or bb gun, it does not matter, its considered a dangerous firearm until evidence to the contrary.
I love our sport, but even if we dress in fuzzy bunny outfits and shoot pink bbs at one another, the fact remains that this sport is NOT soccer mom friendly and won't play well in the media.
In essence, don't get suckered into showing anything to anyone no matter how well intentioned they may appear to be or what spin they give you about the story they are doing. I've had dealings with City-TV about 17 years ago, was on camera, and my words and the story got twisted around like you would not believe. Don't trust them.
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