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My letter
Hi Guys
I didn't realise things had gotten so serious. I have signed the petition and I am going to write to my local member (although I just hope that doesn't put me on some list). I am, however, under the impression that normal people had some rights left and to have knee jerk rules brought in because of a few idiots doesn't seem right.
This is the letter I'm sending. I put part of it in my petition signing but the allowable 500 characters allowed me only about half of it.
Sir
I am very disappointed with the newly introduced laser pointer licencing 'solution' that is intended to stop a few idiots mis-using these instruments.
These lasers are wonderful astronomical teaching and telescope guiding tools and the people using them as such only have them on for short periods and would turn them off immediately if a plane was in the area yet these are the only people being penalised by this licencing fee. The idiots who buy them for use in pranks and 'practical jokes' will still be able to buy them from overseas and will simply choose to not pay this deterent licencing fee. Simply put, it is detering the wrong people.
A nominal licence fee is fine if the government wants to keep some sort of track of the lasers used by the legitimate users but no fee, no matter how high it is will help manage the illegal users and these are the ones that I hope the government is really chasing. I believe that the only deterent is very high fines for the mis-use of these lasers and this would also have the benefit of raising the revenue that the government seems to be seeking without the side effect of alienating the legitimate users.
Yours etc.
How does this sound?
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