Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

The Problem With Handguns

By Jack deWit

by Jack deWit

Prime Minister Martin declared on December 7 that he would attempt to introduce legislation to place a ban on all handguns. Sounds nice in a campaign speech to urbanites, but is it realistic or just another pipe dream by a desperate politician?

It is another example of how a few hardcore criminals are giving our politicians an excuse to legislate another costly ineffective law. It is time that our governments attempted to govern Canada with laws that will benefit the majority of Canadians. The banning of handguns would effectively make thousands of lawful gun owners criminals by the stroke of a pen as it did with the recent firearm registration program. The law already requires all handguns be registered. So the police will simply use this registry of legal handguns to collect and destroy lawfully owned firearms. Will this get handguns off the street?

How many lawful handgun owners are walking our streets with their firearms strapped under their shoulder or tucked in their belts? How many registered handgun owners are going to commit a robbery? So who is really going to be effected by a total ban on handguns? I sure don’t think the criminal element will be dramatically concerned with such a ban.

Let’s look at some bona fide facts.
• The majority of handguns used in crime are smuggled or stolen firearms. These firearms would not be registered to the user in any case. So how would the police be able to collect these guns should such a ban be legislated?
• Is it reasonable for thousands of legal owners to give up a hobby and their expensive guns if such a ban is not effective? Moreover, would there be any reimbursement to the owners by the government.
• Most guns used in crimes are of the rapid firing semi-automatic type that expels the spent cartridges out of the gun and to the ground. This effectively leaves crucial evidence as the projectile can be traced to the firearm it was shot out of. A revolver retains the spent cartridges in the cylinder. It seems that with most criminal acts the perpetrator either doesn’t know this or they simply don’t give a care.
• Like it or not, most criminal acts involving handguns are committed by Asian, East Indian, and other crime related groups. It seems that these cultures have made handgun use very popular in recent years.

So why should a Canadian citizen who has legally owned a handgun for many years be subjected to an ineffective legislation banning the ownership of such a firearm? The simple answer is, he shouldn’t. It is time that our politicians realized where the problems arise. The time has come where our government must get tough with those who use guns in the commission a crime.

Here are some of my solutions to the present gun problem;
• Have a national referendum attached to the ballot to allow Canadians the right to decide if the death penalty should be reinstated.
• All crimes (where there is no injury to victims) committed by non-Canadians shall lead to an automatic deportation order with no appeals.
• All convicted criminals using firearms receive a minimum penalty of 10 years if no victims are injured.
• If a victim is injured the penalty would be a minimum of 20 years.
• In the case of a death, where the court finds the subject guilty of manslaughter, the convicted criminal would serve a true-life sentence. For a convicted 1st or 2nd degree murder, the suspect would be sentenced to death.
• The preferred jail time punishment would be served by doing hard labour for the duration of their sentence.
• All jail terms would be served for the full sentence given.

It is time to get tough. The above punishments would create results! Crime, and especially those committed with illegal guns, is a direct result of our federal government failing to take appropriate action when necessary. This is not a new problem. It has been brewing for years while the government ignores the ramifications of its own inaction.

Let’s re-establish a prison system that will aid in creating employment for our hardworking Canadians and get our criminals off the streets. Leave legal gun owners alone. The responsibility of public safety is at stake. The government must act now with a manageable public safety strategy. Banning of handguns does not fit into this category!

Previous Story - Next Story



Return to Home