Legal handgun owners aren’t the problem
This letter is prompted by a Toast in “Roasted and Toasted” where the Toaster asked anyone to convince them we don’t need a handgun ban in Canada.
I would not try and convince you, but would suggest you give sport shooting a try; you could do that through the local Fish and Game organization with a professional instructor. You might like it.
I think a lot of people in Canada, that aren’t knowledgeable about our present firearms laws, get confused based on what they see happening in the U.S. There is zero comparison between Canada and the U.S. when it comes to firearms laws. Every legal handgun in Canada is registered, you can only sell it to a person with a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) and is administered and approved by the RCMP. To have a restricted PAL (for handguns) there is an extensive background check and you are monitored 24/7 by the RCMP. So, if you were stupid enough to sell it illegally and someone committed a crime with it, it would be traced back to you, with appropriate consequences.
Contrary to what the politicians are telling you, legal handgun owners are not selling handguns to gangs and criminals. You make a valid point when you suggest handguns don’t necessarily provide protection if you were attacked, but not because of the danger to yourself. Handguns, like all firearms, must always be in locked storage and the ammunition must be stored in a separate location. Not very protective, unless the criminal gives you advance warning.
So why not ban handguns? The simple and true answer is, shooting a handgun is a sport. Like all sports it takes a lot of practice and skill to get good at it and I know you won’t understand this, but it is also fun. There are sports that I don’t understand why anyone would want to do them, but I don’t suggest we ban them. I am guessing you might say “not the same thing, guns are dangerous and could cause injury and death.” True, but so are a lot of other sports. I don’t have the numbers, but my guess is, considering at least all contact sport, injuries and even deaths are considerably higher. So, let’s ban all contact sports.
Regarding pro-gun owners yelling and protesting, it is happening everywhere, when people feel their freedoms are being taken away from them. Sport shooting, including the Olympics, is a huge worldwide sport.
Barrie Orich
Lethbridge