Gun registry funds could be better spent

Re: More Proof That Ottawa’s Gun Registry Is Useless, Oct. 11.

So, 10 years and $2-billion after the Liberals introduced the Firearms Act, murder by firearms has still managed to increase. If the Liberals consider continued funding of this failed project to be good value for the money spent, they have got a lot of explaining to do.

If we truly want to see some real results, I suggest we return to the inexpensive firearms acquisition certificate system, which by means of its criminal record check filtered out just as many undesirables as the horrendously bloated new licensing system does now. Then we could dismantle the bureaucratic nightmare that is the Gun Registry and — get this — use the saved money to actually fill the hundreds of RCMP vacancies across the country. After this, with piles of money still left over, we could fund all sorts of proven programs like drug treatment centres, mental health centres, women’s shelters and early intervention techniques.

This approach will be infinitely more successful in reducing crime and murder than following an ideologically unsound program that abuses the rights of the most law-abiding segment of society while doing nothing to impact those least inclined to follow the law.