A change in Canadian law for firearms owners.

Taken from the Leader Post

"Refocusing our laws


By Russ Hillman, Leader-Post January 22, 2011 Gun control is one of the greatest failures of our time. The idea that a set of laws written against objects could prevent atrocities is childish. Any time a criminal can bypass the licensing, background check and registration portion of our laws by purchasing black market firearms, it nullifies the entire process.

The Mayerthorpe tragedy is a perfect example. Despite our many laws and bloated bureaucracy, Jim Rozcko got illegal firearms and killed four police officers. He had never had a licence or a background check; none of his firearms were registered. The system failed because the entire concept is a failure.

People with mental problems and prone to violence are too often undiagnosed or fail to take medications. No gun-control law or weapons prohibition can stop them from a murderous rampage or violent crimes.

We must stop the knee-jerk reactions of blaming objects and refocus on measures that are effective. Tougher sentencing of violent criminals and a reinvestment in our beleaguered mental-health system would be a good place to start

RUSS HILLMAN

Macnutt

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post "


When something tragic happens are humanity searches for answers. Often our common sense is blocked by feelings of loss and surprise. That common sense takes a back seat to finding the whys and hows of that tragedy. Even when we can put a name and face to the terrible event that took place such as Alberta's

Mayerthrope shootings, the Arizona shootings and Fort Hood. A name and a face of a mentally deranged murder are not good enough and we start to attack the tools involved, and the law abiding citizens that use those tools.

I did feel a sense of guilt after hearing about the Arizona's shooting. I have owned and shot a Glock 17 pistol, almost identical to the Glock 19 used by Jared Loughner. My guilt quickly subsided when the initial shock of those events wore off and I began thinking about what happened January 8th. It was not my fault, and not the fault of any law abiding gun enthusiast. The guilt became anger after we saw the cries from the United States Democratic party for strict gun control laws and high capacity magazine regulations. The media and Democratic party were trying to blame me, and others like me. News papers throughout Canada were criticizing American gun control like it was the firearms enthusiasts of the state of Arizona's fault, or Sarah Palin and the icons she used. Similarly in Canada after the Mayerthrope shootings it was the hunters fault, and their "high powered rifles."

We have to remind ourselves. With all of these messages of guilt for being a firearms owner bombared on us by liberal media. It is not our fault.

Murder is illegal, yet it didn't stop any of these tragedys from happening. The only one at fault for these shootings are the killers themselves.

There is no way to legislate against crime, be it on any level. From petty theft to mass murders, no form of legislation will end these crimes. Accusing firearms and the people that use them for sport, hunting, and carrying on tradition lacks in reason, common sense and what is good.

A simple fact no Liberals want to hear, gun control is getting old. Maybe our liberal minority leaders should find something else to get their sheep voters worked up about. Its getting tiresome showing them the same facts with the same results and no change in their feelings towards gun ownership.

Fortunatley our current Conervative government does see this, and they are making moves to change it. It started with a push to scrap the long gun registry and now Harper plans on ammending the laws and making it easier to preform a citizens arrest. If only introducing a Canada version of Castle law was also on the horizon for the Conservative party.

Whether castle law happens in Canada or not, it is clear that most of us are starting to realize controlling firearms does nothing to fight the ones that don't obey the laws. How does giving law abiding citizens, especially women the ability to fight those criminals on a even playing field (or one actually in favor of the victim) cause our us to be more unsafe?