Liberals introduce buy-back program for banned firearms

The federal government has introduced new gun control legislation that would include a buy-back program for banned firearms, allow municipalities to ban handguns and increase criminal penalties for gun smuggling and trafficking. – CBC News

Citizens who beat their swords into plowshares will soon be plowing fields for a tyrant.

The proposed legislation has nothing to do with public safety. If this government wants to reduce the victims of gun violence, it must amend the criminal code to:

• prohibit bail pending trial for anyone facing charges of carrying or using a firearm to in the alleged commission of a crime;
• imposing a 10-year sentence for anyone in possession of an unregistered firearm;
• imposing a 10-year sentence for anyone convicted of the theft of a firearm or ammunition;
• imposing a 20-year sentence on anyone in possession of an unregistered handgun;
• imposing a 20-year sentence for anyone importing or dealing in firearms without a license;
• imposing an automatic life sentence for anyone convicted of using a firearm when there are two or more victims; and
• prohibiting parole for anyone convicted of possession or use of a firearm while committing a crime;   

Emotional appeals to ban firearms based on images will not deter the criminal element in society. For the five years 2014 to 2018, there were 2,146 homicide victims. 50% or 1,073 died by firearms.  Of the 1,073 firearms victims, 58.1% died by handguns, and 1.7% died by fully automatic firearms. Trudeau is aiming at the wrong segment of firearms to improve public safety. Cracking down hard on unlawful importation, distribution, and possession of handguns would be far more effective.

There are three significant problems with the proposal of banning handguns in cities:

It is a violation of human rights and charter rights legislation; people are discriminated against by domicile;

Without more stringent legislation to convict and incarcerate people in possession of illegal handguns, criminals have no incentive to stop using them; and

The federal government cannot increase or limit the powers of cities. Cities are a provincial creation, and the federal government is prohibited from amending provincial legislation that creates and empowers cities.

Once again, the federal government thrashes about with ideology with no meaningful research or coherent plan to make us safer. Banning firearms based on image and emotions will cost taxpayers needless sums and cause difficulties for thousands.

$300-$400 million would go a long way to improving education in our schools and universities,  respecting the risks of shaming and shunning and identifying peers who may suffer mental difficulties and require compassionate treatment before succumbing to suicide or violence.

There are positive approaches to violence reduction that our government is not considering.