Re: Commentary: Firearms fight headed for showdown
Yes, it's going to be interesting to see how it all comes out.
Neither approach is going to solve gun-related crimes and violence because it does nothing to stop the existing illegal gun trade across our border from the USA and the access the bad people have to it, and it never will.
I worked at a border port as a Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspector years ago. Knew of truckers packing in firearms both ways undetected many times.
Americans who were caught attempting to bring guns into Canada were either sent back to put the guns in storage until they returned to the USA, or had their guns confiscated. However based on my experience, I'm sure many weren’t detected and apprehended.
The border is too porous for illegal guns. And the potential of buying one in the States for a few hundred dollars and being able to sell it in Canada for a few thousand dollars is a big incentive.
However, I don't have a good answer.
I just know that piles of more legislation is not going to fix it and taking legally acquired restricted firearms from legally behaving owners who keep and use them properly and without any harm to others – at a huge cost to the taxpayers – isn't the answer either as they are not the source of the problem.
And the sense of security it will give to communities as Minister (of Public Safety Marco) Mendicino says will end up being a very expensive and a false one.
Darrel Florence,
Cremona
