Why Not Ban All Handguns?
Political Editorial Opinion
The Canadian Government is supposedly intent on ensuring the safety of the Canadian public. To that end it has banned the use of carbine rifles, even if those guns were legally bought, registered and only used at a range.
There are about 2,400,000 licensed gun owners in Canada. It is difficult to know exactly how many guns are legally owned in Canada, because bolt action rifles, and shotguns do not need to be registered.
Yet, shotguns, legal, containing a ‘slug’ (common, legal and readily available) still sustain enough energy to kill, at ranges out to 400 yards, and have an ‘effective range’ of 100 to 150 yards.
A pistol calibre carbine has an ‘effective range’ that is the same as a shotgun, yet PC carbines, are illegal, even if their magazines carry the same number of bullets as shells that will fit into a shotguns magazine are used.
Handguns, on the other hand only have an ‘effective range’ of 25 to 50 yards, can be completely concealed and account for 49% of all violent crime, while rifles, including carbines and shotguns, only accounted for 15% of crime.
Conveniently, stats are not kept by StatsCanada in relation to how many ‘carbines’ were either used in violent crime, or homicides, however;
“Based on available Statistics Canada data and analysis of firearm-related homicides, it is rare for a legally registered and still-owned firearm—including carbine rifles—to be used in a homicide.”
Statistics Canada reported that “in the 8-year period up to 2019, approximately 7% of firearm-related homicides were committed with registered firearms.”
No data is publicly available in relation to ‘carbine rifles’, even though the Federal Government chose to ban those weapons. While, at the same time in relation to handguns, the following was true.
“In 2022, there were 342 firearm-related homicides in Canada, with 63% involving handguns. Of these, 58% of the firearms had initially been obtained legally, and 49% of the handguns used were legally acquired. This indicates that a significant portion of firearm-related homicides involved legally obtained firearms, including handguns.” Source; StatsCanada
So, does any of this make any sense in relation to a policy that is supposedly designed and created to protect Canadian’s lives?
If handguns are responsible for the vast majority of homicides, and half of those legally owned guns end up in the commission of a crime, then doesn’t it simply make sense to ban all handguns?
Otherwise, all that the Federal Government is doing is simply playing to specific interest groups, while instituting laws that are neither rational nor effective.
The gun laws, as they stand in Canada, do not target the real problem, or make the lives of Canadians, any safer.
The real problem is the fact that legal handguns, either owned and registered or imported to this country for sale by dealers, are either diverted or stolen in transit, and then used by criminals and gangs in the prosecution of crimes.
By banning all handguns, at least a portion of the problem would disappear, and in terms of public safety, fewer Canadians would be killed or injured. Obviously, handguns are coming into the country illegally as the following information stipulates;
“In Toronto, handguns are the most commonly used firearms in the commission of violent crimes. In 2022, handguns were involved in approximately 86% of firearm-related violent crimes in the city. This trend has been consistent over the years, with handguns being the predominant firearm in such incidentsIn Toronto, handguns are the most commonly used firearms in the commission of violent crimes. In 2022, handguns were involved in approximately 86% of firearm-related violent crimes in the city. This trend has been consistent over the years, with handguns being the predominant firearm in such incidents.” Chat GPT
The same findings have been replicated throughout the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and in most major Canadian cities.
And, it is one of the primary reasons why half of Canada’s ten Provinces either have specific concerns with the program, while four of them actually refuse to assist in recovering or administering the Federal Government’s Gun Buy Back Program.
At a cost of 2 billion dollars, minimum to Canadian taxpayers, that money could have bought Canada’s planned Supplementary Reserve, all 300,000 prospective members, a Canadian Armed Forces standard infantry weapon.
It is simply irrational.
Period.
Leave a Reply