I'm afraid if it isn't, it's close to dying! In Canada we have had a very contentious law put in by the Liberal Party that required every person to register their long guns. This program cost the country an estimated $2 billion dollars in the time that it was in place. Criminals are going to obtain weapons from whatever source they can. The law abiding farmer is tied up with paperwork! Refusing or omitting to register automatically makes one a criminal!It boils down to two sides, rural Canada vs Urban Canada, or in other words Toronto ( the centre of the universe in their own minds) against all others.
To make it worse, politicians were told to toe the party line, never mind what their constituency says. Ie. The NDP and Liberals voting to defeat the bill to abolish the registry. Where is the democracy at work in this? It is not a vote to bring down parliament or anything that grandeous, but two out of touch leaders playing their own agenda. Several politicians changed their votes after declaring their public stance. Did cash change hands? Or were future favours involved? We probably will never know for sure.
I dug out my old hat from many years ago and will likely start wearing it. If Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal etc. want wheat, oil etc let them come buy it. from The Republic of Western Canada.
The bill to abolish was defeated by a margin of two! Beware the poitician that says " I will listen to the people, but then will vote as I see fit"! The next election is not that far away!
Democracy is anarchy is disguise. Peace
ReplyDeleteAnother viewpoint!
ReplyDeleteKris
I, and probably 85% of hunters are fully behind the gun registry as it pertains to handguns and automatic weapons BUT.... recent news has been about the " long gun" registry ie rifles and shotguns. Most every resident in rural Canada has a hatred for the existing rules being extended to rifles and shotguns because
- they are discriminatory. If you are a Yukon homesteader or a Nolalu farmer who keep a rifle handy to shoot wolves/bear attacking farm animals and to put a moose in freezer for winter meat, you need to get a passport photo and fill out a complicated application, co-signed by your partner, to get a 5 year permit. If you are a native, however,the courts are expected to rule that your treaty rights allow you to have a " long gun" without registration, it's your right.
- they criminalize what is, at best, a civil offense. Failure to register your rifle/shotgun, according to existing legislation is a criminal rather than a civil offence and hence any farmer/hunter who forgets or doesn't bother can end up with a criminal record that causes major problems with cross border travel and job applications, never mind the fine and humiliation.
- the cost of registry administration is large, more bureaucrats living off our tax dollars.....
Muddying up the waters are two sideshows. First, the animal rights crowd, the ones who want to ultimately ban all hunting, are behind the scene bringing out all kinds of unsubstantiated, just plain wrong, statistics about rifles/shotguns being a major player in spousal abuse cases and how crime is down since gun registry laws were enacted. Second, the conservatives know they can bring in a nice chunk of rural voters by just mentioning the word gun registry and how the liberal and ndp support it. Both of these side issues will keep the gun registry arguments alive and well for at least one more election.
Oversimplifying, to best understand the anti long gun registry point of view, put on your Yukon homestead hat and wear those shoes; understanding the full registry point of view takes you back to your vegan days. Aren't you glad you have experienced both points of view, now you can take either side and argue that position with conviction and personal experience.
Have a great term, looking forward to a Cuban experience to start the new year.
"sir"
politicians were told to toe the party line, never mind what their constituency says.
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds familiar! Conservative in the USA have a real good opportunity to vote the liberal left out of office in November. I'm praying we do. :-)
Democracy doesn't work. Majority rule is cruel, dangerous, and is scary. A republic works when duly representatives truly represent their constituents instead of party lines or special interests. Rarely any more do we see our representatives represent us.
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