Re: True gun control should be simple (Our View, June 17)
It is a tragic concern when people get hurt with firearms. My family and I have legally possessed firearms for many years, but not for hunting, just target shooting. It is a great family day out and one that is enjoyed by many.
To get to this stage of legally owning a firearm, there are many loopholes we have to jump through; a thorough background check, safety courses, obtaining a gun licence, purchasing equipment to store firearms and another to store ammunition. Then there is membership at a range and gun club, and membership in the National Firearms Association, to keep up with the many confusing government issues relating to firearms.
The unfortunate thing is, that governments have wasted millions of dollars for registration and unfair legal procedures, involving firearms ownership. We are not the criminals.
The perpetrators of illegal gun activities are people who obtain their firearms illegally, across the U.S. border, who have no regard for our laws, do not fill out any paperwork or attend safety courses, or apply for a gun licence.
If every legal gun owner in Canada were disarmed, it would make no difference to these murderous lunatics, who can get heavy duty weapons, with total disregard of what the law requires.
These acts of murder and terrorism will continue, but it is the legal gun owners who get the blame.
Responsible gun owners do not have the mindset of going out and killing people. To us, target shooting is an enjoyable sport with the family.
I advocate that women who wish to carry concealed weapons to protect themselves from rapists and thieves, enrol in the same courses as female police officers. I say this, as there is never a police officer to stop a rape or violent attack. If there were more licensed and legally trained people carrying firearms for self-protection, it would make quite a difference.
The vast amount of money being wasted by the government, trying to restrict firearms from responsible gun owners, could be better spent going after those that violate our gun laws with the plan to attack the very society we live in with these illegal weapons.
Our world is changing, people’s attitudes are changing, foreign attitudes are radically influencing the minds of our young to commit atrocities amongst us. There is a need to increase registered gun ownership to protect innocent life, but it needs to be done correctly.The methods and confusing laws that are in place right now are not working. This is a serious problem and requires serious thought, not just a blanket decision to disarm everyone.
Paul Collins
Langford
