At the gun show this morning, a fellow member of the Weapons Collectors Society of Montana gave me a photocopy of an interesting letter that provides a touch of insight into what it can be like where citizens do NOT have the protection of the 2nd Amendment.
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<br>Written by A B Alard, Superintendent of the RCMP's Southern Saskatchewan District, to F M Hanson of Montmarte, Saskatchewan, "Re : - Application for Weapon Permit," the letter says
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<br>"Sir,
<br>"I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of May 5th. inst. Which I received today from the Commissioner of the Sask'n Provincial Police. re the above. and to advise you to apply to the Sheriff of your District. In the event of him not being willing to grant you a Permit. you may then forward your application here. with a recommendation from the Sheriff or some Justice of the Peace. together with the following information which is required before a Weapon Permit can be issued.
<br>"(1) Whether British Subject.
<br>"(2) Purpose ARMS required for.
<br>"(3) Description of ARMS. Number. Cal.Make.Etc.
<br>"(4) Owners name and address.
<br>"I have the honour to be,'
<br>"Sir,
<br>"Your Obedient Servant,
<br>"[stamped signature illegible] Supt.
<br>"C.C. Southern Sask'n District
<br>"A.B. ALARD"
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<br>Typed awkwardly on an old Royal North-West Mounted Police letterhead with "North-West" XXXed-out and "CANADIAN" typed above, this letter bears the date of 7 May 1921. North of The Line, even "the good old days" 81 years ago weren't all that great for gun-owners whose God-given right to keep and bear arms wasn't protected or guaranteed by a special, separate Constitutional recognition and acknowledgement.
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<br>No RIGHT requires a permit. Nothing that requires a permit is in fact and practice a recognized, acknowledged, guaranteed RIGHT (including those given by God but disapproved by men). I bet that an average gun-owner in 1921 Canada saw the above as "lenient" or ar least "reasonable."
