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Safe from whom?


When there were actual threats Canada had a larger military than the US on a per capita basis. Even after WW II Canada had a large share of North American Air defense, A considerable army force in NATO and a good sized navy. Just because we realised that there was no real threat and began downsizing our armed forces doesn't mean the US is protecting us.
The US has an enormous armed forces but one questions how much is for defence. After all tackling and Panama didn't need much.

The only reason the Conservatives haven't been able to change the Firearms Act is because they only won a Minority govt. To be truely effective, a govt needs to hold a Majority. In the meantime, they are doing what they can. Is it perfect? No, but what govt is? They also held-up implementing the UN firearm marking start date. One of the strongest supporters of gunrights in Canada is a Member of Parliment, Gary Breitkreuz. As well, there are many in all Parties who are gunowners and hunters who I feel if, were given a free vote on the Firearms Act would do away with it.
We need to have the CPC win a majority and then when it comes to a vote, the MP's must be able to vote freely, not as the Party leadership dictates. As well, all Canadian shooters need to join both the NFA and the CSSA as well as their respective Provincial F&G clubs or if not hunters then the Provincial shooting org. We also must continue to educate the masses as to what constitutes legal firearms use vs what the media portrays firearms use to be.

BCB
While a convoluted thought... the fact is we could always own handguns in every city in the US. It just took Heller to affirm that right. The cards have been redealt and we won big. There is no way Canada gun laws are acceptable to me. Every registered gun is, as Okanogan says, a preconfiscation artifact.

The simple reason for the lack of bloodshed in Canadian history is the simple question "What there is worth fighting for?"
art

I guess we've had "pre-confiscation artifacts" here for over a 100 years then.

Art, you need a tin-foil hat to go with such thinking.

Besides, I don't even know why I'm even arguing about handguns. Like the huge majority of Canadians - I don't have one, don't need one, and don't want one. I had one once, but eventually traded it for something a lot more useful - a fly rod.

I think my thoughts on handguns are a lot like Jack O'Connor's.

Hit the nail on the head Sitka. Ever since the days of the FLQ if any can remember that far and the war measures act was introduced by Trudeau and all his commie friends it has been a down hill slide for gun owners in Canada- long and short.

I carried one yesterday and the day before. A long arm would be cumbersome while using the fly rod and laying it against a tree would make it useless when needed. Might not be enough, but I would sure prefer a handgun to a can of bear spray.

Erosion of firearm rights has been continuous in the US since Miller. Do not know Canada's starting point, but am reminded of the old "First they came for..." message and I am concerned.

Pennsylvania outlawed semi-autos some years back, I believe. And I think that is going to be revisited.

What document can you point to in support of Canadians' rights as regards firearms?
art

You would if you lived next to the the Mexican border

Brian, thank you for your gracious reply. You write well. This topic motivates me to work to improve gun laws.

I always wanted a quality .22 pistol. In my teen years I carried my Dad's Colt .22 revolver and shot grouse with it while hunting deer. But even when I lived where concealed carry was legal, (and I always had a CC permit) a handgun was never high enough priority for me to actually buy one. I considered the CC permit a positive addition if policos were counting them as an indicator of handgun owners, and a vote for handgun ownership outside of the voting booth. But aside from a few fishing trips I've never spent lots of time in heavy grizzly populations except when hunting big game with a rifle in hand. If I fished grizzly streams a lot, I'd revise my needs.

Yes - you are right.

There's a lot of spots in America - that if I were forced to live
in - I would own a handgun.

Handguns are incredibly useful objects, both for use against 4-legged and 2-legged varmints. In my locale, the 2-legged ones would by far be the most likely candidates (and granted, to actually use a handgun against a person is an unlikely event). YMMV of course. Our climate is mild enough 9 months out of the year that we have a pretty good number of transients that basically live in the woods, and then we have the meth heads and meth cooks, and of course your basic criminals too.

I have a CCW permit and would feel really... naked without the ability to carry a handgun in some situations. This has become more and more important to me as two things have happened- first, the birth and subsequent growin' up of my daughters, and my responsibilities to protect them when we are out and about in the woods or otherwise... Second the simple fact that at age 43 I ain't as tough as I used to be, and I never was very tough to begin with! :-)

23-year-old Jeff O could no doubt kick the snot out of 43-year-old Jeff O, is sort of my point there. From that I infer that there's a bunch of 23-year-olds that could take me out pretty quick. My stiff lower back being the primary reason why.

Anyway I'm not a handgun nut; I only own 4 of them and they are tools to me, not works of art like rifles and good shotguns are (to me). But life without handguns would be a real bummer as far as I'm concerned.

-jeff

Don't get me wrong - I'll work passionately against ALL forms of gun control - because it ALWAYS targets the good people (who follow laws) and never the bad people - who could care less about any law. Every time some brain-dead politician proposing banning any gun - I write back - "Why not ban gang membership?" Or theft - or crime?

If I could pack a revolver - legally - in grizzly country -owning a handgun would something I might entertain.

But since I can't - I'll stick to bearspray as a back-up to my slug gun or one of my rifles.

I guide for black bears every spring for an outfitter friend of mine. Most of the clients are American. In just about every group, somebody makes the comment: "it sucks you can't hunt with handguns here." I agree with them everytime.

Or in Canada if everyone wanted to go there. Your entire population is barely over our illegal population. I'd happily send them all to you and then we can talk. Fortunately we will take care of you when the time comes.

Troutfly,you're being held hostage. The tories could get rid of long gun regestation anytime,the grits are too chicken [bleep] to force an election on something they were thinking of bringing in them selves.Heck they might even vote for it.

Can't say as I disagree with you. Very few of the politicians in any party have cajones to actually try it.
That is why it is up to us to keep the pressure on both the politicians and the non-gun owners in Canada who don't have an opinion one way or the other to ensure they do not side with the anti's.

When the last election was held the Liberals promised a handgun ban. It wouldn't be hard to do they are registered.How long do you think it would be before they took semiauto's?
"Pre-confiscation artifacts" is exactly what guns are here in Canada. Its not "tinfoil hat" thinking. Gun ownership in Canada is going where freedom of speech has gone. Gone

The best thing about those who drafted the US Constitution was that they realized that they weren't granting rights they were acknowledging self evident rights. Every citizen has the right to bear arms when the government tramples those rights we are no longer free.

Here in Canada we are no longer free. Whats true is true whether you believe it or not
regards
Dan

A week after the gun ban was overturned in DC and the citizens are still afraid to register their handguns. Why is that?

those things don't happen overnight. There will have to be follow-on cases (see the Heller himself was denied a permit yesterday - again - and in direct defiance of the ruling).
Look to see D.C. (and Chicago) slapped around extensively by the courts in the next two years.

This is only an issue in a dozen or so cities and about 4 states, the rest of the country is truly not subject to such harassment.

Compromise and negotiation have their place and they are tools to an end not the goal. If you aren't willing to not compromise on somethings you aren't free you are a subject. England let you go. If you think you negotiated your way to the nation on earth with the most freedom you are sadly mistaken and deluded. Then that's an affliction many have up there, in Europe and here sadly.

Each nation has something good, some places of beauty and some good people to be found. Canada has more than just about any place outside the US. I grew up next to Canada, dated a few Canadian girls, drank many a Canadian brew. I like Canada, still it's no America.

I hope you guys can establish a recognition of the right to keep and bear arms.