PUBLICATION LETHBRIDGE HERALD
DATE : MON JUN.14,1999
PAGE : 8
CLASS : Monday A
Support for <gun> registration not as high as some think
Cheryl Crowe Editor: I would like to respond to the letter in the Herald May 18, entitled, "The truth behind our <gun> control laws," by Jean Valin. First I would say that I do not agree with and I question the authenticity of his statistics saying 80 per cent of Canadians want registration of all guns and over half of Canada's <gun> owners support this concept. I would also say that Mr. Valin, director of Public Affairs at Canadian Firearms Centre, must be badly misinformed and that he knows very little about Western Canada. It is only natural that Mr. Valin must say the things he does and what he is told to say as this is his livelihood and he also must be politically correct. He is entitled to his opinion which is apparently directed to Western Canadians who would welcome the real truth.
If there are so many Canadians that want <gun> registration, why are the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon and the Territories fighting this legislation in the Supreme Court of Canada to be heard this fall? If over half of Canada's <gun> owners support the legislation as Mr. Valin states, why are they not registering their rifles and shotguns? Why did 20,000 <gun> owners protest the legislation on Parliament Hill? Why are there so many petitions against this bill going to Ottawa? Why are so many sportsmen groups fighting the legislation? Why did the Liberal party lose so many seats in Western Canada because of this issue? How can so many people be so wrong in fighting this dictatorial, undemocratic, costly, unnecessary <gun> legislation?
The federal government has been accused in the past of manipulating and using false figures in statistics to further their arguments for their politically motivated legislation on <gun> control. False figures and statistics are also used to spread propaganda. Statistics and polls can be manipulated to this end depending on the wording and interpretation. I have a letter from the executive director of the Canadian Police Association directed to the federal justice department complaining about the accuracy of statistics on this very issue. I also have a copy of a letter from the RCMP commissioner directed to the federal justice department that states in part, "the incorrect reporting of RCMP statistics could cause the wrong public policy or laws to be developed." Isn't this exactly what happened in this issue?
It is of great concern to me and should be to all Canadians if statistics and polls are being fudged and manipulated and then used to help dictatorial politicians achieve their political arbitrary objectives. This should not happen in our so-called democratic society where we depend on the integrity and democratic procedure of our elected public servants. The RCMP even notified the justice department by letter that they (RCMP) could not provide an affidavit on the accuracy of the 1993 firearms statistics presented by the Department of Justice at the court hearing in Edmonton. Isn't there something drastically wrong?
Another concern I have is, by the stroke of a pen called "regulatory changes" 553,000 legally owned registered handguns since 1932 were declared prohibited weapons Dec. 1, 1998 by Ottawa dictatorial bureaucrats. "Why?" We have been told that the RCMP and statistics Canada revealed that registered handguns were not a threat to public safety. This should tell law abiding <gun> owners why our dictatorial government wants <gun> owners to register their legally owned rifles and shotguns. Will the government suddenly make another regulatory change declaring all rifles and shotguns manufactured before a certain date illegal weapons and give an amnesty period? This is one of the reasons <gun> owners are saying the bureaucrats in Ottawa don't need to know and shouldn't know what legally owned private property law abiding Canadian citizens own because they cannot be trusted.
We have been told that there are over 300 pages of legislation and regulations in the <gun> control law and that no one person understands it all. Our dictatorial Ottawa bureaucrats have crafted a steady stream of regulations so complex it would take a Philadelphia lawyer to figure them out. It will be good fodder for lawyers and courts.
Mr. Valin stated Parliament responded to the desires of most Canadians.
Canadian law abiding <gun> owners believe Parliament responded to their
own political dictatorial undemocratic objectives. The <gun> legislation
has nothing to do with enhancing public safety, nor will it prevent crime.
It is about politics, power and confiscation. It isn't even good common
sense and
the cost is prohibitive.
Mr. Valin states in one sentence, "police cannot search a persons home for firearms without first obtaining a warrant." In the next sentence he states, "Canada's new firearms legislation gives only inspection powers to designated firearms officers (including some police officers)." Does Mr. Valin understand the legislation?
Mr. Valin failed to state the truth about how many hundreds of millions of dollars this costly unnecessary Bill C-68 is costing Canadian taxpayers, or the cost of operating the firearms centre that was moved from Ottawa to Miramichi, New Brunswick.There is still much opposition to Bill C-68 <gun> legislation and there always will be regardless of what Justice Minister Anne McLellan's puppets and supporters believe. Many of us are wondering when the Liberal government will come to their senses and admit they have made a costly mistake, then take a look at the justice system problems.
Is it any wonder why many Canadians are saying they have lost their faith and trust in the Liberal government?
GLEN B. MICHELSON
Lethbridge