Banning guns does not reduce gun crime.
The reason? Well..does mayor Miller have a handgun? Does the reader? Do I? Not likely. That's because we are not criminals or in gangs, and have no reason to have Glocks on us at all times.
Criminals will continue to get guns, regardless of there being a ban or not...that's because they are c-r-i-m-i-n-a-l-s, and need guns! A ban will have no effect, and will only waste valuable resources in taking guns away from legitimate target shooters and collectors.It is the guns that make their way into the hands of Toronto's criminal gun dealers that are the problem, not those in the hands of responsible owners.
These smuggled guns make their way into Toronto on the province's 400 series highways, and that is where the gun problem should be addressed. You can go from Cornwall to Toronto and see no OPP cars...not one. At most you will see two in the same trip, that's all. Same for from Buffalo to Toronto. That is not acceptable.
There has to be more money from the government of Ontario for policing of the 400 series highways. Only this can help stop the stream of guns entering Toronto. And as a side benefit, more officers on the roads can only make things safer for everybody.
This cannot be laid entirely at McGuinty's door, all sides do need to do something. The feds arming border guards is a good step. An armed guard is more likely to search individuals he believes may pose a danger, but the federal government could also increase the training of guards, and the resources available to them.Mayor Miller needs to address his own fiscal shortcomings and provide more money to the Toronto Police force. Toronto's social safety net is admirable, but it comes at the expense of the policing budget. Miller has to face facts and find more money for policing in the community.
There is a sensible way to address the problem of criminals with guns in Toronto, but a call to ban handguns is a red herring.
--
4 comments:
The OPP are too busy keeping the sides apart in Caledonia,
I'm glad you brought up weapons smuggling, because I have a number of thoughts about that.
First off, weapons smuggling is not just a domestic crime issue; it's also a foreign-policy issue, with deep diplomatic consquences.
I actually think that INTERPOL should organize a paramilitary force (combining strategic attack capabilities with investigatory capabilities) in order to go around the world, identify black market arms networks, and roll them up forcibly when necessary.
It would probably require some degree of UN cooperation, but it's one initiative that could improve conditions world wide. Think of it as extremely pro-active peacekeeping.
A foreign enforcement body, backed by the UN, with the ability to use deadly force on Canadian, or US sovereign soil? I'm not sure how well that would go over.
But there could certainly be more cooperation between Canadian and US law enforcement on this issue.
Your scenario would make a good movie though. :)
Good post. Banning handguns is clearly not the answer.
Post a Comment