🚀 go-pugleaf

Orion (orion@aroga.wimsey.com) wrote:
: rsutc@twu.ca (Rick Sutcliffe) writes:

: > In article <1FRTVc3w165w@aroga.wimsey.com>, orion@aroga.wimsey.com (Orion)
: > wrote:
: > >   We've expressed our thoughts on the subject many times, and let our 
: > > politicians know via letters, faxes, demonstrations, face-to-face 
: > > meetings with MPs...you name it.  What *won't* work is piling more 
: > > ineffective, meaningless restrictions on top of all the old ineffective, 
: > > meaningless restrictions that have not only failed to stem the tide of 
: > > violence, but allowed it time to grow even worse.
: > 
: > So, guns gradually become more an more common, and so do crimes involving
: > guns.  Are you saying that since existing controls have not worked there
: > should not be any?

:   No.  What would lead you to conclude that based on what I said?

:   I'm for *effective* legislation, as are the vast majority of other gun 
: owners.  And guns will be no more 'common' than they ever have been; our 
: per-capita rate of ownership has always been close to that of the US 
: anyway.

I think the major other issue that is conveniently overlooked here is 
that it's relatively easy to write legislation - the enforcement of this 
legislation in the real world is a more pressing issue.  Having asked a 
lawyer friend to find out what the legislation says (I don't own any 
firearms, but know several people who have acquired their FACs) - there 
are indeed very severe penalties for the illegal (unlawful?) use of 
firearms. However, the enforcement of the legislation by the police is a 
lot tougher.  Points to consider:

1)	A crime is committed using a firearm.
	a)	Does the criminal have an FAC?  Unlikely at best - so the 
		legislation has no _real_ impact on this person until it 
		gets to the list of charges - way too late for the
		legislation to help any victims
	b)	Did he/she acquire the firearm legally? - see a)

2)	A criminal acquires a firearm illegally
	a)	How in heck are the police supposed to know this until 
		he/she is apprehended in the commission of a crime with 
		the weapon on the their person
	b)	If the firearm was taken in a burglary from a 
		registered owner who reports is immediately - the police 
		still have to figure out who has it - all they really know
		is that the original owner _doesn't_ have it anymore

So unless the police are given draconian rights to invade your privacy on 
the off chance that you might have an unregistered firearm - what are they 
supposed to do?

Another thread - lets find out where the unregistered weapons are coming 
from - that's what we really need to control.  We need effective 
enforcement to curb the flow if illegal firearms.

My 2 cents - Flame away or agree - have fun - we won't change anything anyway

Erik Ableson