Gun-registry private member’s bill should be killed

But a serious redesign should be considered

To the Expositor:

Took me a while to pick myself up from the floor when I read Mr. Middleton’s “unbiased” critique (“Every news outlet has bias,” December 9, letters).

Hysterical, really, that he would accuse me of Liberal Party activism when one prominent local Liberal has given me a pet name, “the loose cannon,” for my regular criticism of the Liberal leadership. The AMK Liberal riding association executive has still not forgiven me for some pretty blunt comments on their performance during the last election campaign and since! But, like everyone else, Mr. Middleton is entitled to his opinion.

As for the publishing policies of the Expositor and Recorder, they invariably publish the “always off the wall” comments of Larry Killens who, from his bully pulpit on the school board, isn’t shy in promoting his pretty Conservative views on politics in general and his particular favourite target, Mike Brown. So, like your apparent friends-the Federal Conservative Party-you clearly don’t let the facts influence your view of the world, Brad! Actually, I’m pretty sure that the editorial board of the Expositor would welcome a regular sparring of two opposing views to brighten up their letters page, and increase circulation (but please don’t take that as an invitation)!

More seriously, I was taken to task by some Island folks whose opinion I’m always prepared to listen to for my comments on the opposition to the Private Member’s Bill trying to kill the gun registry. In that letter I mentioned that post-vote polls showed that there would continue to be strong opposition to that bill being finally passed. I suspect that Carol Hughes’ posture will change when that bill is reviewed clause by clause in committee. My friends took my letter to be stating my position (which it didn’t). I grew up a country boy in rural England where all guns have been registered and tightly controlled for many years. My father-in-law was a ranger (like an MNR conservation officer) so I know the view of the rural population there very intimately. My brother-in-law is a retired police staff sergeant who, unarmed, disarmed bank robbers who had sawed-off shotguns, because they knew that the book would be thrown at them if they shot a cop!

In summary, I want this Private Member’s Bill killed, but a serious rethink of the gun registry undertaken. The original gun registry bill was intended, in the emotional period following the Montreal Massacre 20 years ago, to get automatic weapons and handguns out of all hands-even my hunting friends agree with that. The gun amnesty did a good job in starting that. Apparently, even the populist and Tory-loving Toronto Sunday Sun is wondering today about irresponsible hunters, as they feature in a prominent news story the shooting from a stationary vehicle on a road a white-tailed doe (Minnie) prominently draped with bright red ribbons-a family pet! Stories like this do not help the sensible hunters get their message across-that the venison they take adds to the winter larder in rural homes, and that long guns for this purpose can be justified! However, for those who believe the NRA and Second Amendment right in the US should be enshrined up here in Canada, I’ll counter with some stats from a good friend south of the border. He told me the body count last year in Washington alone from gun-related deaths exceeded last year’s body counts in all the wars that the US was waging across the world! I would be happy to prise the guns from the “cold dead hands” of any Canadian version of Charlton Heston if it helps reduce all that spilling of human blood, and I certainly don’t want that Wild West mentality to be imported here in Canada. Merry Xmas, Mr. Middleton!

Paul Darlaston
Kagawong