Opinion

Michel Johnson

Columnist, The Avro Post

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual, including The Avro Post. Our Opinion Policy.

Justin Trudeau and three other party leaders are pushing gun legislation to either cripple gun ownership in Canada or eliminate it completely.

The gun debate in Canada has jumped to the forefront of the national discussion over the past four years. Reporting on mass shootings has expanded from the United States and spread globally.

Push back from lawmakers and presidential candidates in the U.S. has also prompted or influenced political leaders in Canada to campaign on reducing gang violence.

Being anti-gun polls well with Liberal Party supporters and inspires change when violent crime is seemingly on an upwards trend. While some may believe placing bans on legal guns will reduce homicides, it is often those who have no regard for the law that cause violence.

Shootings that have created public outcry for enhanced gun restrictions in Canada, have been carried out with illegal guns that could not be controlled by sweeping government regulation.

This includes the Toronto Danforth Shooting in 2018 that was carried out by 29 year-old Faisal Hussain.

The semi-automatic hand-gun used by Hussain was in his possession illegally and was reported stolen in 2016. Hussain was responsible for the deaths of 18-year-old Reese Fallon and 10-year-old Julianna Kozis, and injuring 13 others.

Gang-related homicides were connected with 141 murders in 2016 across Canada, with particular upticks in Ontario and British Columbia. Toronto, Canada’s largest city, accounted for 21 of confirmed gang-related homicides in 2016. Firearm-related homicides that were also gang related account for 54 per cent of homicides. 22 confirmed incidents were in Toronto.

When accounting for the total number of firearm related homicides in Canada between 2000 and 2016, 75 per cent of firearm deaths were from suicides alone, followed by homicides and accidental deaths. These make up the majority of total firearm related deaths and cannot be regulated by gun legislation.

Often when politicians and activists give their speeches on gun control they fail to mention that responsible citizens aren’t committing the crimes. Possession and Acquisition License, or PAL, holders are subject to multiple exams, applications and daily background checks conducted by the RCMP, according to the TheGunBlog.ca

“All guns are banned already for everyone unless you have a firearm licence authorized by the federal police. Anyone caught with any gun and no licence can go to jail.” said Nicolas Johnson, the editor of TheGunBlog.ca.

Canadian gun owners have been considered irrelevant by left-leaning political parties in the current political climate but more than 2.2 million Canadians own gun licenses, according to RCMP data published by TheGunBlog.ca

“Trudeau’s plan has nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with politics.”

Potential policies like those of Trudeau’s Liberals, Singh’s NDPs and other leftist parties will lead to Canadian gun owners and businesses having no place in Canada. Politicians fail to see that the impact of these policies will disenfranchise law abiding citizens and small business owners.

If the proposed legislation is fully passed and Conservatives fail to win a majority government, millions of Canadians sports shooters and hobbyists are at risk of losing more than just their property.

Michel Johnson-Figueredo is a second year Bachelor of Public Relations student at Humber College and Public Relations Officer for The Avro Post.

Nicolas Johnson is a leading advocate for firearm owners and editor of TheGunBlog.ca, Canada’s leading media on gun politics and policy.

Note: Nicolas Johnson and Michel Johnson-Figueredo are relatives.