This. And you wonder why the MSM allows gun owners to look like delusional, histrionic loonies. It's because they really don't have to work that hard.
No kidding. The level of hard core and entrenched anger and positions here is disheartening. It's diffciult to have a rational discussion here. Seems like most aren't open to it and would rather throw around insults. I won't vote Conservative. Not happening. They are no longer progressive , just conservative and many of their positions and policies go strongly against things I hold in high value. But instead of trying to find common ground and working together there sees to be a desire to further divided peoele as us or them, good guy or enemy, etc. That's not helpful. Not that it matters much but I emailed my MP (who is a Liberal) and copied the PM and Ralph Goodale to express my displeasure with the proposed bans. This is what I said:
"I am writing to you as a long time Liberal supporter. However, over the last year or two I am finding my support wavering due to a number of policies and actions which I feel are politically expedient but do little to serve Canadians and, may in fact, be of more harm than good.
The latest issue, which finally spurred me into action to write you, was the recently announced gun bans. I am a fairly left leaning, liberal (with a small L) person. I also own firearms and enjoy target shooting. While I do not, at this time, own any AR style rifles I have several handguns I take to the range. I have no interest in hunting or killing but find target shooting to require skill development and to be both a focusing, mind clearing activity and relaxing. Your new policy would penalize hundreds of thousands of similar Canadians that are law abiding and responsible and only wish to partake in a sport they enjoy.
I believe the data and evidence does not support a ban on AR style rifles or handguns making Canadians any safer. I do not believe any AR style rifles have been used in mass shootings or crimes in Canada. If you have data to the contrary I would welcome receiving and reviewing it. Additionally, there is little difference between an AR style rifle available to civilians in Canada and many hunting rifles you would deem to be acceptable. The differences are cosmetic only, as AR rifles are only semi-automatic, like many hunting rifles, and limited to 5 round magazines, like all hunting rifles.
Similarly, I do not believe the evidence or data supports a handgun ban as improving public safety. The vast majority of handguns used in crime are smuggled into Canada from the United States and purchased illegally by criminals. Additionally, it appears that underground manufacturing of handguns by criminals is also increasing. While I understand that the handgun used in the Danforth shooting was one that originated in Canada and was stolen from a gun shop, it too was purchased illegally and the shooter could have easily purchased a smuggled gun from the same source this stolen one came from if, hypothetically, there were no civilian handguns available in Canada. There have also been a small number of cases of straw purchasers buying handguns legally and then reselling them to criminials. This is also a small fraction of the illegal handguns on our streets. It is politically expedient to tug on heart strings and point to victims such as those in the Danforth shooting while claiming you wish to protect Canadians, but the availability of handguns to law abiding citizens had nothing to do with that tragedy.
Finally, any buyback of banned firearms will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The government could do far more good spending those millions on increased resources for law enforcement to address the sources of the vast majority of firearms used in crime. Banning them only serves the optics of your politics in an attempt to win votes but will be ineffective in curbing criminal use of firearms. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police themselves agree that a ban would be ineffective. I would urge you to reconsider this ill advised strategy as it may cost you as many votes as it wins you. instead, use your efforts and taxpayer money to better enable law enforcement to tackle the the real problems and enforce the laws we already have in place."
Perhaps if more people took a rational approach and wrote to MPs, the press, etc to promote facts and show support for legal gun ownership while pointing out the flaws in the rationale more could be accomplished. Calling people names, threatening violence and civil war and holding extreme viewpoints won't help. It will only hurt.