- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Mark your argument is well taken. But regardless of whether we seek wilderness ATCs or urban CCWs, we must first address the PAL, the classification of firearms, and the safe storage regulations. The PAL is the most egregious part of what we now recognize as an extremely egregious piece of legislation. Once the PAL is gone, no longer would you be an instant criminal for neglecting to renew your FAC, there would simply be some embarrassment at the gun counter when your purchase was refused.
Secondly in importance is the classification of firearms; if a gun was simply considered a gun, there would be no need for an ATC since you could own any type of gun once you had acquired your FAC, and you could carry the gun of your choice anywhere provided it was in an area where it is legal to carry any firearm. Your provincial wildlife act and the migratory game bird regulations would still dictate the type of gun and ammunition considered suitable for hunting, so it would be up to the province to determine if handgun hunting was appropriate. I believe most provinces would sign on.
Thirdly the seemingly innocuous safe storage regulations of C-68 must be addressed. Far too often these regulations have led to abuses committed against innocent parties by both the police and the courts, with damming consequences. Only in a police state could such regulations be allowed to stand.
CCW remains a thorny issue for many. But those who oppose it more often than not throw out the word vigilante rather than answer the question, "What is one to do when faced with lethal criminal violence?" The litmus test of any law is whether it empowers or diminishes the individual. Rights cannot be granted by governments; they can only be guaranteed or withdrawn. Most people would agree that they as individuals have the right to life. Should another individual or a group of individuals attempt to deny their potential victim of his or her right to life, under the law that victim has the right to act to save his or her life. This might be accomplished by running away, it might require the use of violence, or perhaps even lethal violence. That might well be accomplished with an axe or a knife, human history is full of such examples, but the gun is vastly superior in that it gives the individual equal footing to those who would otherwise overpower him or her by physical strength, by the use of weapons, or by the strength of numbers. CCW legislation ensures that the individual who is forced to use lethal violence is trained in the use of his firearm and is unlikely to act in such a way as to put the public at unnecessary risk.
