The Long Gun Registry has been a point of contention here in Canada. It aligns rural against urban citizens, and by extension has become a wedge issue for political parties centered around their base of support. The Conservative Party power base has long been more rural than urban, while the other parties (Liberal and NDP) draw support from urban centers. It comes as no surprise that the Conservatives want the Registry scrapped, while the Liberals and NDP want it maintained.
Being a city dweller myself, I don’t really see the need for a firearm at all; be it a shotgun, rifle, handgun or whatever. However, I understand that hunters and those who live in rural areas have a different view, using guns as tools or as a means of recreation. I don’t have a problem with that in general… guns just aren’t my thing.
Key arguments against the registry are its cost and program mismanagement. People argue that the registry was created as a knee-jerk reaction to a school shooting 20 years ago in Montreal. The need to be seen as “doing something” resulted in a poorly realized and poorly run government program. I don’t necessarily disagree – it has cost too much money to set up, and the management of the program has been terrible. This doesn’t make the idea flawed, only the execution. Continue reading
Digital Soapbox 