Thread by @Norlaine

Conservatives have conveniently divided the world into "law-abiding people" and "criminals". Yet, we are all capable of doing something criminal. Many have done illegal things and not got caught. Law-abiding vs criminal is a false dichotomy. #cdnpoli #guncontrol

https://twitter.com/CarlBoucherKnee/status/1583977097491787776

Did you ever smoke weed before October 17, 2018? Have you ever rolled through a stop sign? Driven without your seatbelt? Driven above the posted speed limit? Fudged something on your taxes? Eaten something in a grocery store without paying for it? Been in a fist fight?

Been drunk and disorderly? Driven while under the influence? Made an exaggerated insurance claim? Failed to properly lock up your guns? If you have done any of these things, are you "law-abiding"? Or are you a "criminal"? It gets a bit vague, doesn't it?

This guy here, he was a "law-abiding gun owner", even a fine upstanding member of his community, right up until he blew his family away.
sherwoodparknews.com/news/local-new…

In Canada, about 80% of gun-related deaths are suicides. Access to a firearm makes suicide attempts more likely to be successful.

I am all in favour of reducing the number of guns in our society. I can't get my head around people who feel their hobby is more important than people's lives. You getting your adrenaline rush is, ultimately, far less important than preventing untimely deaths.

And yes, I know that gun ownership in Canada is more regulated than in the US. And yes, I know that people can kill with knives and vehicles, etc. You can kill someone with a pillow if you really set your mind to it. But all those other "potential weapons" have other uses.

The primary use of guns is to kill. That is their function. They were created to kill more efficiently. They were created for military use. I have been told by hunters that handguns are useless for hunting. So why does anyone need a handgun? If you say...

"To protect myself" I am wondering from who? Who are you hanging around with that you think you might need a gun to protect yourself? Crime of all kinds in Canada has been decreasing since a high point in 1992.
johnhoward.ca/blog/crime-con…

Violent crime, which includes minor violence with little to no injury and also uttering threats (again, no physical injury) has always been low in Canada. Random violent crime is rare. Most victims know their assailant.

A lot of the violent crime captured in statistics is domestic violence. We really don't want guns to be part of that mix, now do we? Nor do we want kids accidentally shooting themselves or others. We would like to see the suicide rate decline, right?

Taking guns out of the equation makes everyone safer. Now, I know some are going to wail, "But if law-abiding citizens don't have guns, only the criminals will have guns and no one will be safe!" Remember, Law-abiding vs Criminal is a false dichotomy.

Most organized crime (including gangs) violence is perpetrated on those within that community. Gang members and mobsters aren't prowling the streets looking for innocent strangers to shoot. That's Hollywood. It's not reality.

According to StatsCan, there were 788 homicides in Canada in 2021. That's about 2 per 100,000 people. Regina and Thunder Bay had the highest rates of homicide in 2021, between 5 & 6 per 100,000 people. In many American cities where there are lots of guns, that's like, a Tuesday.

The real number of homicides in 2021 was highest in Toronto (largest population, that's how per capita stats work) at 117. Next was Vancouver at 60. Then Edmonton at 51. Montreal had 48, Winnipeg had 45. Regina had 15 and Thunder Bay had 7.

The way the numbers are presented makes a difference. Real numbers, or per capita (per 100,000 people). In Canada, altogether, there were 2 homicides per 100,000 people. Recall, that works out to 788. Compare that with 16,151 deaths from COVID in 2021.

If you don't do what you can to protect yourself from COVID infection, which is statistically about 20 times more likely to kill you, then don't say you need a gun for protection. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and

accidents are all far more likely to kill you than some random attacker. Plus, most homicide victims know their assailant. So, unless you hang out with gangs or mobsters, or are in a violent relationship, it is extremely unlikely you will be murdered, or even violently assaulted.

You do not need a gun for protection. Remember also, in Canada we do not have Stand Your Ground laws. You cannot shoot someone for trespassing. You cannot shoot someone for stealing your stuff. Or cutting you off in traffic. Or looking at you the wrong way.

Self-defense, in the unlikely event you ever need to defend yourself, must be reasonable and not disproportionate to the threat. Shooting is almost always disproportionate to the threat. You do not need a gun for self-defense. Having a gun around actually is dangerous,

b/c there is a really good chance it could be used against you. I know, everyone thinks they are going to react like some action hero if it ever came to that. But let's be real. Even cops freeze. Soldiers freeze. Your estimation of your abilities is almost certainly exaggerated.

So, 1) you don't need a gun for self-defense. 2) Other people's lives are actually more important than your hobby. That leaves sport shooting, hunting, and farmers who need to protect livestock from predators. Handguns aren't useful for hunting or shooting coyotes.

Sport shooters don't actually need to keep their guns at home because practice happens at a gun range, right? The fact is, many guns used in crimes are stolen from homes. If there are fewer guns in homes, there will be fewer guns on the streets.

Some are smuggled in, and that also needs to be addressed, but cutting out the gun supply from home robberies in Canada will reduce the supply of guns among people who might use them in crimes.

The long and the short of it is, I totally support all our federal government has been doing to reduce the number of guns in our society. It's a good start. #PeopleBeforePistols.