Deepak Sharma - Trudeau government bans assault rifles following Nova Scotia mass shooting: Is this the only option?
Written by: Deepak Sharma
“You do not need an AR-15 to take down a deer,” Trudeau said on May 1. This is a lightweight semi-automatic rifle. The letters stand for ArmaLite Rifle. “So, effective immediately, it is no longer permitted to buy, sell, transport, import or use military-grade, assault weapons in this country.” Trudeau said the weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time.
This government decision came after the Nova Scotia shooting where a gunman used his replica police cruiser to flag down motorists before murdering them, and also targeted a passersby who offered to help and a lone walker out for a Sunday morning stroll. Gabriel Wortman – who killed 22 people also stole weapons from a police officer he murdered, switched vehicles and changed clothes to elude capture during his 12-hour killing spree.
This occurred in several small towns, including Portapique, Truro and Milford. He’s also alleged to have set several fires, including at homes in those towns with homes burned down and neighborhoods full of smoke and ashes .
Trudeau announced an immediate "ban" on about 1,500 types of military-grade "assault-style" weapons. While the ban includes mortars, rocket launchers and artillery, it does not include handguns, which account for the majority of police-reported violent crimes in Canada. However, last week Trudeau defended his assault-rifle ban . As aggressive as the measure may seem, it hardly matches Trudeau’s rhetoric of "enough is enough" since it does not plug the source of many of the weapons used by criminals in Canada: the United States.
Some of the firearms used by the Nova Scotia shooter, as well as at least one other mass shooting in Canada, were believed to have been obtained illegally from the United States. The killer did not have a firearms license or documentation and many of his guns and rifles had been smuggled into Canada from the United States, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The measures should include resources for a proper border patrol, such as electronic sensors on the Canadian side. Better intelligence gathering of organized gang activity such as drug smuggling, gun trading; and secure intelligence sharing with the United States would also be beneficial. It must be dedicated to border security and organized crime reduction.
Trudeau said the government will introduce legislation to buy back the rifles, another part of his campaign promise, at a future date. Until then, owners have been given two years to keep their rifles although they can no longer use them, trade them or sell them except to buyers outside Canada with a permit. Gun shops can return any of the weapons they now have in stock to manufacturers.
Strong majority of Canadians agree with a complete ban on civilians possessing “assault-style” weapons
That’s according to a recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute, which found four-in-five Canadians (80 per cent) supported a complete prohibition of the weapons.
While the term “assault style” does not appear in language used by the federal government, it describes the collection of weapons as any “semi automatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire.” That includes the AR-10 and AR-15 used in multiple mass shootings, including Nova Scotia; the Ruger Mini-14 used to commit the 1989 Montreal Massacre and the CSA-VZ-58, carried by the gunman in the 2017 Quebec Mosque shooting.
Canadians voiced their thoughts on social media on the assault rifle ban, many are in favour. The National Rifle Association (NRA) posted on Twitter “Deranged criminal breaks every law and Canada’s gun-hating Prime-Minister responds by banning commonly-owned semi-automatic rifles, but in America we remind them of our Second Amendment - right to bear arms and it shall not be infringed by the government.” Anthony, an angry user on Twitter replied back “ no the ban is decided by 80 per cent of Canadians like myself that fully agree with him. NRA, keep your place. Your name is a filthy word in Canada. Keep your hate and violence south of our border.”
One Twitter user said “Nobody needs an assault rifle, those are for killing people, go buy a hunting rifle if you want to hunt animals.” Another user, Mark Langridge noted the flaws of keeping firearms in the hands of citizens saying “actually most illegal firearms are stolen from legal retailers and owners. If they can’t be sold, they won’t be available for purchase in stores so they can’t be stolen. There’s more to be done, but this is a necessary step.”
Self-Defence Laws and Firearm Ownership
In Canada you can only use sufficient force as self-defence .Using an assault rifle or handgun against a person with a knife or metal bat may not be justifiable. A person breaking into your house is not necessarily a threat to you; they may just want to steal your property and personal belongings, they may not even be armed.You can only use a weapon for self-defence if you reasonably believed that the person meant to inflict bodily harm on you or kill you. This is much harder to prove in the court trials if you used justifiable lethal force such as a gun or knife against that criminal. Individuals who wish to possess or acquire firearms in Canada must have a valid possession-acquisition, or possession-only, licence (PAL/POL). Either of these licences allows the licensee to purchase ammunition.
According to The National Post “Canadians do have a right to self-defence, and to use firearms against criminal attackers. But the right to self-defence does not override all our other laws. While the right to self-defence is something that Canadians need to fight very hard to preserve and protect, they must do so lawfully at all times. However the illegal possession of a handgun, though used for a lawful purpose, could not be ignored.”
What's shocking is that in Canada, carrying pepper spray for the intention of personal protection is considered a prohibited weapon by the Criminal Code and is illegal. However, pepper spray is LEGAL in all 50 states in the United States to use as an alternative to shooting and killing someone who you feel threatened by. Pepper spray is known as a “nonlethal weapon,” or a weapon that cannot kill people.
Critics who oppose deadly force say it allows citizens to protect themselves, without killing or injuring any potential criminal. At most it will impair their vision temporarily. It’s a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness and is used in policing, riot control, crowd control, and self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears as well as human threats.
Gun Owners and Rifle Recreational Shooting Ranges
The Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DRCA) promotes and supports the pursuit of excellence in military and civilian marksmanship as a positive and significant contribution to Canada. This is done through things like the sport of shooting and the safe handling of firearms. Matthew Overton, the president of DRCA, says that they are law-abiding gun owners who practise safe firearm use. For over 150 years the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association has operated under the mandate of promoting marksmanship and the safe handling and use of firearms across Canada.
“The DCRA has been primarily focused throughout its history, on accurate, long range target shooting using fullbore rifles. This was due to our close association with the Canadian Militia in support of marksmanship at the time of our forming and this relationship has endured through to today with the Canadian Armed Forces,” Overton said.
He stressed the purpose of firearms in recreational competitions. “Sports target shooting is a legitimate use of firearms in Canada and globally. Like other individual and team sports, it develops discipline, concentration, responsibility and other desirable attributes in an individual as they practice the skills necessary to improve and excel in their chosen sport. The DCRA recognises that sports involving firearms are not of interest to every Canadian, but for those who are interested, learning the proper skills, mental preparation and best practices, including safe handling and use of their firearms, is a fundamental requirement and our members practice those behaviours,” Overton said.
In response to the assault rifle ban the organization released a statement on the DCRA Website- “Like all Canadians, we are saddened, shocked, and angered by gun violence in our communities. We understand the Government's need to take steps to limit the illegal use of firearms, and support them in achieving that goal. Today's action by the Government of Canada has unjustly and disproportionately affected our members, and the law-abiding gun owners of Canada, who are statistically among the least likely to be involved in criminal activity. It also ignores the legitimate sporting use of semi-automatic rifles for target shooting competitions.”
Red Flag Warnings and Security Measures
Some say instead of bans we need to hold accountable police officers and The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) . We need to find root causes to prevent crime and the only way to do that is through intelligence agencies doing their jobs and conducting the research and investigations in communities with a high crime rate or violence. Following up on red-flag incidents is important. Suspicious or violent behaviour that could indicate a problem in a person's mental state and might predict the suspicious person's actions in the future.
Keeping a record of dangerous crimes that occurred regarding a specific person is important in order to develop a case or file against them that can be used in the court of law. Hence if one has firearms and their name is entered into the legal system, a judge can order an injunction meaning they are prohibited from possessing the firearm and are deemed incapable and a safety risk.
Questions Are Being Asked of Law Enforcement
It was a failure of law enforcement not doing their jobs of following up on red flags, and looking at those with a history of acting violent and criminally dangerous. A user on twitter, Laquisha Washington posted “why did the RCMP let Gabriel Wortman the Nova Scotia Shooter with no record or jail time after he nearly beat a minor to death outside of his denture clinic back in 2001?”
In a Global News article, the victim describes the brutal attack he faced. Matthew said he was just 15 years old when an allegedly drunk Gabriel Wortman assaulted him outside a denture clinic in Dartmouth, N.S., almost 20 years ago.
The denturist came outside screaming that the teenager was too close to his business. “He came out, I guess, in a half-drunken rage and ended up punching me as many times in the head as he could,” said Matthew.
Walker Wortman, the shooter's former employer told the Toronto Star “Wortman acquired many items from a local auction house that sells Crown assets and used a local detail shop to apply the graphics and decals. He said Wortman told him last year that RCMP were aware of his replica vehicle and had advised him that if he planned to take it onto the highway he would need to transport it on a trailer.”
A quick search online shows it's not difficult to track down RCMP patches. The federal government also routinely sells decommissioned, unmarked police vehicles, stripped of things like decals and light bars, on its surplus website.
What Are The Next Steps ?
Trudeau has promised to go even further by targeting handguns and tightening border security with new legislation introduced in the Parliament. There will be measures placed on handguns to permit municipalities to ban them within their city limits.
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