Toronto's Gun Problem

A column by MARK BONOKOSKI of the Toronto Sun caught my eye today, mostly because I agree with him. He points out that a total ban on handguns in England has resulted in, you guessed it, a rise in gun crimes there.

Below is a copy of a letter I've sent to both The Sun and The Star.

Toronto ’s gun problem is just that, Toronto ’s gun problem. Not Ancaster’s, Flin Flon's or St. John's, TORONTO . It deserves a made in Toronto solution.

Now, as a citizen and driver in Ontario I am subject to random sobriety tests, seat belt checks and safety compliance. If I attend certain public buildings I must pass a metal detector.

So, if I am found in certain troubled areas of Toronto , why should I not be subject to weapons checks?

The idea of outlawing handguns has been brought up many times before, particularly after the tragic shooting of Jordan Manners and the Jane Creba shooting a few years back, and it is always the same: a political, knee-jerk reaction to a chronic, localized problem. To penalize all of the population for the actions of a few is similar to keeping the whole class in for recess because Johnnie pulled Susie’s ponytail; you’re punishing the wrong people.

Outlawing handguns and seizing the property of private, law abiding collectors WILL NOT STOP criminals in Toronto from using illegally obtained weapons to commit crimes. When they find the weapon that killed Hou Chang Mao, it WILL NOT be a legally registered weapon owned by the person or persons that fired it.

At what point do the rights of the few (specifically criminals) outweigh the rights, safety and security of the general public? Let’s have random weapon searches in Toronto , and elsewhere if needed. And when some bleeding heart lawyer jumps up and plays the rights card, have him or her spend a week in Jane/Finch, unarmed.

I am reminded of a slogan I’ve seen on T-shirts and bumper stickers:

‘IT’S THE CRIMINALS, DUMMY, NOT THE GUNS’

DJW