From: merce@xenitec.on.ca (Jim Mercer)
Subject: Re: Gun Control Petition
Organization: XeniTec Consulting, Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 08:33:55 GMT

In article <> duquet@astro.phy.ulaval.ca (Jean-Remi Duquet) writes:
>In article <> merce@xenitec.on.ca (Jim Mercer) writes:
>>In article <> duquet@astro.phy.ulaval.ca (Jean-Remi Duquet) writes:
>But should we refrain from making laws against bad drivers on the grounds
>that many drivers are responsible ?
>
>My point is: How come Valery Fabrikant was permitted to LEGALLY buy a gun
>(if not guns, I'm not sure) even after Concordia officials and Mtl police
>knew he was psychologically unstable ? This is at least a good reason to 
>make sure the guy can provide a decent reason for wanting this kind of gun.

this is being investigated.  the fact that the rules and regulations were not
carried out as they were intended does not mean the laws are ineffective.

these last two incidents bothered me, in that they were committed with
legally registered/owned weapons.  but this is not the norm.

sometimes people slip through the system.  it happens.

>Of course, I don't suggest to ban hunting and "range shooting" (or whatever
>the name is in english). But there's a difference between a two-shot hunting
>gun and the weapon Marc Lepine used in Polytechnique.

not really.  most hunters carry multi-shot rifles.  two-shot guns are mostly
used by farmers to rid themselves of pests.

anyone hunting any reasonable size game would not want to get caught out
of bullets.  the gun used by lepine was narginal as to whether it was a
hunting rifle or an assault rifle.  i personally think it was an assault
rifle and that the should (or in the last round of ammendments, is now)
a restricted/controlled weapon (as handguns).

my interpretation of the concordia deal, was that one (or two) of the guns
was his, and the other two (or one) was his wifes.

i understand that his wife reguarly participated in activities at the gun club,
but he rarely went.  in my books, he should have had his permits revoked,
especially in view of the comments made by concordia.

but then again, just because some drunk drivers kill people on the road,
we shouldn't neccesarily restrict the privileges of all those people who drive
properly.

>>>Bull. What do you think a government if for, if not to fix the borders of
>>>this "liberty" ? Wake up, this is a society not a jungle. If you want to be
>>>a "free citizen" the way NRA defines it, go ahead. Move south...
>>>I prefer to stay alive for a while...
>>
>>the south, that is our problem. if you want to stay alive longer, urge 
>>your rep's in ottawa to seal that border up.
>>the biggest problem with guns in canada is that lack of control in the US.
>
>BINGO ! And what's the source of this lack of control in the USA ? 
>All together: gimme a N, gimme a R, gimme a A...
>Ok, block the border.
>If the lack of control in the USA is such a big problem (a point I agree with
>100%), let's prevent this here with better control.
>Just the point I was trying to make, nothing more. 

define better control?

i would agree to see more weapons moved up into the restricted area, but
the controls we have are already many times tighter than the US.

with the big gaping whole of a border we have, those that want guns for
illegal activities are going to have them.

illicit drugs are banned.  and we know how much of an impact that has on
their use.

-- 
[ Jim Mercer   Reptilian Research  merce@iguana.reptiles.org  +1 519 893-6085 ]
[             I don't want to work for a company that has a CIO.              ]
[              Disclaimer! I don't need no stinking Disclaimer!               ]
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