Firearms initially were a tool used by people to obtain food and protect themselves. However, guns have evolved over the course of centuries into deadly weapons that a responsible citizen has no fundamental right to own. Eight thousand eight hundred and thirteen murders involving the use of firearms occurred in the United States in 2012. That same year, 172 deaths of the same cause were recorded in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2015). This statistic alone shows how drastically stricter gun control laws result in far less fatalities. Currently, anyone wishing to buy a gun in Canada and/or ammunition must have a valid licence under the Firearms Act. To obtain a firearms licence, all applicants must undergo a screening process, which includes a safety course, criminal history and background checks, provision of personal references, and a mandatory waiting period (Dinshaw, 2015). In the united states however, background checks are only mandatory in stores, not at gun shows (where the majority are purchased). This difference in regulations is evident when looking at the facts regarding the sheer amount of people that die (whether it be accidentally, self inflicted or murdered) directly because of a gun. Strict gun control laws have been proven to create a safer society.
Canada’s relatively tight firearms laws were loosened when former prime minister Stephen Harper eliminated the federal Long Gun Registry. While in existence from 1993 – 2012, the registry was a centralized RCMP database that linked all guns with their respective owners. The Conservatives got rid of this database as they saw it as ineffective at reducing crime, targeting law-abiding gun owners instead of criminals, who typically don't register their weapons. However, Canadian police and victims groups fought hard to keep it, since it helped authorities evaluate possible safety threats when police officers attended potential criminal incidents (Dinshaw, 2015). Registering for a license to bear arms should be standard practice and a non-issue for people who lawfully use their weapons. If a hunter for example wanted to purchase a rifle, they should should have no problem doing so, with the proper registration process. Why would having to go through the safety procedures cause any kind of trouble to this person? If anything, it should make them feel more secure knowing that if someone stole their arms, they could prove that they owned them and the police would have record of it. Bearing firearms should be a privilege, not a right. It should not be easier to become licensed to obtain a deadly weapon than it is to operate a car. Gun control supporters have no interest in “taking away” guns from those who abide the laws and follow the regulations. A common myth is that strict gun control laws will prevent those who abide by them to have less freedom, since criminals will use illegally obtained guns no matter what. But just because criminals do illegal things, doesn't mean that the guns that t...
