Se

MAIL Box—

| Criminals won't join

gun registration

Dear Editor:

An answer to the debate
question on gun control,

One of the candidates in
the federal leaders’ debate
asked why do some people
object to registering weapons
when they have registered cars
for years? Let me try to
answer.

The Liberals and their gun
control efforts are to a large
extent trying to take credit for
pre existing legislation.

andgun registration started
sometime in the 1930s.
Firearms Acquisition
Certificate (criminal records
check, references, etc.) has
been mandatory for perhaps a
decade to purchase a firearm.
More recently, you had to take
a safety course to get that cer-
tificate, and safe firearm stor-
age legislation has been
brought in. 1 suspect most
legitimate gun owners support
these measures. But now the
Liberals want to register target
shooting and hunting
Weapons — “long guns,” that,
: unlike handguns, are hard to
conceal.

_ People should be checked
out, trained, and licensed
before they are permitted to
own any type of firearms —
and that requirement is in
force today and has been for
some time. This is a separate

“.. issue from the need for, and

- > benefits of, registration of the
‘.. firearm itself. Supporters of
registration claim that this new
system will keep guns out of
the hands of fruitcakes and,
criminals: - a

Nonsense! Has registration

of handguns since the 1936s

ee eT

discouraged criminals from
getting or using them? Guess
what — the enminals do not
apply for registration and
licences.

So the real question should
be: what do we gaia by regis-
tering rifles and shotguns
given that we already have a
system to check out, licence,
train, and control legitimate
gun owners?

A Feb. 17, 2000 federal
government press release stat-
ed that the cost of this regis-
tration system had ballooned
from $85 million over five
years to $125 million, and ris-

During the leadershi
c ate, we heard $400 mil-
lion. Now if someone con-
vinces me that the best place
to spend this money to save
lives is gun registration, count
me in. But it probably isn’t,
which is why even some police
associations are questioning
this expenditure.

Why are some of us con-
cemed about registering guns
when we register cars without
objection? Three reasons: 1)
There is no evidence that long
gun registration does anything
but tie up precious police
resources and monies, whereas
car registration is needed for
insurance, checking owner:
ship, liens, crash/repair histo-
ry, Air Care programs, etc. 2)
Under the new legislation, as I
understand it, cabinet, with-
out reference to parliament,
can ban and confiscate with-
out compensation any weapon
type they deem unsuitable for
private: ownership, cven
though the weapon was legal
when bought or inherited. Try

lines

that with cars! This worries
gun owners, who know that,
unlike car owners, we are a
minority. 3) Only the law-
abiding will register guns,
whereas an unregistered car is
clearly visible to all via the
licence plate sticker.

So with this monstrosity,
the Liberals are seen to be
doing something, but they
have the wrong target, the
wrong weapon, and another
example of a ridiculous waste
of resources.

‘The sad part of this is that
many well-intentioned peuple
believe that this gun registra-
tion is the answer to shootings
and crime. [t isn’t.

The answer is ensuring —
as we already do today — that
people who own firearms

legally are licensed, trained,
and competent, which is not
gun registration. The second
answer is severe criminal sanc-
tions for those who own or use
guns illegally. And, unfortu-
nately, registeation will do
nothing for that. Criminals are
not very likely to join the reg-
istration line-up.
John Hunter
North Vancouver

Correction Notice

In our 10-4 The Perfect Gitt Sale flyer,
on page 32, Hasbro Pokemon five
pack is regular 19.99-sale 11.99.
Pokemon trainer figure is regular
19.99-Sale 11.99. Hasbro Transformer
Ultra beast is requiar 29,99 sale 24.99,
Chuck My Truck Stop is reguiar 29.99
~ Sale 24.99, Inwin Top Corner Hockey
Game on page 31 is regular 74.99 -
sale 64.99. In our 10-4A/10-4D
Ultimate Weekend Sale _ flyer,
Governor's Table cookware is regular
319.98-sale 119.98, in our 11-1 The
Perfect Gift flyer, Brandy doll on page
28 is regular 29,.99-sate 12.99, Ralph
Lauren Equestrian Collection bedding
on page 35 is late rainchecks available
at the store.

Sorry for any inconvenience
this may have caused,

PRE-CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

UNLIMITED
ACCESS

19° ERee

Lite and Basic packages also available.

> Full PPP access
> Private ISDN

> Dial-up S6kbps and ISDN

> Seoure Servers for
- e-commerce

> Local calling Vancouver
+ toD Any:

£209-38011 Third Avenue
"Box 136, Squamish, BC VON 3G0

fied! Ie Ade kN OMe A:

3 Web site creation and hosting

2 E-Virtual Servers
(wranyourbusiness.com)

> Software supplied if necersary
> High Speed ADSL
> Wireless T1 Service

Tel; 604.892.9556
_ Faxe 604.892.9579

CANADIAN

ALLIANCE

FROM THE ENTIRE
TED WHITE
CAMPAIGN TEAM

By re-electing
Ted White as our MP
you made all of our hard work

worthwhile.

We are now in the process of removing the election
signs and billboards from the streets and boulevards.

If you can personally use or recycle the
plastic bags, wire frames, lumber and
coroplast from the signs in your
neighbourhood, please feel free to help

with the job of removal. _

: NOTE FROM TED
Thank you for once again entrusting me with the job
of MP for North Vancouver. My regular Wednesday
North Shore News Reports will begin again after
Parliament reconvenes in the New. Year. .

North Shore News
Call 986-1337