3 ms·

I'm a rural Canadian, and the idea of not having firearms in the house horrifies me. As does the constant push by urban Canadians to disarm rural folks (like me

by cal5k 6y ago

I'm a rural Canadian, and the idea of not having firearms in the house horrifies me. As does the constant push by urban Canadians to disarm rural folks (like me) who legally own firearms. It's ultimately your choice, but I've watched a lot of video on documented home invasions, and a few things are clear: a) Anyone willing to invade your home while armed will have no compunction about seriously injuring or killing any of the occupants; b) The defensive use of a firearm, while largely not reported, is an amazing deterrent in probable 95% of attempted home invasions where the homeowner has a firearm. Most intruders will nope out as soon as they see a gun, no shots necessary. c) It happens in Canada far more often than you think, including in cities. Here's a recent case: https://torontosun.com/news/crime/violent-home-invasion-may-be-connected-to-shooting-in-may-police https://torontosun.com/news/crime/violent-home-invasion-may-.... Even if this case is gang-related, what are the odds that these people make mistakes and enter the wrong home/apartmnet? d) In rural areas, police are not getting there in any reasonable timeframe. It would take police probably 30 minutes to get to my house. Ultimately, my view is that the right to self-defence is meaningless unless you have the means with which to actually defend yourself. I have no problem with people who are uncomfortable owning firearms and choose not to, but it's very problematic when those people force their views on others. It's not legal in Canada to own firearms strictly for the purpose of self-defence (because our gun laws are quite silly once you become familiar with them), but most rural folks hunt or sport shoot so it's a moot point. Oh, and by the way - meta-studies on the topic indicate that restricting access to firearms doesn't actually prevent suicides, it just causes people to shift methods to hanging, overdose, etc.

mikepurvis 6y ago
Yeah, I should have clarified: I’m not necessarily for disarming; I think the Canadian laws are fine the way they are, and people who want them and are reasonably fit/trained are welcome to have guns. I just never will and am glad my kids don’t visit friends’ houses where guns are a thing. But my point is that the Canadian laws are basically the reforms that are being asked for in the US and are described by opponents as totalitarian. Regarding suicide, do you have a source for this claim? Everything I’ve read on this says quite the opposite, for example: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/guns-suicide/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/guns-...
- cal5k 6y ago
  "Moreover, studies from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia (at least for the first post-NFA years) show that observed reductions in firearm suicides, after the implementation of these laws, were compensated by substitution methods that resulted in no significant changes in overall suicide rates." This is from a giant meta-study that is often cited by advocates for more gun control (incorrectly, in my view, given the conclusions of the study): https://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/1/140.full.pdf+html https://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/1/140.full.pdf+... Canadian gun control laws are increasingly bordering on totalitarian. Given the general level of ignorance on firearms issues among the majority of Canadians who don't own firearms (and don't know much about them), I expect the laws to get much, much worse than they are even today. Even though I have been thoroughly vetted and done training and been tested, there are about 1,000 arbitrary and stupid ways in which I can be criminally charged for things that are not actually dangerous. The recent arbitrary ban on "scary" semi-automatic rifles is a perfect example of this point. Because many of these rifles are classed as "restricted", and thus registered along with requiring more onerous licensing requirements, they are trivially easy to confiscate - this allows the government to score a political victory by appearing to be tackling gun violence, while ultimately threatening with criminal punishment Canadians who have attempted to be insanely diligent in following the law. The story that these guns have no purpose other than to kill people is simply a lie, a brazen one at that considering that the Prime Minister himself has owned such guns over the years. Long guns, particularly legally-acquired restricted long guns, are used in homicides so rarely that it wouldn't be statistically significant. Legally-acquired handguns are also almost never used in crime or homicide. Guns are also an important part of Canadian culture, and historically were a symbol of self-sovereignty: the ability to put food on the table and protect your family are simply part and parcel to living life on the frontier. Many in the city have apparently forgotten this in a sea of pleasant conveniences, but it is still a way of life for those of us who have chosen a life of self-sufficiency. (I used to live in a big city, btw) Honestly, given the statistics on the prevalence of firearms vs. their use in violent encounters in this country, the fear many Canadians have of firearms is highly irrational.

by cal5k 6y ago

mikepurvis 6y ago

Yeah, I should have clarified: I’m not necessarily for disarming; I think the Canadian laws are fine the way they are, and people who want them and are reasonably fit/trained are welcome to have guns. I just never will and am glad my kids don’t visit friends’ houses where guns are a thing. But my point is that the Canadian laws are basically the reforms that are being asked for in the US and are described by opponents as totalitarian. Regarding suicide, do you have a source for this claim? Everything I’ve read on this says quite the opposite, for example: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/guns-suicide/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/guns-...

cal5k 6y ago
"Moreover, studies from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia (at least for the first post-NFA years) show that observed reductions in firearm suicides, after the implementation of these laws, were compensated by substitution methods that resulted in no significant changes in overall suicide rates." This is from a giant meta-study that is often cited by advocates for more gun control (incorrectly, in my view, given the conclusions of the study): https://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/1/140.full.pdf+html https://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/1/140.full.pdf+... Canadian gun control laws are increasingly bordering on totalitarian. Given the general level of ignorance on firearms issues among the majority of Canadians who don't own firearms (and don't know much about them), I expect the laws to get much, much worse than they are even today. Even though I have been thoroughly vetted and done training and been tested, there are about 1,000 arbitrary and stupid ways in which I can be criminally charged for things that are not actually dangerous. The recent arbitrary ban on "scary" semi-automatic rifles is a perfect example of this point. Because many of these rifles are classed as "restricted", and thus registered along with requiring more onerous licensing requirements, they are trivially easy to confiscate - this allows the government to score a political victory by appearing to be tackling gun violence, while ultimately threatening with criminal punishment Canadians who have attempted to be insanely diligent in following the law. The story that these guns have no purpose other than to kill people is simply a lie, a brazen one at that considering that the Prime Minister himself has owned such guns over the years. Long guns, particularly legally-acquired restricted long guns, are used in homicides so rarely that it wouldn't be statistically significant. Legally-acquired handguns are also almost never used in crime or homicide. Guns are also an important part of Canadian culture, and historically were a symbol of self-sovereignty: the ability to put food on the table and protect your family are simply part and parcel to living life on the frontier. Many in the city have apparently forgotten this in a sea of pleasant conveniences, but it is still a way of life for those of us who have chosen a life of self-sufficiency. (I used to live in a big city, btw) Honestly, given the statistics on the prevalence of firearms vs. their use in violent encounters in this country, the fear many Canadians have of firearms is highly irrational.