This blog post below by Patti Moore Wilson, a fellow New Brunswicker, captures the essence of what people outside the U.S. cannot fathom about the legal proliferation of guns in that country. While the mass shootings and suicides by guns pile up, the gun manufacturers get richer and richer. đ„Č
Be sure to click on the âView original postâ link below the following text to finish reading Pattiâs post; it does such a good job of explaining in a few words the contrasting mindset between (most) Americans and (most) Canadians. To defend yourself ⊠or, to defend yourself against what?! Read on.
I wrote the post below several years ago. Unless we are hunting â with a valid and very strict hunting licence â we arenât allowed to carry guns in my country. I admit, I was feeling a bit smug at the time that I wrote this: until quite recently, you didnât hear about inner-city gangs (we do now) and you didnât mourn the loss of eight (!!!) police officers in the line of duty in six months, as our country has been mourning since just yesterday. You didnât hear about mass shootings either, but the world seems to have been rubbing off on what I used to consider my gentle country and unfortunately, they now happen here, too. Nothing though, compares to the regularity of mass gun shootings in the United States and nothing compares to the dreaded, unthinkable School Shooting. Those two words should neverâŠ
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Robby Robin's Journey 
Some wise words from the Supreme Court of Canada:
“Let us consider for a moment the nature of automatic weapons, that is to say, those weapons that are capable of firing rounds in rapid succession during one pressure of the trigger. These guns are designed to kill and maim a large number of people rapidly and effectively. They serve no other purpose. They are not designed for hunting any animal but man. They are not designed to test the skill and accuracy of a marksman. Their sole function is to kill people. These weapons are of no value for the hunter, or the marksman. They should then be used only by the Armed Forces and, in some circumstances, by the police forces. There can be no doubt that they pose such a threat that they constitute a real and present danger to all Canadians. There is good reason to prohibit their use in light of the threat which they pose and the limited use to which they can be put. Their prohibition ensures a safer society.
The American authorities should not be considered in this case. Canadians, unlike Americans do not have a constitutional right to bear arms. Indeed, most Canadians prefer the peace of mind and sense of security derived from the knowledge that the possession of automatic weapons is prohibited.”
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Thank you so much for adding this, Karl. Wise words, indeed. And it can give Canadians some degree of comfort to know that these wise words come from our Supreme Court.
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Yes, yes! Sigh. We go round and round on this. People die. Nothing changes.
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Itâs extraordinary and heartbreaking, isnât it. The power and money of the NRA (interestingly, not its original intent) and gun manufacturers have so many innocent lives on their hands, along with the cowardly and heartless politicians who support the legal ownership of automatic assault weapons. đ„
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Heartbreaking! The terrible slaughter just doesn’t seem to matter.
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âDefend ourselves from what?â – exactly!
It goes on and on and nothing changes! Words fail me đ„
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That’s about it. Hard to fathom.
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Jane,
Patti is so dead on and I’m sure other countries would understand fully the reaction she and her husband had to the gun situation. We own guns, several, but for providing our food, protecting our livestock and protecting ourselves though neither of us have ever had/felt the need for that kind of protection. But, there again, we are homebodies that only leave the farm to visit family or to pick up things for the farm.
Our government representatives are gutless wonders who are so afraid of losing votes that they care more about staying in office than working for the people that need them the most!! My opinion!!!
I’m glad we live in a very small county surrounded by forestland and low population. Yes, our schools could use more funds BUT there again there is too much waste by the representatives of the schools.
My rant is over!!! Thank you for the opportunity!!!
Rita
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Rita, thank you for this “rant”, it serves to remind us all what we really know, that the majority of Americans feel the same way about the out-of-control gun situation as those of us watching from the outside. That’s why it is so upsetting to see the politicians who are supposed to be there serving their constituents following a different – and reckless, intolerant, and self-serving – path. The reasons you describe for having guns are precisely the reasons why Canada and some Scandinavian countries have a larger proportion of guns than other countries, although nothing approaching the U.S., there’s lots of open space, lots of wildlife, and a culture of hunting for food. We stand with you! 3>
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Well written!
Si les finlandais réservistes reprennent la route pour les stands de tir, peu de personnes y trouveront à redire..
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Câest ça. Mais ⊠les rĂ©servistes, oĂč quâils soient, sont bien diffĂ©rents du fait que la plupart des citoyens ont des armes Ă feu pour se dĂ©fendre, probablement les uns contre les autres! đłđ„
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Vous parliez de certains pays scandinaves.
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Like Patti, I always felt a sense of comfort that, for the most part, our country is peaceful. And then LA Loche happened, and I looked after 5 patients from up there. It was a long evening that melded into the night to the next day. It felt surreal that it happened in the middle of nowhere, Saskatchewan. Hunting guns used badly. Mental health issues and a legacy of residential schools. It wiped the comfort from my world. If only changes in the States could happen like in New Zealand. It must be an awful feeling every day to send your children to school with that worry in the back of your mind. My biggest concern was playground bullies.
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You bring up what we all need to remember, inexplicably bad events happen everywhere. But worrying about school bullying (bad enough and producing some lasting trauma for some kids) pales beside an everyday concern of a shooting at school. So bloody sad.
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