Every week it seems, we here in Canada are witness to a mass killing in our neighbour. The horror of Orlando has surpassed the prior horrors of Newton, San Bernardino and so many more.
What many of these share is the weapon of choice for the madmen who kill - the AR-15. This weapon, a civilian version of a military rifle, is restricted tightly in Canada.
One of our local MPs, Bob Zimmer, has it in mind to change that status. He wants the AR-15 to be available to all who can obtain a basic firearms permit.
On May 15th, he filed a petition in the House to make the AR-15 a non-restricted weapon stating that this would allow Canadians to "once again use this rifle to lawfully participate in the Canadian cultural practices of hunting in Canada."
This seems to me to be the height of folly. I am told by those who know such things that this is for a "semi-automatic," meaning a trigger must be pulled to fire a bullet. However, I am also told that conversion kits are readily available, if illegal, as are larger capacity magazines.
Why, I ask, would anyone - let alone a Member of Parliament from a local riding (Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies) wish to inflict on us the horrors associated with this weapon in Canada? Is it not enough to look south at the endless parade of mass murders? Must we join the United States in the contest to see who can kill the most people in a school, theatre, or nightclub?
Perhaps Mr. Zimmer thinks that Newton and San Bernardino were "false flag" operations, faked in some manner by the U.S. government. The adults and children killed were merely actors, the photographs misinformation.
No, Mr. Zimmer, those were real adults and children that were killed, and they were killed by those using an AR-15, which you now propose to make available in Canada to kill moose, deer, and gophers.
Mr. Zimmer is quoted as saying that the AR-15 is a "completely innocuous firearm" when it is handled safely. The problem, Mr. Zimmer, is that all too frequently this weapon is not handled safely.
It is used to kill people faster than other non-restricted weapons given the simple modifications.
Willow Arune
Prince George
