Guns in America

One of the things I fear most when I'm in the U.S. is the number of guns out in the general populace. Common sense tells me that the more people who have access to a gun the more crimes will be committed.

While I'm in the States I keep in mind that I'm a visitor to this country and have no right to express my strong feelings about guns. It just isn't fitting to visit someone's home and find fault with their way of life so I keep my opinions to myself.

What I have discovered is that most of the Americans I encounter who bring up the subject of guns feel much the same way I do. They are sick of the crime all around them and fear guns as much as we Canadians do. We aren't so different after all.

What surprised me the other day was listening to a Canadian man raving about how everyone should have a gun to protect themselves. A Canadian talking like this? Amazing. Him I could have argued with and not felt like I was disrespecting my host but I quickly lost interest. The man is in his late 70's so nothing I could say would change his way of thinking. There will always be pros and cons on the subject and my hope is that one day there will be gun control in the U.S. as stringent as it is in Canada. You can't take all the guns off the streets but you can limit their availablility.

Even with the strong gun control laws in Canada there doesn't seem to be a weekend that goes by that we don't hear of someone shot and killed in Toronto. It often seems to happen at a night club where booze or drugs fuel the insanity.

It's highly dangerous to allow some people to own guns. If they are angry, depressed, cruel, or stupid and own a gun they are a menace to society. Unfortunately, most of us can mask those personality flaws and easily purchase a gun in the U.S. Canada's laws simply make it more difficult.

I hope the U.S. stand up to the gun lobbyists and take a stand on this matter. The police officers who put their lives on the line deserve better odds at making it back home after their shift.