England UK

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 09:30:05 -0600 (CST)
From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 <BreitG0@parl.gc.ca>
Subject: Letter: Outlaw civilian guns

PUBLICATION: Toronto Star
DATE: 2005.04.19
SECTION: Letter
PAGE: A23
ILLUSTRATION: Rick Eglinton star file photo Louise Russo undergoes
therapyat Toronto Rehab's Lyndhurst Centre last December for gunshot
wound that left her paralyzed.

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outlaw civilian guns

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where's political courage to remove assault weapons and handguns from
all citizens not in uniform? Paralyzed mom victim of mob hit

April 15.

Louise Russo, persistent spokesperson for gun control in Canada, was not
simply an innocent victim of organized crime. She was a victim of
inadequate gun laws that currently allow non-uniformed citizens to own a
weapon like a Colt AR 15 assault rifle, the piece of military hardware
that robbed her of her mobility and nearly took her life. Why don't any
of the political party leaders have the courage to put forth a
U.K.-style law to remove assault weapons and handguns from all citizens
not in uniform? Only last week, a brazen shooting in downtown Toronto
claimed three more victims. Clearly we are in as much danger from these
wantonly sold and distributed weapons as we are from theoretical
terrorists and their so-called "weapons of mass destruction." South of
our border the National Rifle Association is winning in its campaign to
make guns ubiquitous. Guns are permitted in homes and in people's cars;
an assault weapons ban was allowed to lapse and states are hastily
passing legislation to allow the use of guns in public places when
people feel threatened, and to be allowed even in high-risk places such
as bars and high-school parking lots.

In the face of such insanity - and as a psychiatrist I don't use this
term loosely - we in Canada must move now to make our country free of
any handgun and assault weapon in civilian hands. Let the gun collectors
and "gun fanciers" switch to replicas or else apply for green cards.
Remember, the firearm that nearly silenced Russo was stolen from a
law-abiding citizen and, to add insult to injury, the theft occurred
several years ago.

Ron Charach, MD, Toronto

Blood on the streets

------------------------------


------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 10:40:13 -0600 (CST)
From: "Robert S. Sciuk" <rob@controlq.com>
Subject: Letter to Toronto Star (unpub) ...

Outlaw civilian guns (fwd)

Dear Sir/Madame,

Letter writer Ron Charach seems to have completely missed the point about
what firearms laws and prohibitions can actually do. Surely, the law can
disarm responsible sportsmen and women, but Canada's draconian firearms
laws have not, can not, and will not keep firearms out of the hands of
criminals. In short, what Dr. Charach proposes more of has been an abject
failure to date, and yet he persists. Is that rational?

Dr. Charach goes on to indicate that it is the fault of the AR-15 which he
describes as a "military assault rifle", which is to blame. Hardly! Ms.
Russo was shot by a criminal, and it is the criminal who is solely
responsible for her injuries. As a self proclaimed psychiatrist, one
might think that Dr. Charach should be able to better distinguish between
the 'acts' of inanimate objects, and those of sociopathic criminals.

I strongly suggest that if Dr. Charach is serious about improving the
public safety, that he add his voice to those asking a reticent Justice
Minister for tough mandatory minimum sentencing for firearms violence.
Time and time again Minister Cotler has refused to do just that. I'd say
that it is worth a try, and just leave the responsible firearms
enthusiasts alone -- they are not the problem!

Sincerely,
Robert S. Sciuk
Oshawa, Ont.

------------------------------


Triad Productions-Fantalla(tm)~EZine~ParaNovel
WWWeb >> http://conspiracy.at/r_lacasse
http://rlacasse.naar.be - http://triad.naar.be