Letter: Fed up with ease of gun accessibility across North America

By Letter to the Editor on May 31, 2022.

Dear editor,

Claims that it is difficult to control guns is a repeated response from politicians in North America after a mass shooting. But nothing concrete ever really changes, despite proposed regulations to prevent future massacres.

However, there really is one very simple solution, although extremely controversial, (and very unpopular for some), and that is to prohibit private gun ownership.

I understand this suggestion will immediately raise many negative reactions and related arguments, because, yes, it really is very undemocratic, but governments typically already control other potentially dangerous goods. What is likely impossible, is to please all gun enthusiasts like hunters, target shooters, collectors and hobbyists, etc. They are not the problem. However, their gun ownership sacrifice could possibly indirectly permit the necessary changes that might just result in denying gun access to potentially dangerous users.

Perhaps, rather than gun ownership, guns could be leased from certified controlled outlets to verified and qualified gun enthusiasts, for example, specific arrangements could be made for certified collectors and museums.

In my view, (as a former multiple gun owner myself), there are some, but very few, valid reasons for private citizens to purchase and own guns in North America. Mass shootings are far from being under control and only very stern government intervention will ever change things. In the USA, at least in 2018, there were more guns than people. In Canada, roughly 25 per cent of people own guns, but we were also subjected to some horrific mass shootings, like the recent 22 deaths in Nova Scotia.

North American governments appear to be far too susceptible to political party rhetoric and voter influences to take the aggressive, extremely controversial, but necessary action to ban private ownership of guns, which is currently far too easy for anyone in North America.

Many of us grew up with guns, including cap guns, as young kids, and more recently, paint ball guns. Guns appear to be part of our North American culture, particularly the Western Cowboy culture, but it’s time to grow up and face the reality of the potential devastation, if guns end up in the wrong hands!

Gordon Briosi

Medicine Hat

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