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Phone : (905) 985-6397 Fax : (905) 985-1410 RCE LE OR Ch oS eh SR EDITORIAL Get tough on crime, not guns The horrific events at Gagnon Sports Shop in south Oshawa last week will no doubt lead to yet another outcry for stricter gun controls in this country. In fact, law abiding gun owners everywhere in the country fear the federal government is getting ready this fall to bring in new and even tougher regulations. Many of these gun owners, including a large group from Scugog and Durham Region will be in Ottawa this week (Thursday) for a mass rally to try to convince the government to crack down on crime rather than those who own and use firearms for non-criminal reasons | The brutal and cold-blooded murder of one of the owners of Gagnon Sports on September 14 will stir the powerful anti-gun forces into action, some of whom go so far as to demand that all firearms be banned from private ownership. Over the last decade the laws and regulations governing ownership of firearms and ammunition have been progressively tightened, all the while the use of firearms in criminal activity has gone up. If gun controls are working in this country, why did the murder at Gagnon Sports take place at all? The reason is that anyone who would murder in cold blood and open fire on clerks and customers in a sporting goods store in the course of trying to rob that store of more guns is not going to pay any attention to tougher regulations on ownership, storage, etc. Law abiding gun owners who use their weapons for very legal activities such as hunting, rodent control, livestock protection, recreational and competitive target shooting argue correctly that the problem is not guns but those who use guns for criminal activity. They argue, again correctly, that the law is too lenient when it comes to punishment for using a firearm in a crime. And many argue that if anyone kills a person in the course of a crime, the courts should have the option of imposing thetleath penalty. Instead of looking for ways to make it tougher and tougher on law-abiding gun owners in the country, Parliamentarians should be looking at other courses of action to clamp down on the those who import guns into the country, sell guns illegally, steal guns, use them to commit a crime or wound or murder somebody in the course of a crime. The slaying at Gagnon last week was tragic and senseless. But the toughest gun laws in the world would not have prevented that death There are many jurisdictions in the United States where a near or total ban on all firearms is the law. In theory, the number of incidents involving illegal use of weapons should be close to nil We all know that is not the case as many of those jurisdictions have the highest murder rates in that country. Law abiding gun owners state their case succinctly: what this country needs is crime control not gun control. Until politicians get mighty serious with those who break the law and use a firearm in the process, what happened at Gagnon Sports will happen again in some other city, town or village in Canada. really change anything? To the Editor The election of the separatist Parti Quebecois will have the pundits and scribes writing volumes. Few will reveal the fact that we have had a "country within a country" for 127 years--that"s 127 years of political turmoil. Quebecers are just that-- Quebecers first and Canadi Pierre Trudeau said it in one sentence--"Quebec sets the agenda and the rest of the country follows." Just like lambs to the siaughter. The billions of dollars spent on frivolous French have increased French power. Appeasement, as Neville Chamberlain found out, does not work with bullies or with politici second. They have a national assembly and Napoleonic law, while the rest of Canada has British Common Law When Rene Levesque defeated Robert Bourassa, Canada's largest newspaper calle Bourassa the "most hated man in Canada." Has the name been replaced with Parizeau? From Meech Lake to the referendum, voters sent a clear message to the politicians. The scare tactics and lavish spending failed to sway thinking Canadians. Quebec has cried wolf too many times to be believed. Give us everything we want or we'll break up the country. With the Bloc Quebecois in Parliament plotting the break-up of Canada, aided and abetted by the PQ 'in Quebec, can separation be stopped with a massive infusion of money from Ottawa? It worked in the past, will it work again? Ottawa must stand firm saying No to sovereignty association and No to using the Canadian dollar. What Quebec wants is more power. One brave premier at the Charlottetown Accord said "power is what it's all about." How much more political wrangling with Quebec are Canadians prepared to take? Have we not had enough? Is 127 years not long enough to face reality? Even Trudeau spelled it out in his book "Federalism and the French Canadians." In the book "King's War," it followed Prime Minister King's war with Quebec. The fleur-de- lis has long ago replaced the maple leaf. We faced the terrorism of the FLQ and the murders, the mail box bombings, the turbulence of the Levesque era A country, like a family divided, cannot stand. Let's face it, when a divorce is inevitable, let's get it over with as quickly as possible. It is better to remain friends then to hate. No more catering to the demands of QueBec, no more wasteful spending on constitutional wrangling, no more "round the mulberry bsh." Let's get it over with. Enough is enough. As Winston Churchill once said "those who do not learn from history, will have to re-live it." And as the late columnist and authoy Clair Hoy said "if they really want to separate, let's wave goodbye." Remember, a poll taken after the failed referendum said 47 per cent of Canadians outside Quebec would sooner see Quebec separate than give in to more concessions. Dean Kelly, President. Assoc. Dedicated Canadians (since 1967) Port Perry, Ont ! Letters policy The Scugog Citizen welcomes letters to the Editor on just about any topic, local, national or international in scope. We will endeavour to print all letters except those that we consider to be outside the laws of libel and slander. We would also ask that letters stay bly within the bounds of good taste for a community newspaper. Our policy is to insist that the writer of the letter allow his or her name to appear with the letter, however, we will make exceptions in certain circumstances. Deadline for letters is Monday at noon. You can mail to 36 Water St, Port Perry, LOL 1J2, or fax to 985-1410.