Gun Control
There has been considerable debate recently in Canada over the issue of gun control. The Canadian parliament enacted the Firearms Act to enforce gun control by requiring gun owners to register their firearms. Just recently, the government of Alberta lead in a charge, including five other provinces and numerous pro-gun groups, complaining that the law is unconstitutional and intrudes on provincial jurisdiction. They also claim that the act infringes on property and civil rights that are guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Parliament contends that the government of Canada is within its rights to protect public safety. Pro-gun control organizations, police chiefs and the City of Toronto also back the Firearms Act. The enacting of the Firearms Act by the government of Canada is legitimately constitutional and is within the jurisdiction of Parliament as it only seeks to protect the well being of Canadians. Furthermore, this legislation does not intrude on provincial jurisdiction because it is a representation of all Canadian's rights. The Canadian law that requires the licensing and registration of handguns has been around since the 1930's. The new statute, enacted i
The government counters that it can use its criminal law powers to try to protect the safety of Canadians. The comparison between firearms and motor vehicles can further illustrate this point. Like firearms, motor vehicles are registered and licensed to owners to protect the private property of the owners and others. Moreover, owning and using a firearm is a privilege, as is driving a motor vehicle. If the owner can prove his or her car is registered and he or she is licensed, the individual has nothing to hide since it can be proven that the vehicle is not stolen or was ever used to commit a crime. The gun control debate is undoubtedly a controversial issue. On one side, gun control advocates, victim's groups, police chiefs, and the City of Toronto believe that the regulation and licensing of firearms is necessary in order to maintain a peaceful society. The other side, however, including several provinces lead by Alberta, believe that the Firearms Act is unconstitutional because the registration and licensing provisions infringe on their property and civil rights. Those who are pro-gun further believe that their culture traditionally used firearms and that the government should not interfere with their "way of life". Honourable Chief Justice Fraser of the Alberta Court of Appeal explains the paradox of this debate and why it is so controversial: It is clear that the new firearms legislation is looking out only for the best interests of the citizens of Canada. Public safety and well-being undoubtedly takes precedence to a traditional gun culture. The argument by pro-gun advocates that licensing and registering firearms will turn them into criminals is invalid since guns have the potential to seriously injure and kill people and thus, should be treated with caution and special care. The Firearms Act enacted by the government of Canada should be considered as a positive notion and not as a law that invades on property and civil rights. The reason why Canada is a safe country is all due to our strict gun control laws. Moreover, if this statute was struck down as unconstitutional, there is no doubt in my mind that C
Some common words found in the essay are:
Firearms Act, Constitution Act, Firearms Association, Court Appeal, Moreover Cukier, Association Registering, Canadians Furthermore, Canada Public, Roderick McLennan, Graham Garton, gun control, firearms act, property civil rights, property civil, civil rights, public safety, licensing registration, provincial jurisdiction, gun control advocates, control advocates, government alberta, government canada, police chiefs city, incidents involving firearms, gun control laws,
Approximate Word count = 1446
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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