Letter: Banning firearms won't stop crime

Letter: Banning firearms won't stop crime
Date: Apr 21, 2005 7:38 AM
PUBLICATION: Toronto Star
DATE: 2005.04.21
SECTION: Letter
PAGE: A25

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Banning firearms won't stop crime

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Outlaw civilian guns

Letter, April 19.

Dr. Ron Charach should rethink his letter advocating the end of civilian
gun ownership. He takes great pains to note that Britain has banned
handguns, many rifles and some shotguns. What he has failed to note is
that the violent crime rate involving firearms rose dramatically with
each firearms ban. Instead of being a gun-free utopia, Britain has seen
gun violence increase at an exponential rate.

It may be politically incorrect to make this observation, but the
American states with the highest per capita level of gun ownership and
the least restrictive gun laws have the lowest levels of gun-related
violence.

Also, I must take issue with his characterizing the Colt AR-15 as an
assault rifle. This term is as misused and misunderstood as the '70s
term "Saturday Night Special." It sounds catchy, but it is inaccurate.
By definition, an assault weapon must be capable of fully automatic or
burst fire and fire an intermediate cartridge. The AR-15 is capable of
neither and fires a standard rifle cartridge. Charach should also note
that the firearms used were either stolen or smuggled. His proposal
would have no effect on crime in Canada. The government of Canada has
already wasted more than $1 billion trying to legislate gun ownership of
its law-abiding citizens. How do you like the results so far?

David Copping, Newmarket