"He put the public safety of Canadians at risk"

[RNB65]

Canada must be one fragile place if an old man with a .22 pistol endangered the entire country. Scratch Canada off my list of potential vacation destinations.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/10/13/4572474-sun.html

Americans who bring guns into Canada illegally will be jailed, a Southwestern Ontario court heard after a Virginia man was sentenced to three months behind bars.

Dabney Hardy, 64, of Richmond, Va., was convicted of possession of a gun for which he didn't have a Canadian licence and attempting to evade the Customs Act by denying he possessed the gun.

"He put the public safety of Canadians at risk," said federal prosecutor Michael Robb. "This is an extremely serious offence."

Hardy was in custody 86 days. Robb said the sentence might be perceived as harsh, but said Americans should be made aware of Canadian gun penalties. Canada Border Services Agency officers found a loaded .22-calibre semi-automatic pistol in a case under the passenger seat of Hardy's vehicle as he entered Canada July 18 at the Blue Water Bridge.

Hardy had never been convicted of an offence in Canada and has no relevant criminal record in America, Robb said. But once he brought a gun into Canada, he opened the way for it to be lost, stolen or sold, putting Canadians at risk, he said.

Hardy's lawyer, Robert McFadden, said his client has a medical condition that made his time in custody "very hard."

Justice Deborah Austin said Americans might be shocked by the severity to which the Canadian justice system regards gun crimes.

 

[Outlaws]

Why are you mad? Canada is a separate country. No one is forcing him to go to Canada.

 

[kevin davis]

he is lucky it was not mexico, where he would have gotten 10 years. still, the thinking by the prosecutor shows how foolish some of the people up there are. i have about given up hunting up there because of their silly rules. the policeman at the toronto airport almost had a heart attack when he saw the ammunition in my gun case (locked) and demanded i put it in the checked bag (unlocked), from which it would have been so much easier to steal it.

 

[kingpin008]

I have to say, that as far as I'm concerned, the Canadian authorities had every right in the world to arrest the guy. Whether or not the crime was intentional, I don't think that they're over-reacting on this one. There is a terrorism problem right now, among other things and a dude trying to cross the border with a loaded pistol on his floorboard is just a wee bit sketchy.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I fondly remember my Canadian vacations. Any more, you couldn't pay me to visit a socialist hell hole.

 

[Hypnogator]

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

It's not exactly like Canada makes any secret of the illegality of bringing handguns into the country.

 

[Walter]

Standing Wolf ... I fondly remember my Canadian vacations. Any more, you couldn't pay me to visit a socialist hell hole.

+1, and Amen to that! The Government of Canada is not much
of a believer in "Freedom". I think hell will freeze over before I go
back there.

Walter

 

[Geno]

"No" Canada, "No" Canada...

Give Canada back to England. No, give Canada to Detroit. No, give Detroit to Canada. Yeah, yeah...that's it. Give Detroit to Canada. Wow, what an insult to Detroit!

Okay, seriously now. There are two wrongs here. What American with common sense would knowingly take a pistol to Canada?! But, it was wrong for this man to be used as a legal example for Americans to be put on notice. While perhaps it is legal, I find it among the lowest of the low.

For the possibility that any Canadian official might read my post, I present the following position: I am perhaps among the rarest of Americans. When I say boycott, I truly mean it, and my family adheres to it as well. We actually check labels! We have boycotted Chinese products for two decades plus...actually closer to three! Given the spiteful abuse of this American criminal (yes he was criminal), I add Canada to my boycott list. Two wrongs do not one right make. Note to self. Canada added to the boycott list. Given that I reside just-across-the-river, that boycott means something. (Doc walks off singing, “No Canada, “No” Canada…)

Doc2005

 

[Sunray]

"...Whether or not the crime was intentional..." The guy lied when asked if he had any firearms, then it was found hidden under the seat. He knew what he was doing. Lying to Customs, going either way, is asking for trouble.
He's getting 3 months as a guest in one of Her Majesty's Canadian Prisons(it'll be minimum security) to save $25Cdn. That's what it costs for a 60 day Canadian licence and temporary registration. No handguns unless you're going to a match. No hunting with handguns or CCW here.
This isn't the first time an American has been arrested for trying to be illegally in possession of a firearm either. Happens more often than you'd think.
"...knowingly take a pistol to Canada?!..." It's not just handguns. It's any firearm. Declare it at the border, pay the $25, show a match bulletin/invitation and it's no big deal.
Canada does not want Detroit. You wrecked it, you keep it.

 

[Outlaws]

We have boycotted Chinese products for two decades plus...actually closer to three!

HAHAHAHA. Just because the product wasn't made in China doesn't mean all the little parts inside of that product were not made in China. Might want to check that computer you are typing on, or that monitor you are looking at, or the TV set you watch the nightly news on, and even if they say made in Taiwan or Korea, I bet the speakers came from China. How about the electronics in your American/European/Japanese automobile? The Barbies/GI Joes you buy for your kids? You can't possibly deny a child that because of where it was made can you? Don't answer that. What about Cell phones we all use, or the lesser quality home phones? I doubt many people still phones that are phone company property...well I actually still have one or two lol. Still, good luck with that boycott. Its one thing to avoid them, its another to claim a boycott. Its like an animal rights person who still eats Jello or gummy bears.

 

[Prince Yamato]

He's an idiot. Canada is not the US. Canada has no second amendment. At least he can tell his grandkids about the time he went to jail in Canada.

 

[Euclidean]

A .22 pistol on the floorboard has nothing to do with public safety or terrorism in any nation.

Yes Canada can do what it wants, but the RKBA is a human right that's independent of what nation you're in, what permits you have, or what nation you call home. By not respecting it, the Canadian government has earned my ire. I don't forgive the American government for not respecting the RKBA so no one else gets a free pass either.

I personally plan to never go there and spend money if I can help it as form of protest until they change their policies, which is a shame because there's probably things in Canada I'd like to see.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The big question on my mind is: Does his conviction and incarceration in Canada make him a "felon" and ineligible to possess firearms in the U.S.?

 

[Elza]

Justice Deborah Austin said Americans might be shocked by the severity to which the Canadian justice system regards gun crimes.

Funny, isn’t it? Canadians are so quick to defend the severity of their own laws and yet so quick to condemn ours?

 

[nwilliams]

Maybe he shouldn't have tried to bring a gun into Canada in the first place

He broke the law of another country, of course he is going to get into trouble for that. It doesn't matter what kind of gun it was, if a country has restrictions on what you can legally bring across the border then you should obey those laws.

 

[cambeul41]

Doc2005 says,

Give Canada back to England. No, give Canada to Detroit. No, give Detroit to Canada. Yeah, yeah...that's it. Give Detroit to Canada. Wow, what an insult to Detroit!

Doc2005, are you trying to make it impossible to go to work? I teach in Detroit. If you give Detroit to Canada, I would have to either retire or stop carrying. Would you want to stop carrying in Detroit?

Before we started carrying, my wife and always had our passports and dogs vaccination certificates (= "dog passports") with us when we went for weekend drives just in case we decided to cross over into Canada for lunch. We can't do that now because we are not about to disarm before leaving home.

Cambeul41
Rochester Hills, MI

 

[Rich K]

There are signs at the bridge and tunnel warning you not to try to take guns into Canada. He chose to ignore them, he pays the price.
And folks, the Blue Water Bridge is in Port Huron, not Detroit.
Detroit has the Ambassador Bridge.

 

[GRB]

Maybe he forgot it was there, maybe that is why he told customs officials he did not have a gun.

Just because you have a gun with you does not necessarily mrean you knowingly have it with you. For example, in a hypothetical situation: I drove into Canada once with firearms in my car. The inspector asked me if I had firearms and I said no. He harped on the question a bit, but never searched the car. I had forgotten all about it being there. Only realized it was there when I opened my trunk to put something inside that I had bought as a gift while in Canada. I made straight for the border and the US of A when I realized I had a weapon with me. Good for me I was not arrested. Once again, this is, of course, only a hypothetical situation.

Of course we do not know all of the facts here. Maybe the guy later admitted he knew it was there. If he did not, then I think the punishment rather stiff.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[Lucky]

Don't read too much into it when they say 'public safety'. That's the catch-all phrase used any time they want to impose anything on anyone. They're not being dramatic, just standard *******s.

There is a terrorism problem right now,

I'd suggest there's a lot of PUBLICITY about terrorism right now, in the form of gigantic add campaigns telling people that it is a problem, and promising a solution if they only surrender all freedoms. Temporarily, of course, just until the emergency is over.

Terrorism has ALWAYS been a problem, and the logical solution was to clandestinely combat it. The whole point of terrorism is to generate hype, if they don't get publicity then it's just another violent crime and has none of the political benefits the terrorists want. That's why you don't give in to their demands, and why you don't give them air time. Well, it used to be that way. The new methods are to give in, and give them unlimited publicity, and at the same time use the hysteria generated to acquire a plethora of new powers.

 

[Badkharma]

Give Canada back to England. No, give Canada to Detroit. No, give Detroit to Canada. Yeah, yeah...that's it. Give Detroit to Canada. Wow, what an insult to Detroit!

Okay, seriously now. There are two wrongs here. What American with common sense would knowingly take a pistol to Canada?! But, it was wrong for this man to be used as a legal example for Americans to be put on notice. While perhaps it is legal, I find it among the lowest of the low.

For the possibility that any Canadian official might read my post, I present the following position: I am perhaps among the rarest of Americans. When I say boycott, I truly mean it, and my family adheres to it as well. We actually check labels! We have boycotted Chinese products for two decades plus...actually closer to three! Given the spiteful abuse of this American criminal (yes he was criminal), I add Canada to my boycott list. Two wrongs do not one right make. Note to self. Canada added to the boycott list. Given that I reside just-across-the-river, that boycott means something. (Doc walks off singing, “No Canada, “No” Canada…)

ROFL. No more paper or wood products for you sir. Maybe you can find some Egyptian papyrus. Unless of course you boycott Egypt as well.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

rule #1 When spending time in a foreign country, follow all laws. (this applies at home too, but foreign penalties tend to be much harsher than those here at home.)

 

[jefnvk]

People from Michigan forget to take seriously that Canada is a seperate country all the time. I'd imagine that someone who doesn't go there on a regular basis, would forget even more.

That said: CANADA IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY. You do NOT have American rights there. You have CANADIAN rights there. Unfortunately for this guy, Canadian rights don't include being able to forget about having somethign very illegal in your car then getting caught and getting off free.

I've been over that bridge and through that checkpoint. There is NO WAY that you could not know that bringing a gun into the country could cause lots of problems.

 

[RNB65]

Why are you mad? Canada is a separate country.

I have no problem with Canada enforcing their laws. It's the penalty that I have a problem with. 3 months in jail for an old man with no criminal history due to .22 mousegun is beyond ridiculous. Confiscate the gun, fine him a $1000, and boot him back across the border with an invitation to never return. That's about as stupid as schools that suspend a kid for having a plastic pistol on a keychain. Idiocy.

 

[Geno]

My entire issue is setting the man as an example. There is a difference between punishment, and making an example. That he lost his pistol due to breaking the law, fine. That he was prosecuted for intentionally breaking their law, fine. He knew the law; he broke it. But, to use him as an "example", no, that crosses my line.

For what it's worth, I haven't been to Canada since I received my CCW a couple of years back.

 

[everallm]

Hmm,

I have no problem with Canada enforcing their laws. It's the penalty that I have a problem with. 3 months in jail for an old man with no criminal history due to .22 mousegun is beyond ridiculous.

Of course the ATF would have been far more lenient if he had broken equivalent level statute laws in the USA.........

3 months means out in 30 days or less I should imagine, hey while he's there, at 65 he should avail himself of any dental and medical care he needs and probably return with a substantial chunk of any prescription medication he may need.....

Don't think of it as a jail term, think of it as short term medical cover.....