Dear sir or madam,
I just recently watched a video posted on Youtube, made by your Mayor, David Miller. In the video he expressed concern about the rising handgun violence in the beautiful city of Toronto.
Toronto is a lovely city, I may visit someday, and would like to be safe from those who would take advantage of others through violent means. I am however, concerned that a total ban of handguns may have unintended consequences. Given that my home country, your neighbor to the south, is awash in guns, gun dealers and gun manufacturers... here, let me quote the fact sheet provided on your website:
Each day, about 5,500 new handguns are sold in the United States; there are 81,325 federally
licensed dealers and pawnbrokers in the United States (three times the number of McDonald’s
franchises) – and 238 active federally licensed firearms manufacturers across 43 states.18
Approximately 160 handguns per hour were manufactured in the United States in 2006.19
If handguns are baned in Canada, good people like you and me, who would never use a gun to hurt somebody, except in the defense of our loved ones, would turn in our target pistols, and our big bore hunting pistols. Those who choose to keep a handgun to protect their homes, shops, and even hikers who find a pistol to be a comfort against bears and other dangerous animals when enjoying nature would also turn in their handguns to be destroyed.
All these good people will turn in their handguns, and they will do it because they care about the law. Call them law abiding citizens. These are the good folks we need to protect from the more dangerous elements of any society. People who don't care who they hurt, who they kill, what law they break, as long as they can get theirs. These people will keep their guns, and they will sneak into America and buy all the guns and bullets they want. Then they will rape, and rob, burgle, and terrorize your communities with impunity, with the good decent people of Toronto waiting for the police, who will arrive just in time to take pictures of the bodies. Canada and especially Toronto, will have crime statistics not unlike Chicago, and Washington DC. These cities by the way have already tried what you are proposing, and with disastrous results for public safety. I will not travel to those places.
I seriously doubt that you want to be the mayor remembered for turning the beautiful city of Toronto into a cesspool of violence and crime? Do you really want to be remembered in the same breath as Mayor Daily of Chicago infamy? That can't be good for your career, or your eternal destiny. I would not want to stand before the almighty on judgment day, with the blood of disarmed citizens on my hands, people who could have lived save for MY law saying they couldn't defend themselves. No, we each have choices to make in life. And some, like yourself, are responsible for the lives and futures of MILLIONS.
Abandon this road while you still can, before you suceed in destroying all the advances your fine police force has worked so hard for. Learn from history, this has been done before. In England for example, the police now carry guns. They didn't need them before their handgun ban. Even though the thugs and hoodys don't have the unfetered access to smugled weapons that Canadians do.
Might I suggest hard work instead of quick fixes that have been proven time and again to only make problems worse? How about an education program? That would give you so much good publicity. A campaign for kids similar to the National Rifle Association's "Eddie Eagle" program? or public classes put on by the police, teaching people about gun violence and informing them about your city's laws concerning self defense? Handgun safety courses that can teach people how to handle a handgun safely? Or even a workshop teaching people to lock up their weapon so kids can't get at it, and teaching them how to keep a gun from being stolen and used by criminals?
These things would be far more effective in curbing gun violence than disarming those who are neither inclined nor prone to gun violence. I just don't want to see Toronto being given on a platter to crooks and thugs like MY hometown has been. Been there, tried that.
With Regards
XXXXX XXXXXXX
San Bernardino, CA. USA
