Why are Canadians So Anti-Gun?

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No idea if this is true. Could be total BS. But here is another possible contributing factor to the USA vs Canada gun attitudes...

One theory is that back in the day Canadian settlements were established by the military. A fort was built and towns grew near the forts. Therefore citizens had law order and protection by the government. Of course in the wilderness, guns were needed for hunting and protection from "nature".

In the US, the west was settled more by citizens. Therefore citizens needed to defend themselve from each other as well as from "nature".

Any historians please jump in here.
 
Canadians are "subjects of the Crown" and think of themselves that way.
Americans are freemen and, until recently, thought of ourselves as such. I'm not sure of the current national mindset.:(
 
There isn't any "national mindset", it's just the same political divide we have in this country. The only difference is that a greater proportion of Canadians are liberals who think more government is better than more personal freedom, responsibility and initiative.

Speak to the average denizen of Manhattan or San Francisco and you'll find the same outlook.
 
A lot of people in urban environments think that golf courses are "the country" and parks are wilderness.

And with the population concentrated in cities, you get a pretty major skew - that's why the US uses the electoral congress in national elections... It tempers the power of the population centers.
 
I think it's unfair to assume that a nation of ~35 million people all feel the same way about something.

They still appear to have an awful lot of guns. Good thing too, since we've tried to invade them twice, if I remember.
 
Went to a business meeting in Toronto. We had to go around the table and talk about interests (to bond - :rolleyes:). The Canadians were horrified. However, a woman from Arkansas was cool with my description of IDPA as was some woman who did free fall skydiving - like the idea of the rush.

Don't think it aided my business prospects - oh, well.
 
To me that's like saying Americans are anti-gun because we've had the AWB, the Brady Bill, the GCA of 1968, and any number of anti-gun legislations throughout the country. And when it comes to the American media, which do you hear more often? Pro-gun bias or anti-gun bias? Judging by what you hear from the American media, you'd think that the American people are generally anti-gun, save for some "good ole boy" types.
 
Come on, people. Quit stereotyping Canadians as if they are all the same. They are individuals and each one is entitled to his/her opinion. I have in my possession a superbly accurate Buckmark pistol. It belonged to my Canadian neighbor. When her husband died unexpectedly, she decided to sell her house in Florida nad in Toronto and move to BC. Although she loved target shooting, she could not take it back to Canada so it ended up in my care. Don't forget, we have our share of Barbara Boxers and Charles Schumers here in the states.................
 
They are tasting the poison that is gun control... they will learn in due time. I know that a lot of us like to poke fun at our Canadian neighbors, but they are not stupid in general. Remember, we American's suffered from the same mentality back in the 80's and 90's. Once we witnessed the failure's and pitfalls of gun control first hand, we started digging ourselves out. Sadly, it takes decades to undo the damage.
 
Heh - fast way to educate a "city" non-gun person...

Watch your basic slasher movie with 'em.

"Well, this would be a short movie if they started it in -our- front yard!"

Most of them basically are only exposed to two types of people who possess firearms: Police and criminals (and they generally don't particularly like either...)
 
I don't think it's just Canadians... it's really the whole rest of the world that is anti-gun compared to us. By world standards, Canada is one of the countries with the least amount of restriction on the kind of firepower citizens can own. You can buy a brand new Chinese M-14 there for less than $600.

The fact is that there is no other country in the world which was born out of a violent revolution against central authority, which began because of the government's attempt to disarm the citizens, during the golden age of libertarian thought.

Canada is actually rather typical of western countries when it comes to gun control. It is the U.S. that are the exception.
 
WOW

I have to say some of the replies made me laugh out loud. :)

Being a 45 yr old Canadian sportsman and avid shooter I'll do my best to shed some light.

For the record I can go to any store, any day and buy a long gun and or hand gun and leave with it, some of the restrictions are hand guns with a barrels shorter than 4.1", long guns shorter than 24" and automatic weapons. (there's more but i'm at work so i'm rushing)

The worst is we have no CCW anyware in Canada, If I take my hand gun off my property I need an ATT pemit and that allows me to take to the gun club and back.

Most of you are correct that we have too many bleeding heart Liberals but its a Conservative Government now, and even though they are not the majority they are trying to undo alot of the Liberal's propaganda lies.

Canada is a sportsmans paradise and tens of thousands of Americans hunt and fish here yearly, so bring your long guns,your fishing poles, your money and enjoy the Canada I love and not the Canada you read on Yahoo
 
One more topic to address,

Would you PLEASE tell your Anti-Gun Americans to stop pointing thier fingers at us saying we have more gun control and less crime so gun control must work, because our mis-informed city folk believe that $h1t.

Mark
 
I'd disagree that ALL Canadians are anti-gun, and agree that attitude is much more in urban areas than rural areas.

I truck up there a lot, mainly in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and BC. Yes, around Montreal and Toronto, most people I talk to are fairly anti-gun, yet other drivers from different areas in Canada I talk with have much different attitudes about gun ownership.

I've went out to Calgary a few times, and was asked about where I went in Canada, and when I told them about trucking in Ontario & Quebec, was asked point blank "aren't those people over there a-holes?

The people of Alberta seemed to me just like those in Montana as far as gun issues, and the desire to live free apply.

I'd caution about using a broad brush to paint the people of Canada, I've met a good many fine people up there, that share our sentiments about gun ownership and use. They are cobbled by a left leaning government in their attempts to exercise a God given right as openly as we do.

In one of my first visits to Canada, I was asked if I knew why Canadians watered their lawn with WD-40. The answer? To keep the guns from rusting.
 
Saying "Canadians" are anti-gun is like saying 'Why are Americans (insert name of behaviour here).

I was born and raised near Calgary, Alberta, and while I wasn't exposed to guns to the same extent I am here in Arizona, guns were a part of life growing up on the farm. From clearing a field of gophers with a .22 to harvesting a deer to going out after waterfowl, guns were/are as much a part of rural/western life in western Canada as they are in most of the U.S.

Do not mistake the attitudes of Canadians living in Montreal and Toronto with Canada as a whole. Canada does not have an elected Senate to balance out the excesses of the House of Commons, so whatever the large, traditionally anti-gun population centers of Ontario and Quebec want, they get, much to the chagrin of the gun-loving West.
 
Canada is not anti gun. Our major media is definitely left of center leaning so if you read articles or watch news clips you will generally get an anti gun bias. And, anytime they ask for peoples opinions about guns they usually talk to someone in Toronto or one of the Major Eastern cities here in Canada. It would be like asking people in San Francisco what they think of guns and than generalizing that this is the opinion of all Americans

I don't think you would find one Western country in the world that would allow a non citizen to enter their country with a gun or at least without doing lots of paperwork. I couldn't go into the US with a gun without filling out all of the proper BATF forms, in fact, the US has some of the most stringent export rules around when it comes to buying guns or gun parts. I cannot buy a gun, ammo, or any part even associated with a gun from a US dealer without doing a pile of paperwork. Is this because of Canadian laws? NOPE, it is strictly because of the US export laws. Under Canadian rules, there is no restriction as to what we can buy from the US with the exception of handgun magazines over 10 rounds, rifle magazines over 5 rounds and handgun barrels under 4". You would be surprised how many Canadians own handguns, AR's, etc. etc. You just don't hear about it broadcast over the airwaves as you probably would in the US.

Here is one of the Canadian firearm forums, you have to register to get access . Currently as I look there are 1,559 users online. That's pretty busy for a country that is "anti gun" in some peoples minds. There are also Canadians usually on every US gun forum.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/
 
Canada even highly restricts free speech. They also jail political activists. Canada is not as worse as Germany though when it comes to free speech and jailing political activists. Many people in Germany are arrested thought crimes. Yes I am being serious. So it is no surprise that they are also against guns.
 
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Canadians oppose American gun ownership because it is in the Canadian nature to "not be American." Of course, our northern cousins are good folks. But they seem pre-occupied with "not being American."

Some time ago an essay was written called "Bomb Canada: The Case For War." Relax, it's a humorous look at US-Canadian differences. But it does go to the heart of the matter. Definitely recommended reading...

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2284226/Bomb-Canada-The-case-for.html
 
My sons both live in Canada, and when they were little liked to go shooting with me. Now that they're older, nearly 40 and 42, they haven't shot for some time. My #2 son though loved to shoot prairie dogs, and still would if he ever finishes school and gets a job where he can take a vacation.

I think if someone went to NYC, San Fran, LA, Chicago, or most other large cities in states that are not "shall issue" that the attitudes would be very similar to those of Canadians living in Vancouver, Toronto, and Ottawa. A few years back my wife and I were in Alberta and I was amazed at the pro-gun bumper stickers on several cars.
 
I have always been bewildered by this.
A rather large nation by square mileage with acre upon acre of wilderness to this day.
You would think this sort of environment would bring forth the hardy individual who takes care of him/herself.
As a member of a few motorcycle forums I can tell you point blank I have been assailed numerous times by Canadian motorcyclists that think I am an absolute nut case for touring the nation armed or actually defending our nations 2nd amendment.
I just dont get it.
I really dont.
Fwiw I have a friend that lives in Switzerland who owns a Ruger 9mm semi pistol and shoots regulary.
Strange this world.
 
"...Why are Canadians So Anti-Gun?..." Whoever told you that is very confused.
"...Yahoo question..." About as authoritative as Wikipedia. Answers.yahoo is full of kids.
"... the loss of the RTK&BA, they once had..." We've never had that right. We don't have and never have had the constitutional right to own any kind of property. It was specifically left out of Trudeau's constitution.
At one point, Trudeau saw his Party was going to lose the next election. So he opened the immigration gates to Third World Commonwealth countries. (Trudeau's buddy, Manley of Jamaica, promptly emptied his gaols just like Castro did.) Most of 'em live in TO and other cities. Those people still vote for his Party and believe everything they're told by the assorted governments. Most people, up here and Stateside, have never seen a real firearm and certainly know nothing about the laws. People fear what they don't know.
The only time they see or hear about firearms being used is in movies, TV and on the news. News reports, TV and movies rarely portray firearms use in anything but criminal activity.
Our current stupid firearms laws(Federal only. No Provincial or municipal laws) blatantly violates our Charter of Rights, but somebody has to be charged under our Firearms Act for a legal challenge to happen. Nobody has ever been charged under that Act.
Trudeau started the idea of the government looking after you from the cradle to grave too. Now everybody, big business included, runs to the government for everything.
"...Canadian media, most of it is government run..." Nonsense. Whoever told you that doesn't know what he's talking about.
 
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