The Politics Mega-Thread

[Patty Smyth]

Why do you hate freedom, Patty? Why do you hate America? Oops, I mean Canada...

Can you tell me why you think this is taking away freedom?

[Patty Smyth]

I mean it, I am not being sarcastic. I am one of those people who feel if you have nothing to hide what does it matter. If you live in the country and you have shotguns, I totally understand why. But why does it bother you to register it?

[Darth Penguin]

It's an oft said quote about teh Obama administration is forcibily taking guns from True Americans(tm) .

Since he hasn't done it yet, Obama is waiting for a second term as president when America as we know will crumble as the lack of guns in both forces and private hands will allow "Them " to take over and enslave Americans under some kind of thing...

[DaveP]

I mean it, I am not being sarcastic. I am one of those people who feel if you have nothing to hide what does it matter. If you live in the country and you have shotguns, I totally understand why. But why does it bother you to register it?

I was joking in my above posts, but now I'll be serious. The long-gun registry costs money both to gun owners to register them and the government to compile. The government part is paid for by our tax dollars, 2 billion at last count. What good does it do? Last I checked not too many bank holdups were by someone wielding a .22 long rifle. And when they are used in crime, it's almost always a crime of passion - someone in a family goes nuts and shoots another family member. How would the registry prevent that?

As you say, most in Montreal and Quebec City support the registry. Gee, I wonder how many rifles and shotguns there are in those large cities. Not many. They're for hunting, not personal defense, and are impractical (compared to a handgun) to commit crimes, because of their size. A handgun is way more useful and easier to use if you wish to commit a crime. And I agree with them being restricted weapons, for that reason. But rifles and shotguns? Seriously?

Even if they're registered, how does that prevent someone from committing a crime? How is it useful? If the guy who lives up the street who owns a .270 high powered rifle that he registered 6 months ago, goes bonkers today and starts shooting people - how did the registry help anyone? There's 2 billion well spent.

I just think it's a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere.

[gryphon]

Plus its been proven that the registry can and has been hacked. That means that criminals could use that info to rob houses they know contain guns to get their hands on weapons.

[Patty Smyth]

Plus its been proven that the registry can and has been hacked. That means that criminals could use that info to rob houses they know contain guns to get their hands on weapons.

You can already do that. I can go on a website here and find out exactly which neighbors has what kind of gun and how many.

[DaveP]

You can already do that. I can go on a website here and find out exactly which neighbors has what kind of gun and how many.

And that's a good thing?

Oh, and by the way, no you can't. You can find out what guns your law abiding neighbors have (if what you're saying is true). However, the habitual criminals who live around you tend not to register their guns. And even if you do, big deal, you can't do anything about it until they use them in a criminal act and then it's too late anyway.

Let's go back to the 2 billion dollar expense and growing. It has not prevented a single crime or saved a single life. How could it? It doesn't take anyone's guns away from them. Now if that 2 billion had been used in at risk communities and demographics, what do you think the benefit would be? How would that benefit society now and into the future?

Attawaspikat is in the news now, how much good would just a fraction of that money (responsibly spent) do there? If these monies had been used to give our very poorest children across the country a hand up, a way out of poverty, what would our country look like today? What would the crime rates be like now if the liberals hadn't flushed billions of taxdollars down the toilet to register a farmers birdgun?

[Natalka]

Yay, Dave!

[Patty Smyth]

And that's a good thing?

Oh, and by the way, no you can't. You can find out what guns your law abiding neighbors have (if what you're saying is true). However, the habitual criminals who live around you tend not to register their guns. And even if you do, big deal, you can't do anything about it until they use them in a criminal act and then it's too late anyway.

Let's go back to the 2 billion dollar expense and growing. It has not prevented a single crime or saved a single life. How could it? It doesn't take anyone's guns away from them. Now if that 2 billion had been used in at risk communities and demographics, what do you think the benefit would be? How would that benefit society now and into the future?

Attawaspikat is in the news now, how much good would just a fraction of that money (responsibly spent) do there? If these monies had been used to give our very poorest children across the country a hand up, a way out of poverty, what would our country look like today? What would the crime rates be like now if the liberals hadn't flushed billions of taxdollars down the toilet to register a farmers birdgun?

Sorry but yes you can check what guns your neigbor has although maybe it's only a Quebec thing and yes it is those who have resgistered it.

You still haven't answered my question though in all of this what it's to ya to register a gun? Put aside the cost to the government and where the money could have been spent because that argument can be made for just about any program that you consider government waste. Why does it bother people so much to just register a firearm?? What are they afraid of?

As for Attawaspikat, I had a whole other argument written but decided against posting it because I will probably be banned.

[Patty Smyth]

Yay, Dave!

Yes it does seem like this is an "us against them topic"

[DaveP]

Sorry but yes you can check what guns your neigbor has although maybe it's only a Quebec thing and yes it is those who have resgistered it.

Sounds handy for a criminal who wants to know exactly where to steal a gun.

You still haven't answered my question though in all of this what it's to ya to register a gun? Put aside the cost to the government and where the money could have been spent because that argument can be made for just about any program that you consider government waste.

No, I will not put that argument aside, that's MY money, not government money. It's not the cost to the government, it's the cost to me and the cost to you and the cost to our children. 2 billion dollars is 60 dollars for every man, woman and child in the country. The cost to an average family of four from our tax dollars is $240. It's mind-boggling that people from the big cities support this wasteful expense when almost nobody owns these guns in big cities anyway.

So what's it to me? It's money out of my pocket.

[Patty Smyth]

Sounds handy for a criminal who wants to know exactly where to steal a gun.



No, I will not put that argument aside, that's MY money, not government money. It's not the cost to the government, it's the cost to me and the cost to you and the cost to our children. 2 billion dollars is 60 dollars for every man, woman and child in the country. The cost to an average family of four from our tax dollars is $240. It's mind-boggling that people from the big cities support this wasteful expense when almost nobody owns these guns in big cities anyway.

So what's it to me? It's money out of my pocket.

So for you if it's money out of your pocket then that argument can be made for many more wasteful government programs as well.

[DaveP]

So for you if it's money out of your pocket then that argument can be made for many more wasteful government programs as well.

You're not seriously saying we can't disagree with taxdollar waste in one area because there is waste in others, are you?

Or is that the only argument you have? We might as well waste money on the registry because we're wasting it in other places/programs too. That's not much of an argument.

But at least you're admitting the registry is useless and a waste of money, that's progress. I'll bring you over to the darkside yet, Patty.

[Patty Smyth]

You're not seriously saying we can't disagree with taxdollar waste in one area because there is waste in others, are you?

Or is that the only argument you have? We might as well waste money on the registry because we're wasting it in other places/programs too. That's not much of an argument.

But at least you're admitting the registry is useless and a waste of money, that's progress. I'll bring you over to the darkside yet, Patty.

No I have much to say but I have decided to leave it be because of some of the snide side remarks from others.

Also I did not say the registry was useless I said intitially that people would not be so up in arms over this had it not been the 2 billion dollar mess it has become.

[Andit]

Sorry but yes you can check what guns your neigbor has although maybe it's only a Quebec thing and yes it is those who have resgistered it.

If it's only a Quebec thing & you can already see it, then why the argument for a national registry of hunting rifles?

You still haven't answered my question though in all of this what it's to ya to register a gun? Put aside the cost to the government and where the money could have been spent because that argument can be made for just about any program that you consider government waste. Why does it bother people so much to just register a firearm?? What are they afraid of?

I don't think anyone is against registering guns, it's rifles that are the issue. Here in Toronto, I can't think of any crimes involving rifles. At one point, a local politician was gung-ho to register all knives (meat cleavers, butcher knives, vegetable peelers - I'm not kidding, he was a wee bit out there).

Sounds handy for a criminal who wants to know exactly where to steal a gun.

Yep.

It's mind-boggling that people from the big cities support this wasteful expense when almost nobody owns these guns in big cities anyway.

Not ALL people in big cities.

No I have much to say but I have decided to leave it be because of some of the snide side remarks from others.

Please don't censor your words, I would like to hear your arguments. Tell folks to send the snide comments my way.