Politics have clouded the Conservatives' attempt to scrap the long-gun registry, but they see a silver lining in the aftermath of Wednesday's cliff-hanger vote — it's fodder for the campaign trail.
MPs voted 153-151 to kill a Tory private member's bill to scrap the registry, taking the hot-button issue off the legislative table for this session.
But the Conservatives say the razor-thin vote margin shows that the tide is turning and the political fight will rage on.
They warned opposition MPs that the issue will be front and centre in the next election. And they plan to target MPs in rural ridings who changed their votes after saying they would support scrapping the registry.
Tory MP Candice Hoeppner, who sponsored the bill, said opposition MPs who did an about-face will pay the price at the ballot box.
"We won't give up the fight. This isn't the end, this is just the beginning."
(Sidebar: "Ammo"? "Target"? Childish much?)
A lot of hot air has been bandied about in this debate but here are some facts. Guns are smuggled into Canada from the United States. As of 2008, only fifteen percent of robberies involved a firearm. Between 1998 and 2007, female spouses were more likely to be stabbed (30 %) than shot (28 %). One might also note that "common-law" relationships had a higher incidence of abuse (41% of spousal homicides involved victims living in common-law relationships (including same-sex couples), about one-third (35%) involved legally married persons, followed by partners who were separated (22%) or divorced (2%). Between 2005 and 2006, anyone found guilty of a gun-related crime received a mandatory four year prison sentence. These facts would suggest that better policing, better sentencing and - dare I say it? - a sweeping change in attitudes would be better measures than punishing a farmer who fails to declare buckshot.
According to this, Stephen Colbert will testify at a congressional hearing on immigration:
If no one wants to have a serious discussion on immigration, just say so. Granted, the leftists will chuckle at Colbert's repertoire but nothing of any consequence will come of this "hearing". Maybe that is the point.
"We can absorb a terrorist attack..."
Yes, the people of the United States sure can, Mr. President.
Another example of complete moral disconnect:
Someone once posited that liberalism is a mental illness. Indeed, where is the empathy, rationality, even humour? I haven't seen it. What I've seen disturbs and sickens me.
Will the real Sarah Palin please stand up?
4 comments:
"Someone once posited that liberalism is a mental illness."
Maybe what they should have said is they CAUSE mental illness.
We need the guns to protect ourselves from them.
There shouldn't have to be an armed uprising against anyone.
Liberals themselves are enormous cowards who will scamper away at the sight of anyone.
That's why the wimps want to keep the gun registry.
The liberals have had an uprising against families, marriage, men and women ever since Pierre Trudeau darkened our doorstep in 1969.
It's ineffective in fighting crime. Tackling drug crime and organised crime would be a better use of resources than tracking down an errant farmer who forgot to register his rifle.
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