Tim Louis: Tighter gun controls are the best tribute to Nova Scotia's victims

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      The recent tragedy in Nova Scotia has once again placed the need for tighter gun controls in Canada front and centre.

      So I’m very pleased to see our prime minister, Justin Trudeau, indicate on a number of occasions over the past few days that the federal Liberals are very close to bringing in legislation that will help to protect Canadians from the kind of senseless gun violence we witnessed earlier this week.

      A world leader I have great admiration for is New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. Immediately following the terrible mosque shooting in Christchurch just over a year ago, she moved decisively to bring in some of the world’s strictest gun controls. I was therefore delighted to hear that Trudeau is seeking her advice on this critical matter.

      I’m so glad that I don’t live south of the border, where there are nearly 400 million firearms and a very powerful gun lobby, spearheaded by the National Rifle Association, is apparently able to put a stop to even the mildest gun-control proposals Congress might consider, even when public opinion polls indicate overwhelming support for stricter gun laws. 

      The Gun Violence Archive, a respected aggregator of all incidents of gun violence in the U.S., reports that more than 12,100 Americans have been killed by guns so far this year alone.

      Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reportedly reached out to Prime MInister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand to learn more about how her country implemented aggressive gun control.

      In Canada, data from 30 years ago (shockingly, the most recent data the Department of Justice has posted), indicates there were more than seven million firearms in Canada in 1991, 1.2 million of them restricted. There can only be more today.

      My heart goes out to everyone touched directly or indirectly by the horrific events in Nova Scotia. The best memorial that could possibly happen would be stricter gun controls across Canada in the names of all those who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy.

      Daily atmospheric CO2 [Courtesy of CO2.Earth]

      Latest daily total (Apr. 21, 2020): 416.28 ppm

      One year ago (Apr 21, 2019): 413.63 ppm

      Tim Louis is a Vancouver lawyer and former city councillor and park commissioner. This article first appeared on his blog, which lists the daily carbon dioxide count in parts per million in the atmosphere at the end of every post. The Georgia Straight publishes opinions like this from the community to encourage constructive debate on important issues.

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