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Big_Rob | 06-13-2008 11:33 AM
Amazing pro-gun thinking from Canada of all places It's time for a ban on handgun bans Theo Caldwell, National Post Published: Friday, June 13, 2008 http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/...html?id=583259 As politicians across Canada contemplate yet another layer of laws to address the issue of urban gun crime, it may be time to consider what harm is done by such well-intentioned but impractical legislation. The Post has reported that outright bans on handguns have been tried from Great Britain to Japan, almost invariably resulting in a rise, rather than a decline, in violent crime. Part of this phenomenon must be written down to the opportunity cost of such feel-good legislation. To wit, when politicians pass laws that will be obeyed only by the law-abiding, they content themselves that they have taken action. As a consequence, while our leaders are absorbed with media interviews and mutual congratulations, the original and drastic problem is left to fester. And so a ban on handgun bans would seem in order. This would disarm politicians of the fantasy that they have addressed the problem and compel them to confront criminals head-on. For politicians facing rising crime, it is the easiest thing in the world to target law-abiding citizens. Confronting actual criminals, on the other hand, can be tricky. Increased police presence and arrests can antagonize the voting base of a liberal politician and put him on the business end of unkind editorials in left-leaning newspapers. But if such a leader is serious about dealing with crime, he must see his job as a service, not a sinecure, and let the chips fall where they may. Much is made of the transformation of New York City from a crime-ridden disaster to America's safest big city under former mayor Rudy Giuliani. It must be remembered that this turnabout was attained not through politically correct legislation, but by robust, responsible policing, and in defiance of sharp liberal criticism. Conversely, the mayors of Toronto, Montreal and Halifax have joined together to call for a ban on handguns across Canada, following on municipal-level actions directed at collectors and competitive target-shooters. But what good is that to citizens preyed upon by criminals who do not trouble themselves with Canada's already onerous permit and registry system before acquiring their firearms? It is a disgrace to the modern metropolis that the term "home invasion" has entered our lexicon in recent years. That is, thugs break into a residence while its inhabitants are home, robbing and terrorizing them -- or worse. What is the effect of a well-intentioned and highly publicized ban on guns on this hideous urban phenomenon? Will home invasions increase or decrease if violent criminals have the assurance that their victims are not armed? It is not the law-abiding citizen in the privacy of his home who requires the attention of the law but the criminal who would enter that dwelling with ill intent. The former deserves the law's protection; the latter, its reprimand. The argument is often made that a ban on handguns is not the complete solution but it is a good first step. This might be true if such bans were accompanied by robust policing with the full-throated support of elected officials. But words on a page are no substitute for boots on the ground, and any proposed solution to crime that does not augment the arrest and prosecution of criminals is doomed to failure. Sanctimony never stopped a bullet, and no criminal has ever been frightened by a photo-op. As New York's example shows, urban gun crime can be combated, but we need leaders who would rather be practical than popular. theojpcaldwell@yahoo.com - Theo Caldwell, president of Caldwell Asset Management, Inc., is an investment advisor in the United States and Canada

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