Editor:
Re: Liberals’ new gun laws will not make Canadians safer, Nov. 17 letters
A recent letter writer declares that the federal government’s further proposed firearms restrictions are “a load of nonsense” and will do nothing to increase safety. He wonders, “What am I missing?”
Here are some brief answers to his question about what he is missing:
Seventy-five percent of firearm fatalities in Canada are suicides, unrelated to gangs or criminal activities.
Male gun owners are five times more likely to die by suicide than non-gun owners.
Mass shootings in Canada (Portapique, Fredricton, Moncton, Quebec City) were committed by shooters who had no criminal record.
Australia and the Netherlands have 1/3 rate, and the UK and Japan have 1/8 the rate of firearm homicide compared to Canada. All those countries have stricter gun laws than Canada.
It is undeniable that restricting access to firearms increases safety.
Dr. Charles King and Dr. Elizabeth Varughese, Members, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns