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I am hopeful the recent shootings in Tucson, Arizona will generate a ground swell of support for increased restrictions on the use of assault weapons in the U.S. where I was born. While I could easily go along with a complete ban of all guns – I know politically that will never happen. Too many argue that law-abiding citizens have the “right” to own a gun. While I do not agree with this viewpoint, I can and do respect the position. If people want to use guns for sport or believe they must carry a weapon for the protection of themselves or their families – I get that.

What I don’t get, is the opposition to reasonable limits placed on easy access to guns – specifically automatic weapons. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum surely we can find common ground in keeping guns and automatic weapons out of the hands of the mentally ill. The shooter in Tucson was kicked out of College and needed a mental health clearance to get back in. Yet he can go to a Sportsman Warehouse and buy a semi-automatic Glock 19 handgun with ease. Does the right of an American to own a gun supersede the right to an education? The answer is no, but a background check system full of loopholes and an ineffective database have made access to dangerous weapons all too easy for the mentally ill.

To join the U.S. Army you need to go through an exhaustive process that the Tucson killer did not pass. I would like a similar process that includes a condition of mental health, before any civilian is cleared to carry any assault weapon. Of course, you may question any civilian’s sanity who wants to carry an Uzi. In all seriousness, rather than focusing on banning guns we need to strengthen the requirements of ownership.

Gun control measures have been muted by the gun lobby who oppose any restrictions that interfere with their right to bear arms. Democracies, however, place restrictions on behaviour all the time for the safety and well being of society. Illegal drugs are a perfect example where we have laws in place to restrict a dangerous product from being used by otherwise law-abiding citizens. We also don’t hand out driver’s liscences to those who pass a background check – we test for competence.

For me, I see the pro-gun crowd and the pro-pot activists as one in the same. While they probably would not have each other as facebook friends, they do share very similar libertarian beliefs. They both want the “state” to leave them alone and not interfere with what they believe are their inalienable right to their product. It’s the role of the moderate and rationale majority to keep these two groups in check. In the U.S., one has to wonder – where are those people who pursue efforts for the common good?

Yes, I have heard the argument that increased gun control laws won’t have any impact because guns are readily available on the “street”. That maybe true, but that doesn’t mean society should allow easy, legal access to a dangerous product. We don’t do it for illegal drugs such as cocaine – so how is it perfectly legal to sell semi-automatic weapons to anyone walking off the street? Keep in mind also, that the recent high profile multiple gun murders in the U.S. (Tucson, Virginia Tech) are ones where the killer(s) didn’t get their guns and ammo on the street, but at legitimate retail outlets.

It is true that no matter what restrictions you place on weapons that people can never be completely safe from unbalanced individuals bent on killing their fellow man. The recent tragic incident of a Toronto police officer who was killed by a mentally ill man driving a snow plough proves this. But at least in this case his rage only caused the loss of one courageous soul and not multiple victims. Few things bring greater carnage than a crazed killer with an automatic weapon spraying rounds of ammo into a crowded area.

I love my country of birth. But its gun culture and a lack of political will to enact common sense regulation to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill undermine its standing in the eyes of the world.

It also makes me very glad that I have dual citizenship and can call Canada my home.

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