The country's law-abiding gun owners are fast running out of time if they want to comply with new federal gun rules which require them to be officially licensed by Monday.
Without such a licence, they run the risk of fines or worse, although the feds have introduced an 11th hour reprieve for those who at least applied for a licence but have not yet received it.
But even with this last-minute concession, the prospect that hundreds of thousands of Canadians could become lawbreakers by virtue of having done nothing is an unsettling one.
Under the new laws, gun owners must apply for a licence by Dec. 31 and register their guns by Jan. 1, 2003.
Thankfully, harsh penalties for failure to comply with the gun-and-ownership registry won't take effect for another year or so.
But the mere fact that many otherwise law-abiding Canadians will be in technical breach of the law come Monday exposes one of the biggest flaws of the process -- that it targets innocent Canadians while failing to do enough to control the illegal gun trade.
The federal firearms centre says about 1.8 million Canadians have sent in applications, leaving an estimated 400,000 who have yet to do so.
We suspect virtually none of them are what we'd normally brand as criminals, yet, technically, some will become exactly that.
Why are so many Canadians refusing to play along with these new rules?
The answers no doubt vary from the ridiculous -- that the government has an even bigger plan in the works that will one day lead to the confiscation of guns -- to the simple belief that the entire process is a giant cash cow designed to tax lawful gun owners while letting the real criminals run free.
Authorities say they have no intention of launching a blitz on lawful gun owners who have failed to comply by the New Year.
But that doesn't mean they'll be let off the hook forever if they continue to flout the government's latest gun control measures.
Maybe the government would have won more converts to its cause had it spent the past couple of years demonstrating even half the resolve to crack down on the illegal gun trade, including even tougher penalties against those who commit any kind of offense with a weapon.
Why is it, after all, that so much time effort and grief has been spent registering legal guns while motorcycle gangs run amok with seeming impunity?
By going after the real criminals, the government just might feel less inclined to create new ones by virtue of its new gun registry.
Putin must work with West
Russian President Vladimir Putin could stop America's planned defence shield in its tracks if he'd commit to working with the West to ensure that countries like Iraq and North Korea never obtain the ability to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles at us.
Canada's role is two-fold. First, we should tell Putin to put up or shut up. He should either work for enhanced world security or have it imposed on him. In the end, our obvious choice must be with America. If we have influence, we should use it to modify the behaviour of those who are working to make the shield a necessity, not those who are planning to build it. Secondly, we must work to stop nuclear proliferation everywhere and to continue to reduce nuclear stockpiles in existence now. If in 20 years another five or 10 nations have the bomb, this will be an incredibly dangerous world.
At that point, any talk of "the shield" will only concern how quickly it may be built, if it hasn't been already.
Ronald (Arthur) Heale
Ottawa
(Any talk of reducing nuclear stockpiles is a hit with us.)
Congrats on pageants
Thank you for your coverage of the Miss Teen and Miss Manitoba pageants. I was a chaperone for these smart and absolutely remarkable young ladies. It is so refreshing to see a pageant that requires brains and talent not just looks, although all of these young women were beautiful. It was my honour and pleasure to spend four days with these ladies, and a special congratulations to Taryn Hends and Morgan Skakun.
Serena Hickes
Winnipeg,
(Brains and looks are an unbeatable combination.)
Air Canada putrid
The live lobster I went to pick up from Air Canada cargo as a Christmas gift for my dinner party was lost, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the company for its improved service and reliability. Air Canada's new staffing requirements will, I'm sure, encourage more users of our national airline to look to a more reliable source of transportation in the future.
Kelly Simpson
Toronto
(That lobster's not alive any more. You'd best hope it stays lost)
More Daycare
Re: Stockwell Day's legal settlement. Why on earth should the taxpayers be held responsible for any part of this settlement? He made the remarks, let him take the responsibility, monetarily and otherwise.
Jack Dyer
Edmonton
(Day's salary comes from tax dollars, so the taxpayers will pay for it either way.)
Chretien's a buffoon
Bingo! Your Dec. 27 editorial Canada's military myth hit the nail on the head about Chretien's ingratitude to the U.S, this time in matters of defence. I am totally ashamed to call myself a Canadian with clowns like Chretien as the chief magistrate of the state. How long do we Canadians have to put up with buffoons like Chretien and liberals in general, who have done so much damage to this wonderful country?
Robert A. Jason,
Fonthill, Ont
(For exactly as long as people keep voting for them.)
Actions speak louder ...
Re: U.S. proves itself great democracy by Peter Worthington (Dec. 22): If I believed words are more meaningful than actions I would have the same opinion about the Republicans as Peter Worthington. The Republicans are trying to present an image of nobility, but their actions show they govern by serving the rich. Ignoring and dismissing all of the dirty tricks will not make the bad feelings go away.
G. Johnson
Ottawa
(We suspect most Americans will just get on with their lives)
