New anti-gun campaign blasts off in Hogtown.

As is typical with Canadian politicians in times of trouble, Mayor David Miller of Toronto (NDP) and Prime Minister Paul Martin PMPM (Liberal Party of Kanuckistan) are doing two things about the recent gang activity in Toronto.  They are making sweeping pronouncements about the eeeeviles of guns, and they are blaming the Americans.  The Blob 'n Snail here,  Toronto (Red) Star here and here for a man-on-the-street.

First PMPM goes after Condoleeza Rice yesterday:

She [Condi the Cool] also says the U.S. shares technology on firearms tracing.

Prime Minister Paul Martin raised the issue with Rice during a dinner Monday night.

Martin says up to half the gun crimes in Canada involve weapons brought in illegally from the United States.

The issue has become prominent amid continuing deadly gun violence in Toronto.

Condi was much more kind than I would have been.  Were it me, I'd have said something like "Its your frickin' border Paulie, YOU fix it."  Which is of course why Condi is Condi and I'm incognito on the web, raging on in obscurity.

Be that as it may, PMPM has decided that for reasons known only to himself he's going to increase the irritation factor against the USA, largest customer of Canada and biggest goddamn dog on the block.  My thinking is that these reasons have much more to do with the immanent election than the protection of Canadian interests abroad.

Incidentally the Softwood Lumber "scandal" is 3.5 billion dollars over the whole length of the thing according to this story.  That sounds like a lot until you realize the Liberals are running a 9+ billion dollar tax surplus for the last three years or so.  It would be nice to get it resolved, but grabbing Condi's Chanel lapels and shrieking "but what about the GUNS?!!!!" isn't going to get it done.

Moving on to local Toronto genius David Miller, he announced a "big", "new" police program to fight guns 'n gangs as seen above.  In today's National Poost we have a poll indicating the reason for the announcement.

The survey results also suggest deep concern among Toronto residents that their city leaders aren't responding effectively to the rise in gang and gun violence, with respondents handing out D-range grades to the Mayor and his councillors.

Mayor David Miller received a grade of D+ from respondents, while his fellow elected city representatives got a D.

"It's up to the people to grade me," the Mayor said yesterday. "My concern is safety in Toronto."

Chief Bill Blair and his officers with the Toronto force earned a C, the survey's most favourable grade, while judges and provincial Attorney-General Michael Bryant fared worse, with respondents handing them D and D- grades respectively.

Meanwhile the Toronto police force's union is in the middle of a contract dispute, and the cops are working to rule, wearing baseball caps instead of their uniform hats, and only answering 911 calls instead of patroling.  Hence the "C" rating.


What's all the gun hubub?

The Chief also balked at an Ipsos-Reid finding suggesting that a surprising number of Torontonians -- 18% -- are contemplating buying a gun for their home, a notion Mr. Wright said is motivated by "a palpable sense of fear" in the wake of the summer's violence.

One in five of the poll's respondents agreed with the statement, "more and more I want to have a firearm in my household to protect my family and myself;" 65% of respondents, however, strongly disagreed.

"Arming themselves is the worst possible thing we could do," Chief Blair said, "We need to get the guns out of our community, not add more."

Yes, in the event of rising judicial laxity, governmental slugishness and police job actions, the WORST POSSIBLE thing people could do is arm themselves.  Why?  Because officials in Canada do not view highly organized criminal gangs as a problem worth worrying about. 

An armed citizenry, now that's a problem!  I mean, who knows what devilry the stupid bastards could get up to!  Bodies in the streets, disagreements settled at gun point, it'll be Dodge City!!!!  What we need to do is have a curfew and crack down on these damn gun owners!

Case in point, this little soundbyte from local MP John McKay.  I paraphrase:  I can't understand why any family in Toronto needs a gun.  I can't see any problem with mass confiscations, there's nothing in the Charter of Rights to prevent it.  Listen to the byte, you'll be awestruck by the sheer gall of the man.  Take people's lawful, licensed out the wazoo property?  No problem!  Stupid bastards shouldn't have it in the first place.

Some genius thinks it would be a good idea to sue American gun makers for their smuggled guns.

So in summation, I think what you're looking at here is the first trial balloon of a national gun ban like Britain's.  They've done this every time there's been a gun related issue for the last 30 years, and the incremental increases have left them with nothing else to do for the next election.  Look for a ban on pistols and pistol ammunition first, followed by a general ban on semi-automatic rifles, followed by a ban on starter pistols and replicas, followed by a ban on rifles and shotguns except for heavilly inspected rural exceptions.  Unlike Britian we have bears, after a few kids get eaten they may have to loosen up a wee bit on the rifles up north.

And of course, look for the crime rate to go sky high right along with it.  When the government deliberately dis-identifies the source of a problem for political gain, you can expect the problem to get worse.  If it were only that they were lying it wouldn't be so bad, but they are actually aiding existing criminals in every possible way with bail and short sentences, drug prohibition and police red tape, and they are actively importing more criminals from abroad.  From places like Russia and Romania, in case anybody thought I meant Jamaica.  Remember Strippergate with Judy Sgro?  Fast track immigration for Romanian strippers and their "families".

This could get ugly.

The Ugly Phantom