Need we arm Canada?

dreamwatcher

New Member
Mar 17, 2010
34
0
6
Edmonton
I would want the police to protect me, and my property. I would not want to be responsible to defend myself with a gun at my hip in the streets. Get real. So the TO cops made a few mistakes. Big deal! I would like to know though, where these thugs got the moolah to travel to Toronto in the first place. Probably robbing ATM's or their parents gave them the cash for a "little tour of TO". They sure didn't look as though they ever held a job, or would care about finding a job. These are Canada's little "muggers".
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
117
63
Under current circumstances, to the best of my knowledge, as long as the police themselves and no citizen's personal body is in danger, the police have no right to use the force necessary to protect public order. What I'm proposing above would remedy that whereby even if no person is in physical danger, the police would be allowed to use such force o protect property.
Excuse me? You're saying there are no laws such as vandalism, creating public nuisance, destruction of public property, destruction of private property, etc.? Machjo, I think you are losing it.

Machjo: You are not permitted to use lethal force in Canada. You are only allowed to use the force necessary to subdue your attacker. Any more and guess who goes to jail. Aint socialism grand?
Cops in Canada do not shoot to maim. They do not shoot to kill. They shoot to stop.

Actually, if you are in Canada, you may use lethal force ..."if you, or another person, are in clear and immediate danger of death or grievous bodily harm". There is an expectation that you retreat, if that is an available option, but you may use lethal force against anyone threatening you with a weapon.
Right.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
117
63
I don't think you could call it vigilante justice if its legal. The only difference between a vigilante and a police officer is the rubber stamp of a beaurocrat. Like the difference between a privateer and pirate.

And don't say "oh police have all this magical training". If they did then basic things like "don't taser an 80 year old bedridden lady for sitting up in bed too fast when you illegally break into the wrong house by mistake and don't give any identification of who you are" or "Hey, maybe you shouldn't arrest people for videotaping you breaking the law you are sworn to uphold?".

Hyperbole aside. I see no reason that you shouldn't trust someone with a gun if you can trust them with a vote. If they are too irresponsible and dangerous to be entrusted with a firearm, they are too irresponsible to vote. That a mentally unstable person under incarceration can vote, but a law-abiding citizen with secret level clearance can't own a gun is ridiculous.
And really really funny. lol

You can crack down on guns or not, just be logical and remove voting rights from anyone you can't trust with a gun.
Good idea.

Under the law, you may NOT use lethal force to protect property. Full stop.
Right again.

That's why I'm suggesting modifying it. Certainly the principle of minimum force should still apply, and perhaps even have this right apply exclusively in a riot situation. I'm all for constraints. But clearly these vandals know the law and are exploiting it to their advantage by ensuring the police never have a legal right to take appropriate action when the police is outmanned.
So perhaps the cops should just start handing out baseball bats and referee in case something gets out of hand.
Oh wait. Why do we need cops in the first place then?

Ya! They only taser to kill.
Definitely. Every single one of them is a homicidal maniac as soon as they get their hands on a taser. :roll:
 

Bar Sinister

Executive Branch Member
Jan 17, 2010
8,252
19
38
Edmonton
Ummm... don't know where you've been, but we already have that sort of thing brought to by folks who are already banned from owning firearms. Banning or limiting law abiding citizens from owning of carrying the things works well don't it :roll:?


No we don't. When was the last time we had a mass shootout in Canada between hundreds of armed citizens? Try not to exaggerate the occasional gun battle between drug gangs as a normal everyday occurrence in Canada, because it isn't. Canada is not Mexico.
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
193
63
Nakusp, BC
Definitely. Every single one of them is a homicidal maniac as soon as they get their hands on a taser. :roll:
What? You sound like you don't think so.8O

How many cops get to use deadly force in any given year? Not very many I expect, but a percentage of them will use more force than necessary just because they can.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
61
48
Ottawa, ON
Excuse me? You're saying there are no laws such as vandalism, creating public nuisance, destruction of public property, destruction of private property, etc.? Machjo, I think you are losing it.

That's not what I meant. What I meant was that as long as the vandals aren't hurting people, they can destroy property to their heart's content and the police are powerless to stop it if they are outnumbered. If the police are outnumbered by the vandals, then the only way to stop the vandals while protecting their own safety would in fact be for the police to use more force to compensate for their numbers. unfortunately, since the law does not allow the police to use more force if people's safety is not threatened, the vandals therefor have free reign to do what they want. They're not stupid. They know the law and so exploit it to their advantage. They know they can destroy property with impunity and that as long as they are not threatening people, the police can only do so much. That's where we need to reform the law somewhat.
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
193
63
Nakusp, BC
That's not what I meant. What I meant was that as long as the vandals aren't hurting people, they can destroy property to their heart's content and the police are powerless to stop it if they are outnumbered. If the police are outnumbered by the vandals, then the only way to stop the vandals while protecting their own safety would in fact be for the police to use more force to compensate for their numbers. unfortunately, since the law does not allow the police to use more force if people's safety is not threatened, the vandals therefor have free reign to do what they want. They're not stupid. They know the law and so exploit it to their advantage. They know they can destroy property with impunity and that as long as they are not threatening people, the police can only do so much. That's where we need to reform the law somewhat.
And what are they going to do against the off duty cops that vandalized Toronto and other protest rallies? Do you think you could write a law to stop that?
 

bobnoorduyn

Council Member
Nov 26, 2008
2,262
28
48
Mountain Veiw County
No we don't. When was the last time we had a mass shootout in Canada between hundreds of armed citizens? Try not to exaggerate the occasional gun battle between drug gangs as a normal everyday occurrence in Canada, because it isn't. Canada is not Mexico.

Who's doing the exaggerating, even Mexico doesn't have hundreds of armed citizens shooting it out. (BTW, private ownership of firearms is more restricted in mexico than in Canada, so it really works there, eh?). I don't need to exaggerate the gang battles here either, I live on a quiet upscale street in the burbs of Halifax, the same street as one of our most notorious drug dealing families, who have since moved out, (thankfully). Many of my neighbours are armed, including an 85 year old lady I know quite well who dubbed them "the gang who can't shoot straight", (I call them the "Sopranos lite"),but she can and has the trophies to prove it, No, shoot outs in our fair city are not a daily occuarance, monthly maybe, but on our street, we are prepared to shoot back, and we are law abiding citizens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AnnaG

Colpy

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 5, 2005
21,887
848
113
71
Saint John, N.B.
Okay.

The police do not protect you.....much less your property.
If you doubt that simple statement, I'd advise you to consult with David Brown of Caledonia (NP Story any of the victims of the Montreal Massacre..........(where the police waited outside while LePine's rampage went on...)

The fact of the matter is that police are taught one basic principle.....the most important thing is that they go home safe at the end of their shift. Full stop.

When I worked in the armoured car industry, we were told by a major city's police force that if we called for help:
1. They would not respond with normal police patrols, but only with the heavily armed Tactical Team.
2. The Tactical Team takes at least an hour to assemble.
3. The Tactical Team would "under no circumstances enter a hot zone"....in other words, they cordon off the area, wait to the shooting is over, then go in and tally up the bodies.

The only one responsible for your defense is you. And I am a firm believer that you should not be denied the means to defend yourself.

Mind you, I do not want a bunch of untrained yahoos toting pistols around.......but I have absolutely no problem with civilians that have no criminal record or history of mental disease, and who have passed a course by a qualified instructor that includes safety, law, and skill at arms (bucking for a carrer opportunity here! :))...I digress....I have no problem with such persons being licensed to carry handguns concealed.

It has worked extremely well in the USA............the murder rate has dropped 40 percent since the Americans first started letting their honest citizens carry guns anywhere......
 
Last edited:

El Barto

les fesses a l'aire
Feb 11, 2007
5,959
66
48
Quebec
I like how your mind works.

But I fear that if we flex that arm, some more advanced species out there will take up the challenge and kick our butts.
Hey , it's a Canadian arm , did you notice it has no middle finger? :|
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
193
63
Nakusp, BC
are you an Alien? :D
I think so. I can't relate to most humans. What they think is important and sacred is foreign to me. I think I was either abandoned here by mistake or I have been sentenced to this insane asylum for something I did on my home world. I get the impression that the Earth is either a prison planet or an insane asylum for the Universe.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
61
48
Ottawa, ON
Okay.

The police do not protect you.....much less your property.
If you doubt that simple statement, I'd advise you to consult with David Brown of Caledonia (NP Story any of the victims of the Montreal Massacre..........(where the police waited outside while LePine's rampage went on...)

The fact of the matter is that police are taught one basic principle.....the most important thing is that they go home safe at the end of their shift. Full stop.

When I worked in the armoured car industry, we were told by a major city's police force that if we called for help:
1. They would not respond with normal police patrols, but only with the heavily armed Tactical Team.
2. The Tactical Team takes at least an hour to assemble.
3. The Tactical Team would "under no circumstances enter a hot zone"....in other words, they cordon off the area, wait to the shooting is over, then go in and tally up the bodies.

The only one responsible for your defense is you. And I am a firm believer that you should not be denied the means to defend yourself.

Mind you, I do not want a bunch of untrained yahoos toting pistols around.......but I have absolutely no problem with civilians that have no criminal record or history of mental disease, and who have passed a course by a qualified instructor that includes safety, law, and skill at arms (bucking for a carrer opportunity here! :))...I digress....I have no problem with such persons being licensed to carry handguns concealed.

It has worked extremely well in the USA............the murder rate has dropped 40 percent since the Americans first started letting their honest citizens carry guns anywhere......

I'm all for what you say Colpie, but there is also a flaw in your argument. Most people don't go to university with a pistol on them. Even if it were legal, many likely still wouldn't do it for simple cultural reasons. This is where I think compulsory martial arts instruction starting at the age of five for 9 years (or if people think that too early, then maybe starting at the age of 8 for 6 years or what have you) would ensure they at least have something to fall on. Sure it's not the ideal when a masked gunman is rampaging through a school, but it's still better than nothing if a person does have the chance to catch the gunman off guard for a moment and can sneak up behind him. Even if it means 9 lives lost instead of 10, it would still have proven worthwhile.

Again, I realize that since different students have different levels of interest in martial arts as well as different levels of motivation and health and fitness, we'd need to be flexible on what is taught. But hey, even a simplified form of tai chi chuan would still be better than nothing, even if only as an introductory martial art to whet the student's appetite for martial arts, possibly leading him to go on to more complete martial arts later as a result.

Again, I'm all for what you say, but I think that alone is not enough. Even if the law allowed for firearms possession, culturally many might still not want one for various reasons.