A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Pistol

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A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Pistol

• Linda Hasselstrom
• and the
• Gun Control debate

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Highlights of the Firearms Act

• Must apply for either a possession-only licenses
  (POL) or a possession and acquisition License
  (PAL)
• Must pass a safety check (give your vital
  statistics, answer a number of personal question
  have you ever had marriage or relationship
  breakdowns) 2 Character references, passport
  photo and a fee of 60
• May be subject to a background check - may
  include an interview with spouse or other
  relevant person
• Then you can purchase a rifle
• Handguns (easily concealed) are classified as
  restricted weapons
• Permits to own a restricted weapon are only
  supposed to be granted for 1 of 4 reasons target
  practice at a gun club, a gun collector, for
  lawful employment, protection of life
• For a PAL - pass Canadian Firearms safety test

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Highlights continued

• Each gun must be registered separately with
  serial numbers in a central databank
• Bringing Firearms into Canada must be applied for
  in advance in writing
• They must be stored unload and made inoperable
• All .32 caliber and 25. caliber handguns, all
  fully automatic firearms and sawed -off, military
  rifles (AK 47) are prohibited
• License must be renewed every 5 year
• Of the 60 homicides in Toronto in 2002, 26
  involved guns
• Handguns make up 490,000 of Canadas 7 million
  known firearms
• The process of registering will cost 113 million
  in 2003

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Examples of License

• Example of a Canadian License
• Example of a registration certificate (Winchester
  rifle)

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Goal of Firearms Registration

• Reduction in sale of stolen guns.
• Increased public safety by keeping guns out of
  the hands of person who should not own them.
• Making it easier to return stolen guns to the
  rightful owners.
• Enhanced charges and prison terms against
  criminals.
• Potential prevention of loss of life.
• Higher rate of solved crimes for crimes involving
  firearms.
• Reduced theft, unsafe storage and gun-related
  accidents.
• Overall increased public safety.
• Reduction of firearms smuggling.
• Put more police on the streets by reducing
  paperwork.

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From Canadian Firearms Center

• There are an estimated 7.4 million firearms in
  Canada, about 1.2 million of which are restricted
  firearms (mostly handguns). In the U.S., there
  are approximately 222 million firearms 76
  million of the firearms in circulation are
  handguns.
• For 1987-96, on average, 65 of homicides in the
  U.S. involved firearms, compared to 32 for
  Canada
• For 1987-96, the average firearm homicide rate
  was 5.7 per 100,000 in the U.S., compared to 0.7
  per 100,000 for Canada.
• For 1989-95, the average handgun homicide rate
  was 4.8 per 100,000 in the U.S., compared to 0.3
  per 100,000 for Canada. Handguns were involved in
  more than half (52) of the homicides in the
  U.S., compared to 14 in Canada.
• For 1989-95, the average non-firearm homicide
  rate was 3.1 per 100,000 people in the U.S.,
  compared to 1.6 per 100,000 for Canada.
• Remember that 31 million people live in all of
  Canada while 32 million people live in
  California, U.S.A. alone. The current population
  of United States is just over 274.3 million.

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Questions for Discussion

• In groups of 4 respond to the following
• 1. Do you feel that people have the right to
  defend or protect themselves using firearms?
  When would be an appropriate or reasonable time?
• 2. Do you believe, as Hasselstrom states, that a
  pistol can shift the balance of power and
  provide a measure of safety(318).
• 3. Hasselstrom is an American writer talking
  about her American experience. By Canadian
  standards would her views be seen as extreme or
  paranoid? Does her gender lead credibility to her
  argument about feeling vulnerable? List her
  incidents that propelled her to carry a gun?
• 4. Is the gun debate as simple as if people
  didnt have guns, people wouldnt get killed?
  Despite everything, are we a culture of violence?
  Consider media representations of gun use? Is
  gun use just as obscene as pornography or the
  damaging images of women in the media? (in a
  theoretical sense, that is?)