Montreal Shooter had brief military service (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060916.SHOOTGILL16/TPStory/National)
www.theglobeandmail.com, Sep 16 ’06

New evidence is emerging that suggests [Gill] had plotted his attack for a considerable time.

… first shots were actually fired at two police officers who happened to be at the school investigating a minor crime. Those shots hit two passers-by, and prompted the officers to confront the killer almost immediately, which likely prevented many more deaths.

… proceeded into Dawson College, where he shot a number of students and staff members and engaged in a gun battle with police. He used at least two other hostages as human shields during the shooting rampage.

The government leaves us helpless. It prevents law-abiding people from being armed and capable of defending themselves. If people were not prevented from carrying some kind of gun for self-defence, more would carry them. And in that case, this monster would have been stopped sooner, and perhaps nobody like him would even consider actions like this.

Gun law back in spotlight (http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2006/09/14/1838214-sun.html)
www.ottawasun.com, Sep 14 ’06

The Conservative government has tabled legislative reforms to crack down on gang and gun-related crimes, but has also drawn criticism for its plan to abolish the gun registry.

Tony Cannavino, president of the Canadian Professional Police Association, said shooting rampages are rare and difficult to prevent, but predicted yesterday’s tragedy will raise questions about how guns are getting into the hands of young people.

The government should go ahead and abolish the gun registry. For a crime to be a crime, there needs to be a victim. Otherwise, government has no right to interfere in the lives of Canadian who respect the rights of others. Gun control empowers criminals and disempowers those who are law-abiding. Observe the total failure of gun control laws to prevent massacres and gang violence. But the Conservatives don’t understand that outlawing other victimless activities (i.e. drugs) empowers gangs.

Harper sticks to plans to scrap gun registry (http://www.thestar.com:80/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1158357012731&call_pageid=970599119419)
www.thestar.com, Sep 16 ’06

“The unfortunate reality” is the federal gun registry failed to prevent the tragedy at Dawson College, Harper told CBC Radio’s The House.

…His Quebec political lieutenant, Michael Fortier, went further, after meeting with Dawson College staff yesterday.

“The gun registry that will be abolished is the long-gun registry,” Fortier told reporters in Montreal. He described it as a registry that targets hunters’ long guns, and failed to prevent criminals such as the gunman from acting.

I wonder if Harper or Fortier ever use the word “freedom” or talk about the ethical problem of depriving people of the means of self-defence against criminals. In this article, Harper is quoted as referring to “effective” “public policies”. This fits with my opinion of the Conservative Party as worshipping the State.

(Original Post)