Canada and the US 2nd Amendment

How do our gun laws stack up

I’m pro-gun. Just wanted to get that out there first.

Canada has gun laws. But they’re not codified in our Freedom Charter. In Canada, we don’t have a right to bear arms.

Unlike the U.S. Constitution, the Canadian Constitution does not contain any protection for gun owners.

I’m thankful for that. I like our gun laws as they are. They are strict and as a result, we have few mass shootings compared to our southern brothers.

According to this government website, here is a summary of Canada’s gun laws:

1. It prohibits automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns and rifles, except for the police and military.
2. The law restricts handguns by requiring a registration certificate to possess them and a permit to carry them.
3. The law, with minor exceptions, restricts the magazine capacity of handguns to 10 rounds.
4. Hunting rifles and shotguns are neither restricted nor prohibited, but it is illegal to possess them without a firearms acquisition certificate.
5. People who have committed certain serious crimes are not eligible for an acquisition certificate to possess any firearm.
6. Also ineligible is anyone with a record of violence or treatment for a mental disorder associated with violence.
7. There is a 28-day waiting period for a certificate.

There’s more and I encourage you to read the rest here. It’s pretty stringent.

The United States has a more difficult problem. While firearms are primarily regulated by the state, the constitution gives the individual the right to have one. As a result, the Supreme court has consistently sided against states in its rulings regarding gun possession, appealing to the 2nd amendment.

It states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

I’m not a lawyer or a US constitution scholar so I can’t dissect this amendment with any proficiency.

All I know is that something is wrong in the US. The level of gun violence among private citizens is unmatched compared to other developed economies.

Why is this so prevalent in the States? Even Ted Cruz couldn’t engage with this question. He’s right that the US is a country that millions enter every year, for a better life.

So what is it?

It can’t just be poverty. While the US ranks high in poverty in developed economies, so do Hungary, Bulgaria, and Spain.

It can’t just be racism or multiculturism. Canada and Belgium both rank higher than the US in this metric in whatever measure you use. I saw one where Australia was ranked higher as well.

It can’t just be the justice system. According to the world justice project, America ranks 21st in the best judicial system in the world. Though not perfect, there’s still respect for the rule of law and a good attempt to get justice for victims. The US does have the most people in jail per capita than any other nation.

I believe it has something to do with all of that plus gun ownership rates. The states with the highest gun ownership rates have the highest gun deaths per capita.

Gun ownership rates:

1. Montana (66.30%)
2. Wyoming (66.20%)
3. Alaska (64.50%)
4. Idaho (60.10%)
5. West Virginia (58.50%)
6. Arkansas (57.20%)
7. Mississippi (55.80%)
8. Alabama (55.50%)
9. South Dakota (55.30%)
10. North Dakota (55.10%)

Gun deaths per capita:

1. Alaska — 24.4
2. Mississippi — 24.2
3. Wyoming — 22.3
4. New Mexico 22.3
5. Alabama — 22.2
6. Louisiana — 22.1
7. Missouri — 20.6
8. South Carolina — 19.9
9. Arkansas — 19.3
10. Montana — 19.3

Do you see the connection?

It also has something to do with the breakdown of the family, the removal of God from schools, the decline of attendance in places of worship, and lofty regard for rights over safety.

Look, it’s a complex issue. The reason for the 2nd amendment is that many in the founding generation believed that governments are prone to use soldiers to oppress the people.

Times are a little different now but no one wants to have a commonsense conversation.

What’s the difference between America and every other developed economy in relation to gun violence?

I told you at the beginning of this article that I am pro-gun ownership. I personally don’t have one but if you want one, go for it.

I don’t have a solution for America. Its citizens are going to have to figure it out. Please do it quickly.

It’s not getting better.