I Live in Winnipeg... Should I Own a Gun?

Winnipeg has become one seriously dangerous city over the past few years. The year 2011 gave us a whopping Thirty-Five homicides. Thugs, bikers and gang violence, combined with an increasing number of people suffering from FAS, (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), has created a toxic class of citizen that seems to fuel the city with vicious crime. And, that doesn't even touch on the weekly gang initiations, muggings, home invasions, attacks and collection of pedophiles & psychopaths roaming the street.

Although, some will argue, that Winnipeg's crime problems are isolated to certain areas of the city. And, that "overall" Winnipeg is a safe town...  And, that the crime problems we have here are simply a problem to only a select few neighborhood's. However, if this is a belief among some people, one could ask them, "what would you do if you were attacked inside your own home?" If your life, or your wife's, or your children's life was in immediate danger from another person's reckless disregard... What Would You Do? How could you stop the malefactor before he inflicted grave bodily harm upon you?

After many years of news reports describing home invasions, a growing question on the mind's of some citizens of Winnipeg is, "how safe am I in my own home?" That, of course, depends upon quite a number of factors... These could include; where you live, if you have an alarm installed, how secure your house actually is, and whether or not you answer yes to, "do you own a firearm?"

Why are guns a hot button topic here in Canada? They certainly aren't a hot button to our closest neighbor's next door in the U.S.A. Their 2nd Amendment allows citizens the right to bear arms. In fact, over 40 U.S. States allow their citizens to carry a high caliber semi-automatic pistol on themselves for personal defense after taking a certification program. In the United States, this is called a, "Concealed Carry Permit." There is legislation in Canada for what is known as an, "Authorization to Carry." However, this ATC permit is so difficult to attain, it is unknown how many Canadians have ever been issued one. Even Police Constables do not receive them. In fact, Police officers do not even receive a basic Canadian PAL (Possession Acquisition License).

In Canada, we have a very limited right to bear arms. And, we have a limited right to protect our property, (research America's Castle Doctrine law for a shocking comparison). In Canada, if we choose to use deadly force to protect ourselves, we would be facing a heap of legal concerns.

Hence, the "Hot Button" topic. Since we have no "in print" legislation in Canada that firmly allows us to protect ourselves, our property, or our loved ones... we must rely entirely upon the grayest of gray legal areas of the Crown and English Common Law. In Canada, we must have the Crown, "see our side" of situations when we have no other choice but to apply the use of deadly force to protect our lives.

This is what we'll just call walking on very thin ice, since if you did actually shoot someone - and if things looked like there was (even a shred) of evidence that the circumstances of the situation were in any way not of a nature deemed to any prudent person as; immediate, unavoidable danger of death, or grave bodily harm to you or a loved one... you are in a world of trouble. Therefore, be warned... ANYTIME YOU DRAW THE GUN, YOU'RE WALKING ON THIN ICE.

Justification of life is the only way you could possibly put forth any kind of defense in regard to using a firearm against another person in a deadly-force conflict in Canada. Not to mention something else yet... stop for a moment, ask yourself the following question:

"how prepared am I to carry on in my life, to look myself in the mirror everyday, knowing that I took the life of another person?" 

These are the fine line details when it comes to gun ownership in Winnipeg. If you take the test, receive your PAL, and buy a firearm... if the day comes where there's a situation where you use your weapon, are you prudent enough to act righteously in that moment so that you can truly be justified in the eyes of the Crown when it comes to your court day? And, are you SURE that you can carry on in your life - if you had to kill another human being?

I Live in Winnipeg... Should I Own a Gun?
Kevin F.
Winnipeg Report