Link of the Day: Truths and Myths

The reason I’m posting this is because I think it’s worth discussing. Yesterday, when I posted a link to the report issued by the RCMP on the Canadian Firearms Program and the long gun registry, I credited Truths and Myths for hosting it, along with the Toronto Star.

If I’d only linked to the Star’s copy, we probably wouldn’t have gotten into a discussion in the comments section about the list of “Top 10 Myths” about the CFP that’s been posted on Truths and Myths. But it’s good that we did, because these are things worth discussing.

My friend Mike Beltzner, for example, took one look at the list and said it used “some pretty spurious logic, weakening the case.” And he’s an accomplished fellow with a keen eye for that sort of thing, so I didn’t take it lightly; indeed, it wasn’t the first time that I’ve seen a point or two on this list come under fire. But I was also careful to note that not only does the list contain a lot of truth and much-needed refutation, but its flaws also shouldn’t detract from the value and credibility of the RCMP report.

Another commenter going by JLK made a notable point, arguing that the whole gun registry issue is “frankly getting overblown” and “distracting us from a few real problems” with existing systems. “Those with genuine concern for society and safety should be choosing their battles far more wisely than this,” JLK said. “Unfortunately, so very few of them know the first thing about our firearms program and are therefore unable to understand those ramifications.”

Now, I didn’t agree with everything JLK said; you can read the full discussion following the original post. Among other things, it’s got to be said that the people opposing this bill out of a “genuine concern for society and safety” – which includes a wide range of police, public health and community organizations, along with concerned citizens – didn’t choose this battle; it was brought to them by a government that had hoped to quietly do away with the registry.

But I was glad that we were talking about the issue and trying to get to the heart of the matter. With a week to go before the crucial vote, and a concerted effort on the part of the Conservative government in particular to suppress and avoid any genuine discussion about an issue that wasn’t even on the radar for a lot of Canadians a few weeks ago, every little bit helps.

But more than that, as I argued, “the extent to which the issue appears to be getting overblown is the extent to which it’s about more than the gun registry itself.” More and more Canadians have noticed that the way Harper’s Conservatives have tackled this issue is part of a pattern of leadership, and a pretty anti-democratic one at that. “The four NDP MPs and counting who have so far declared that they will switch sides and vote against the bill next week,” I said, “have certainly pointed to these tactics as a reason for their decisions.”

More to come on this as always. If you’re sick of hearing about the gun registry, then you probably won’t want to read the papers or watch the news this week. I’ve got a feeling it’s only going to keep building.

Posted in Link of the Day, Save the Gun Registry