Never one to balk at exploiting tragedy, Toronto Mayor David Miller has used the death of an uninvolved bystander in a recent shooting to call for an absolute ban on handguns in Canada.
"We can choose to act," Miller said at a press conference on Friday. "We can choose to say handguns are so dangerous and kill uninvolved people that we're going to close the loopholes in our law and end the ownership of handguns in this country."
The charge comes after Hou Chang Mao, a 47-year-old father of two, was shot while stacking oranges at the grocery store where he was working Thursday night.
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On Friday, Miller called the two killings "absolute tragedies" and renewed his long-established call for the federal government to ban handguns.
"There are loopholes today that allow so-called collectors and hobbyists to possess handguns, and to carry them around our city," he told CTV Newsnet.
Miller said a significant portion of guns used in crimes are stolen from gun owners, and another significant portion came from the U.S.
He called for the federal government to close the loophole and install a national handgun ban, and invest more attention into securing our borders.
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"This is a real, everyday safety threat to our major cities, and it's time we paid the same attention to it," he told reporters. "I think it's time Canadians came together. These challenges aren't just in Toronto, they exist across this country."
Argumentum ad misericordiam at its best. Mr. Mao's murder should indeed spark outrage. Outrage at the criminals who are waging war in our cities. A revamped police force in Toronto is a crucial step towards the prevention of tragedies like this in the future. We really couldn't get those 2,500 new police officers Harper promised us fast enough. But until we do, how about we take a step back. Miller claims there is an influx of US guns flowing across the border feeding the fire of gang warfare in Toronto. So a handgun ban would make sure no Canadian citizens could get their hands on a gun while criminals with a mind to would have no problem securing an illegal US firearm. And, more importantly, a question must be asked that Canadians have forgotten they have a duty to ask of their government: "By what right do you forbid me from carrying a handgun?"
In related news, Miller's also promoting a fresh new slogan for Toronto in the hopes of attracting tourism. It's catchy enough. Let's hope it sticks:
Toronto: you're safe now because only the criminals have guns
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