Disarmament

December 2006

In August 2006 the 39th General Council of the United Church passed a resolution stating its support for the Canadian Gun Registration Program. The General Council has taken this decision because of its conviction that gun registration "promotes responsible gun use, and gives a record of where guns are located, what kinds of firearms there are, and who owns them."

All guns are potentially dangerous. The weapon used in the recent Dawson shootings in Montreal was a legally owned restricted semi-automatic rifle available to collectors and target shooters. The weapon used at écôle Polytechnique in Montreal in 1989 was a semi-automatic unrestricted hunting rifle that shot 28 students and teachers, killing 14 women. Hunting rifles or shotguns in the wrong hands are just as deadly as handguns, as the recent murders of police officers have shown.

For the last five years, the focus of the debate has been on the expense of gun control, but the Dawson murders are tragic reminders of the costs of violence. While no law can prevent all tragedies,

• screening and licensing gun owners reduces the risks that dangerous people will have access to weapons
• registering guns ensures gun owners are held accountable for them, reduces the chances that legal firearms will be sold illegally, and assists the police in conducting investigations and removing guns from dangerous people

Three hundred fewer Canadians die annually from gunshots now compared to 1995, when the gun registry was introduced. Quebec is a clear example: in 1995 Quebec had more than 60 gun murders, whereas last year there were under 30. Across Canada, more than 9,000 potentially dangerous people have had their licenses revoked, and police use the system over 5,000 times each day.

Although the law is not perfect, it does allow for licenses to be refused if for any reason the applicant poses a danger to themselves or others. And if professionals and community members raise concerns about a licensed gun owner, it can result in an investigation and removal of the guns.

The General Council of the United Church is calling on the Government of Canada to

• end the amnesty for gun owners who fail to renew their licenses
• ensure there are adequate resources to strengthen, not weaken, the screening processes for licenses (rather than waive or refund $120 million in licensing fees to gun owners, as currently promised)
• prohibit the sale of semi-automatic military assault weapons to civilians
• support increased awareness of the real threats of firearms, the risk factors, and appropriate interventions

For more information on the General Council's policy in support of gun registration please contact:

Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit
The United Church of Canada
Tel: 416-231-5931
Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781
E-mail: Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit