FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jun 1

Why Government Advisory to Canadians Warns of Gun Violence Awareness in U.S.

by bcurry

Wow!  You knew it was just coming.  The Government of Canada is now warning its residents about mass shootings and the high rate of guns in the U.S.  We are all familiar with the high degree of gun violence in the States, but one is increasingly seeing random shootings in public places often visited by tourists.  These shootings tend not to be targeted, such as those in schools and religious institutions.  A study by the non-profit Gun Violence Archive shows where public mass shootings have been taking place between 1966 to the present.  Top of the list is retail locations — which are known to have high and uncontrolled foot traffic — followed by restaurants and bars.  The same organization notes that there’s been an upward trend of mass shootings and gun-related deaths in recent years, with more than 200 mass shootings having occurred in the first five months of 2023 alone. 

According to the Gun Violence Archive, in each of the three last complete years in the U.S., there have been more than 600 mass shootings which are when there are at least four injuries or fatalities. That’s almost two a day!  In 2022, there were 20,200 deaths as a result of guns and 38,550 injuries.  Even these stats could be an underestimation.  The worst of the mass shootings, such as the very recent one in a Dallas-area mall which left nine people dead including the gunman, and last year’s shooting in Buffalo at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighbourhood killing 10 people, made headlines worldwide.  All adding to the fear and validity of the advisory.

Moreover, it’s not just Canada that has issued an advisory with respect to travel to the U.S.  Other countries such as New Zealand and Australia have also advised their citizens to exercise increased caution while visiting, directly pointing to the gun violence issues.  While the U.S. is still a relatively safe place to visit, Global Affairs Canada does recommend that Canadians research the locations where they are planning to visit and be constantly aware of their surroundings.  In Canada, Canadians are not use to having mass shootings on a regular basis as they are very few and far between.  For this reason, they need to understand the serious differences as they relate to gun possession and right to carry laws in certain states in particular.  Let’s face it.  A bullet doesn’t distinguish a target between an American and a Canadian victim.

The need to take specific safeguards when visiting the U.S. has never been greater.  Tourism between our two countries has continued to be strong, particularly since post-COVID restrictions on travel have been increasingly removed in both countries.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security actually issued an official Active Shooter Reference Guide providing people with more information on how to protect themselves in an active shooter situation.  I would suggest strongly that Canadians travelling or working in the U.S. obtain a copy as a preparedness initiative.  The same advice would of course apply to Americans themselves.

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Nov 30

Where Do Provincial Powers Begin and End in Canada?

by bcurry

To better understand the split between provincial and federal powers, given by Canada’s written constitution, one has to understand a little bit of the history.  When Canada became an independent country from Great Britain, the federal government was given a good deal of governance responsibilities.  Canada was formed as a confederation comprised of ten provinces and several territories.  However, the provinces eventually garnered a fair amount of responsibility for certain matters which were not national in scope.  Federally, the government deals primarily with inter-provincial areas such as transportation, banking, and inter-provincial commerce, as well as such international areas dealing with foreign policy, trade, defence and immigration.  So far so good.  However, during World War II, the federal government took control of areas of taxation in order to make war related payments.  These revenue areas were not returned to the provinces after the war. For this reason, the provinces have complained about their heavy reliance on access to federal funding for areas of primary provincial responsibility such as health, education and housing.  In addition, as the years passed, new areas surfaced of great importance such as telecommunications and nuclear energy, something that the federal government determined was in their jurisdiction as part of its constitutional responsibility for the peace, order and good government of Canada.  Over the course of the 20th century, legal interpretations of peace, order and good government more clearly defined the limits of federal authority over the provinces.  Often disputes over who’s responsible for what and to what extent end up in litigation by provinces and the federal government.  Like the old constitution of 1867, the new one of 1982 will remain vague in many areas until time and circumstance permit its interpretation by the courts.

All in all, the provinces continue to have substantial jurisdiction for areas such as education, health and urban affairs.  One area of contention has been the federal introduction of “equalization payments” to the provinces to help ensure that provincial governments across Canada can provide adequate services.  It was expected that the richer provinces would help to subsidize certain areas in the so-called poorer provinces.  For example, Alberta has its oil and gas industry which brings in large revenues to its coffers.  The federal government gets its share of taxes from Alberta’s energy sector and passes most along to the Maritime and other provinces to help provide some of the services that Canadians have come to rely on.  Quebec has also benefited greatly from the equalization arrangement, while Ontario has not.

Now, the current Alberta government is complaining about federal policies and laws that they feel intrude upon their provincial responsibilities or which Albertans are not in agreement with, such as gun control measures and environmental taxes on oil and gas sectors to name a few.  Recently proposed legislation introduced in Alberta would allow its cabinet to direct “provincial entities” — Crown-controlled organizations, municipalities, school boards, post-secondary schools, municipal police forces, regional health authorities and any social agency receiving provincial money — to not use provincial resources to enforce federal rules deemed harmful to Alberta’s interests.  This is a very disturbing development, suggesting even greater polarization between a province and the federal government.  Fortunately, the Alberta government has not gone as far as — like Quebec in the past — to suggest a potential separation from Canada’s confederation.

However, Alberta’s stance appears to be somewhat similar to Quebec’s political moves in the sixties, seventies and eighties where provincial parties promoting Quebec’s independence from Canada had emerged.  Failing to obtain a majority in two referendums on independence, the Quebec movement slowly disappeared over the last decade.  Instead, Quebec has attempted to secure more provincial control over former federal jurisdiction, such in such areas as immigration and public pensions plans.  Indeed, Quebec recently passed several contentious laws dealing with French language rights and secularism in its public sector.  The courts have already begun to examine appeals to such legislation based on possible violations under human and rights laws.

What all this amounts to is the power to govern.  The federal government has to play a fine line between what powers can be shared and what policies best serve all Canadians equally.  There is little doubt that provincial premiers will continue to gang up on the Prime Minister, particularly when to do so is in their interests.  The PM on the other hand has the difficult and delicate task of maintaining a strong national presence in governance in support of the peace, order and good government of Canada.

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Sep 28

Prohibited ‘Assault-Style’ Weapons Have No Place in Canadian Society

by bcurry

On December 6, 1989, a man entered a mechanical engineering classroom at Montreal’s École Polytechnique armed with a semi-automatic weapon.  After separating the women from the men, he opened fire on the women while screaming, “You are all feminists.”  Fourteen young women were murdered, and 13 other people were seriously wounded.  The shooter then turned the gun on himself.  After the events of that tragic December, the Coalition for Gun Control was formed in Canada.  Their efforts contributed to the 1995 adoption of Bill C-68, the federal firearm control legislation.  Its stipulations included mandatory registration of all firearms and licensing for firearm owners; a national registry for all weapons; background checks; and verification processes and controls on ammunition sales.

On April 18–19, 2020, a gunman committed multiple shootings in the province of Nova Scotia, killing 22 people and injuring three others before he was shot and killed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).  Two assault-style weapons were used in shootings, although it appears that they were not legally acquired and the gunman was known to police.  Subsequently and effective immediately in May 2020, the federal government introduced legislation to ban a total of 1,500 assault-style firearms for use, sale, import or transport in Canada.  It includes a two-year amnesty period for current owners.  Eventually, there will also be a buyback program, but those details were still being worked out.

This September, in an obvious political move, the provincial government of Alberta announced steps to oppose federal firearms prohibition legislation and the potential seizure of thousands of assault-style weapons.  It intends to ask the RCMP not to take part in the confiscation of these weapons.  Alberta’s chief firearms officer proclaimed: “The planned confiscations represent a fatal approach to reducing violence in Canadian society and are unwarranted and unacceptable infringements on the property rights and personal freedoms of Albertans.”

A survey, conducted in May 2020 exclusively for Global News, found that 52 percent of Canadians polled, living in nine major centres, agree that all types of guns should be made illegal.  The polling was completed between March 24 and April 2, before the above noted mass shooting happened in Nova Scotia.  The poll by the Angus-Reid Institute showed about 80 percent of Canadians also support a ban on “assault weapons.”  Canada is not the only country to ban assault-style weapons.  In March 2019, New Zealand banned all military-style semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles after a deadly shooting killed more than 50 people. 

Interestingly, there is no constitutional right to bear arms as in the U.S.  Indeed, one can Make a case that it is a weak argument in Canada that the banning of such weapons is an infringement on someone’s rights and personal freedoms.  I would argue that, just as owning and driving a motor vehicle, owning a gun is a privilege requiring training in its use, registration and other prescribed requirements for licensed users as regulated by law.  Just as there are restrictions on the ownership and use of a motor vehicle and one’s driving license, so must there be restrictions on acquiring certain types of guns as a matter of public safety.  No one should be surprised that after the Nova Scotia shootings some sort of inevitable government gun control action would occur, especially as the vast majority of Canadians appear to be in support of such initiatives.  During the 2019 federal election campaign Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that: “These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time”.

Although I do not own a gun, like many Canadians I believe strongly that the possession of either handguns or military-style semi-automatic weapons is not a fundamental right.  The fewer these weapons are around and accessible, the better off and safer we will all be.  One only has to look at the American tragic situation involving an increasing number of mass shootings using assault-style weapons every year, including those in schools, malls and workplaces.  Canada should do everything possible to avoid going down the same road!

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Jun 8

When It Comes To Violent Crime In North America, All Is Not Well

by bcurry

The recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, and multiple shootings across the U.S. this past month, have once again raised the anger of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum.  The Democrats are being attacked by Republicans for being soft on crime and the Republicans are being accused of blocking proposed measures to restrict the sale and ownership of guns.  In Canada, the federal government has introduced legislation to further restrict access to handguns, including stopping the illegal trafficking of guns across the border with the U.S.  As recent polls have indicated, there is little doubt that Americans are feeling increasingly less safe.  With an increase in gun violence in some of Canada’s largest cities, Canadians are not far behind in their perception of growing violent crime.

The fact of the matter is that the issue of violent crime, like other social-economic issues, is a divisive one no matter how you look at it.  Conservatives will accuse liberals of letting criminals off the hook, while liberals will declare that conservatives have no other policy than putting everyone in prisons and increasing police powers.  Police shootings have also garnered the attention of both political groups, especially in the U.S.  Now, there is at least a belief that the police have to find better ways to deal with persons with mental health conditions and members of minority groups, incorporating social and health services available in the community.  There is also a need to deal differently with drugs and drug addicts, recognizing that addiction is a health issue and should be dealt with accordingly, especially in light of the current epidemic of overdoses in both countries.

Radicalization of youth, especially young men, has increasingly become a source of violent behaviour, often associated with hate crimes.  More needs to be done to deal with the spread of hate literature, disinformation and conspiracy theories over social media.  Surely, both conservatives and liberals can agree that more education has to be available and supported to prevent such influences.  The current division of beliefs and values based on racial, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation has to be dealt with in no uncertain terms.  The situation is eating away at the very core of our democratic societies.

There are no easy solutions to dealing with violent crime as a social issue.  Many factors have to be considered, including socio-economic matters.  Unemployment is a major one, wherein people are prevented from making a living wage and securing affordable housing.  Increased opportunities for an education aimed at preparing people to enter the labour market with applicable skills and attributes is another issue.  Communities need to be encouraged and supported in order to develop local initiatives aimed at reducing criminal activities.  Improvements have to be made to increase timely access to mental health and social services at the community level.  Localized addiction programs have to be improved, with the aim of tackling drug problems and preventing their associated health issues and fatalities.

Whether taking a hard-line approach or preferring a more progressive approach, neither alone offers one-size-fits-all solutions.  A multi-approach strategy is what is required, and political sloganeering is not going to do anyone any good.  Simply de-funding the police in support of promoting social measures is not the answer.  Retraining and re-educating the police in how to better deal with such issues as domestic violence, racism and mental disabilities would appear to be a much better idea.  In Canada, several municipal mayors have called on the federal government to ban the possession of handguns.  However, despite Canada’s already strict handgun control measures, there continues to be violent crimes committed with the use of illegal or stolen handguns.  Members of drug gangs and radical factions have little problems in accessing such weapons.  One day our prisons will be overflowing with their convicted felons.

Until we deal with the underlying socio-economic factors in both countries, one can only conclude that we will see increased waves of violent crime.  This outcome doesn’t depend on whether you have conservative or liberal governments.

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Feb 4

Tragedy in Numbers of Accidental Gun Deaths in the U.S.

by bcurry

We occasionally read or hear about accidental gun deaths among Americans in our media. The fact is that a few instances of accidental deaths due to firearms do occur in Canada, but no where near the numbers recorded in the U.S.  Most Canadian gun-related fatalities or injuries are due to hunting mishaps for example, especially since the country has far fewer gun owners than what you see in the States.  Some of the American stories are nevertheless horrific.  There was one about an infant child who found a small revolver in her mother’s purse and accidentally fatally shot the mother.  Of course, there are several stories of members of a household shooting another member, sometimes mistakenly suspecting a night time intruder in their home.

Overall, there were close to 40,000 deaths from firearms in the U.S. in 2018.  Sixty-one percent of deaths from firearms in the U.S. are suicides.  That same year, 24,432 people in the U.S. died by firearm suicide.  Accidental gun deaths accounted for 1% (458) of total gun-related deaths in the U.S. in 2018.  Thus far in 2020, there have been unintentional recorded shootings by over 220 children.  This has resulted in 92 deaths and 135 injuries.  Most unintentional firearm-related deaths among children occur in or around the home; 50 percent at the home of the victim, and 40 percent at the home of a friend or relative.  It is estimated that there are roughly 430 unintentional firearm fatalities in the U.S. per year. The rate is highest for older children to young adults, ages 10 to 29, and the vast majority of the victims are male.  These numbers do not reflect the accidental gun-related injuries which can be life threatening and life changing.  These numbers also do not reflect the consequences of stolen guns being used in crimes.

Gun-related deaths are tragic, accidental gun-related deaths are even more tragic especially when they involve children.  If one has to have guns around the home, then one needs to employ numerous precautions in order to keep them away from younger household members.  Keeping a loaded gun in one’s unlocked dresser or kitchen cabinet is careless and unsafe.  In Canada, registered gun owners are required by law to first separate ammunition physically from where a gun is stored or in a secure place with the unloaded gun.  Secondly, guns are to be rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device or the removal of the bolt or bolt-carrier.  Finally, the gun itself is to be stored in a locked container, gun rack or safe, preferably with a guarded combination.  The idea is that that the storage location is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into.

The careless storage and use of weapons around the home is even more of a concern right now that many families and their children are isolating due to COVID-19.  The first rule of parenting is to protect their children.  One accidental death is far too many.  Remember, the data does not include hospitalized cases of injury due to firearms, composite statistics which are not gathered by agencies.  Whether or not one is a proponent of gun control doesn’t matter when it comes to the unsafe storage and use of guns.  The numbers speak for themselves, but each number represents an avoidable death or injury.  Indeed, one extensive American study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that guns kept in homes are more likely to be involved in a fatal or nonfatal accidental shooting, criminal assault, or suicide attempt than to be used to injure or kill in self-defence.

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Apr 9

Tragedy Strikes a Small Saskatchewan Town as a Result of a Highway Accident

by bcurry

On April 6, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey squad was travelling in Saskatchewan by bus to a hockey game, just like many other junior hockey teams do annually across Canada and the U.S.  Unfortunately, the bus was involved in a horrific collision with a tractor trailer.  There were 29 people on the bus at the time of the collision, 15 of whom died with the remainder being sent to hospital suffering from a variety of serious injuries.  Needless-to-say, all of Canada was shocked and sent their prayers and thoughts to the families, friends and community members. A country is in grief, and well it should be.

However, while tragic, one has to understand that fatalities resulting from motor vehicle accidents are a fact of life on North American highways. Fortunately, the introduction of seat belts, air bags and other safety measures helped greatly in reducing fatalities and serious injuries in recent years. In Canada, the death toll went from 2 fatalities per 10,000 motor vehicles registered in 1996 to less than 1 fatality per 10,000 motor vehicles registered in 2015. In the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 32,000 people died on U.S. roads in 2013, roughly 90 fatalities a day. However, similar to Canada, the U.S. has seen a 31 percent reduction in its motor vehicle death rate per capita over the past 13 years.

Put in another perspective, gun deaths continue unabated. In 2014, gun deaths outpaced motor vehicle deaths in 21 American states and the District of Columbia. The CDC published recent data showing 38,658 gun deaths for 2016, including suicides — up from 33,563 gun deaths in 2012. Unlike motor vehicles, guns remain the only consumer products not regulated for health and safety in the United States and Canada.

While we are doing better with respect to highway and motor vehicle safety, much more needs to be done. The best thing that one can do to honor the victims of the Humboldt tragedy is to strive to continue to improve highway and motor vehicle safety. The best thing that one can do to honor the students killed in the mass shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — which saw 17 people killed and several injured — is to improve gun safety and gun control laws. As societies, we owe it to both past and future victims.

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Mar 26

March For Our Lives Is More Than Just A One Day Demonstration, It’s A Decade Long Campaign!

by bcurry

On March 24, 2018, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated not only in Washington, D.C., but in hundreds of communities across the U.S., Canada, Europe and elsewhere. They demonstrated against a gun culture that threatens our lives and those of our children everyday.  None of us are immune to the violent use of guns.  In Ottawa where I live, there have already been dozens of shootings so far this year, with several people being injured or killed. As per Canadian authorities, guns are being smuggled into Canada from the U.S. on a regular basis. According to the Canada Border Services Agency, firearm seizures at the border are going up. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has reported that guns are being sold illegally through the darknet, often to buyers who had no firearms licences.  At the same time, gun sales are occurring through more visible online vendors as well as internet forums.  Almost half the guns used in criminal activities have been stolen from the homes of legitimate gun owners.

Possession of handguns, favoured by most drug gangs and organized criminals, is closely regulated in Canada compared to the U.S.  Nevertheless, as a result of the illegal gun smuggling activities, there has been an increasing use of handguns in major Canadian cities.  From about 1991 on, the prevalence of handguns surpassed long-guns in Canadian homicide statistics. Fortunately, due to tighter gun control laws, there have been few shootings that have involved semi-automatic assault weapons.  The last major mass shooting using an assault rifle was on December 6, 1989, when Marc Lépine shot and tragically killed 14 women at Université de Montréal’s École Polytechnique. One result was the tightening up of long-gun control laws in Canada. However, make no mistake, there is a gun lobby in Canada and they are as active as the National Rifle Association (NRA) in the U.S.

The momentum gathered by anti-gun activists after the mass shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — which saw 17 people killed and several injured — is remarkable. However, the future of this latest effort to cure America of its gun obsession will need gobs of money, time, commitment and political skill. Whether the students have the resolve to see it through will determine whether they have any more success than previous anti-gun uprisings.  The lack of that persistence has been the NRA’s greatest friend to date.  Are the Democrats more willing than Republicans to risk their careers by upsetting the NRA and its many apostles?

While the older generations can sit around crippled by pessimism, today’s younger generation has not only the option but a real need to tackle this issue. Real change takes time, resources and commitment.  Do not believe that the NRA and the gun industry will not devote all its political influence and employ nasty tactics to undermine this emerging movement.  Get ready for a long haul fight and numerous setbacks in the months and years ahead.  Nevertheless, we must applaud and support the movement’s efforts.  Please do so by signing on to their petition and/or sending your friends this link: https://marchforourlives.com/sign.

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Feb 22

It’s Time for American Youth to Stand Up for Gun Control

by bcurry

From the 1930s through the 1960s, Saul Alinsky, a tough, pragmatic American activist and a lover of humanity, pioneered a method of helping poor and working-class people organize themselves to improve their communities, especially in crime-ridden Chicago neighbourhoods. He subsequently wrote a book entitled “Rules for Rebels” which highlighted some of the peaceful but assertive ways which allowed ordinary people to push for social change. He would immerse himself in the neighbourhood, listen to ordinary people’s troubles and needs, assess where power lay, and empower previously divided groups to seek common goals by standing up to government and corporate machines.  After the recent South Florida high school shooting and other mass shootings, you could sure use another Saul Alinsky right now.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this latest school shooting is the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was inspiring to see hundreds, if not thousands of young people organizing to protest against the lack of gun control measures in the U.S. and for changes in the gun culture. They are even planning a huge march on Washington. All of this is very good and nice, except as Alinsky would note, you need to start on-going community-based initiatives to effectively influence state and local authorities.  The youth movement must align itself with existing community and state-wide organizations to develop comprehensive and continuous plans of action.  Local, state and federal politicians have to feel the immediate heat.  The movement must use social and main stream media to get its messages out.  It must organize support wherever possible in upcoming federal and state elections for pro-gun control candidates.  There must be open and effective protest.

Do not fool oneself, for any initiatives will have to be organized on a long-term basis. There is little doubt that the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its supporters, including the arms industry, will throw everything except the kitchen sink into a counter campaign, while increasing lobbying at state and federal levels.  However, if history is any indication, further mass shootings will unfortunately occur in the U.S.  Moreover, these youth represent future leaders who must take a concrete stand against organizations such as the NRA and their appalling past and current influence on federal and state governments.

The issue of gun violence in the U.S. has existed for decades, and it will perhaps take decades to halt the evident trends. Hopefully, there are some Saul Alinskys’ among the youth of today.  Those of us who care, must support their cause and peaceful protest.  Otherwise, these horrendous tragedies will simply repeat themselves, year after year after year.

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Dec 6

27 years after the Montreal massacre, gun control in Canada is as lax as ever

by bcurry

On December 6, 1989, Marc Lépine shot and killed 14 women at Université de Montréal’s École Polytechnique, before turning his (legally registered) semi-automatic gun on himself. That tragic event set in motion a new chapter in the history of gun control in Canada. On this day, numerous campaigns, marches, vigils and related events are held every year across Canada.

The federal government passed stricter gun control policies just six years after the tragedy, including the establishment of a long-gun registry. However, the Conservative government under Stephen Harper unfortunately dismantled the long-gun registry in 2012, and eased several restrictions on restricted or prohibited weapons. The same 2012 law abolishing the long-gun registry also relieved private gun sellers from the obligation of asking to see the buyer’s firearms permit.

The U.S., with the least gun control laws among industrialized countries, saw 181 mass public shootings with at least four fatalities since 1900. One of the most recent was the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, which saw 49 people killed by a shooter carrying a legally purchased AR-15 assault rifle. Rather than introducing stricter gun control initiatives, most states have made it easier to carry concealed weapons and to purchase guns, all the result of the Supreme Court’s nonsensical decision endorsing the ‘right to bear arms’ in their constitution.  Thankfully, Canada doesn’t have such a precarious right, despite what the Canadian Firearms Institute may advocate.

Today, Canadians continue to remind young people of the need to avoid tragedies such as that at the École Polytechnique 27 years ago. We must strive to ensure that there are much needed controls on the lawful possession and use of firearms.  The three pillars of gun control are licensing of gun owners, control on guns and a ban on weapons that are designed solely for the purpose of killing other human beings.  Whether such laws work in preventing deaths is a matter of politics. What is real are the lives that might potentially be saved.

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