Oh Canada! A knife is a gun?

[paramedic70002]

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...1feb23&k=99106

'Cut out rambo knives'
Anastasia's Law: Bill 9 doesn't go far enough, victims' advocacy group says

MARIANNE WHITE
CanWest News Service

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Quebec should ban the sale of "Rambo-style" combat knives as part of its newest piece of gun-control legislation, a victims' advocacy group urged yesterday.

In June, Premier Jean Charest announced steps the province could take to restrict the use of firearms following the deadly shooting rampage at Dawson College in September 2006. Anastasia De Sousa, an 18-year-old student, was killed and 20 other people injured before the attacker took his own life.

Bill 9, christened Anastasia's Law, would ban firearms from schools and daycare centres - except for such authorized personnel as police - and prevent anyone from carrying a firearm on public transit, including school buses.

But Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, who heads the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association, told a National Assembly hearing into the bill that it does not do enough to prevent similar tragedies from taking place.

"It's a marketing coup," Boisvenu told Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis. "If it wasn't for the tragic events at Dawson College, would you be presenting this law? I don't believe so.

"Could this law have prevented the Dawson College shooting?

"My answer is no."

Boisvenu's daughter Julie was raped and murdered in 2002. He later created a non-profit group that represents and offers support to victims' families.

He told the hearing the bill should focus not only on banning firearms, but also on combat knives and other large fixed-blade outdoor knives.

"I invite you to go to a flea market over the weekend. You will be astonished to see that anyone can buy big knives, Rambo-style knives. And it's mostly young people age 14, 15 or 16 who buy those knives," he said.

"I can't believe that people can buy that here," he added, pressing on Quebec to negotiate with Ottawa on the matter.

The provincial government has the power to ban the sale of knives, while the federal government can legislate on the use and the ownership of those weapons.

Boisvenu noted that the number of murders committed with knives had increased by 33 per cent between 2003 and 2005, according to a Statistics Canada report.

Boisvenu's testimony led to a heated debate with Dupuis, who criticized Boisvenu for his recent work in partnership with Mario Dumont's Action démocratique du Québec on the issue of sexual offenders.

Boisvenu has agreed to take part in ADQ consultations on the control of sexual offenders to be held this fall.

The ADQ contends that the Liberal government has turned a blind eye to the issue for years.

"I have a lot of respect for you and your work and I have always thought that it was done in a neutral and unbiased way," Dupuis said. "But your decision to join together with the ADQ could really hurt your credibility and your objectivity."

Boisvenu didn't appreciate the comment and called it a "cheap shot."

"It disappoints me that the minister is attacking the messenger instead of the message," he said after his presentation.

"I am working with the ADQ because they have ideas on public security issues that are close to those of the association. If the Liberals promoted the same ideas, we would be working with them," he added.

Dupuis said the penal code bans the ownership of some types of knives and that, implicitly, the law banned the sale of those knives. "But the Rambo-style (knives) are not included," the minister conceded.

Dupuis stressed the bill "is not perfect, but it's a piece of the puzzle, a way to try to prevent tragic events like Dawson from happening again."

The hearings on the bill will continue until the end of next week. Changes might be made to the proposed law, which the government wants to pass during the fall session of the National Assembly.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ccw9mm]

Hm. Murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery ... each of these is already illegal and heavily penalized. Such criminals already ignore a number of laws designed to indicate their actions are bad. This additional law, now, sounds promising, eh? Sounds like it'll finally be the one to do the trick, to cure criminals of their urge to commit capital crimes. Sounds like it's just the ticket to actually prevent such future murder sprees, yeah? Hm. Maybe it's the water in capitol cities.

[pgrass101]

No Rambo Knife. I'll just get my Mom's big Kitchen knife from the kitchen, It's just like the one Jason used in the Horror movies.

So we will ban all pointy things, no pencils either so we will provide all kids with computers.

Next we should ban all blunt objects, so we will take away the computers but have 100% employement becuase everyone works for the goverment disposing of rocks

[Bob The Great]

So, they want to use a shooting tragedy (where I would guess firearms are already prohibited) and use it to ban certain types of scary looking knives? This just proves there is no limit for the power-hungry.

[pogo2]

I have travelled quite a bit in Canada and noticed that the country is absolutely littered with rocks and sticks. Rocks and sticks can be used as weapons to injure and kill other people.

They should not stop at knife banning, as the evildoers will just use the plentiful rocks and sticks to attack others. So let's add a rock and stick ban to the bill!

[Cupcake]

I thought you couldn't have a gun anywhere incanada already. Why specify places?

[packinnova]

Here's a really telling statement though that only proves our points:

Boisvenu noted that the number of murders committed with knives had increased by 33 per cent between 2003 and 2005, according to a Statistics Canada report.

Ok, so You took guns away and surprise, murder by knife wielding maniacs went up. So what happens when you ban knives....can we say 2008-2010 you're going to have a 33 percent increase in murder by stick, rock, electric, etc...

[nicolasrichards]

I now hold canada with the same regard and respect that I have for france..

[retsupt99]

Thanks for the post, it helped me to remember...WHY I NEVER VISIT CANADA!Many great people, but a terrible government...OMO

[Stetson]

Next thing on the list will be forks.The only utensil for defense will be
is a spoon.I feel bad for our friends to the North.

[Colin]

Thanks for the post, it helped me to remember...WHY I NEVER VISIT CANADA!Many great people, but a terrible government...OMO

Actually we are hoping that we will be changing that shortly, come to Vancouver, I will buy some REAL beer and take you shooting. Actually not in that order....

[Miggy]

Victims Advocate or Killers Advocate?