Even in the greatest country in the world, sometimes people have doubts. Then they type “move to Canada” in their Google search window.
Suspicion always lingers especially strongly when things are getting worse in the United States. It seems to be in the eyes of many Americans right now: in the days following the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school massacre, the quest to move north has skyrocketed.
Google doesn’t show absolute values, but within days the number of searches has quadrupled; The last time they were so high was shortly after January 6, 2021, when images of the horned Trump wizard went around the world. American-Indian author Parag Khanna recently wrote, “Are you in search of the American dream? Go to Canada.” He wasn’t just recommending it to immigrants, and he wasn’t just referring to the low cost of living in North America.
Canadians aren’t the only ones flirting with the role of the North’s savvy neighbors, who lack American enthusiasm. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed toughening gun laws on Monday, he didn’t even have to name the United States to clarify what he was warning about. “We can’t let the gun debate get so polarized that we can’t do anything,” Trudeau said. “We cannot allow this in our country.”
Actual ban on pistol
Now the moderate prime minister wants to fulfill his old election promise by proposing a de facto ban on handguns. It will be illegal to import, sell or transfer ownership of such firearms to Canada from autumn 2022. Violent offenders should automatically lose their gun license in the future, for example in the case of domestic violence or stalking. In the future, Canadian courts may also confiscate the weapons of those who pose a danger to others or themselves. In addition, rifles must be allowed to hold a maximum of five shots, and larger magazines are banned. The government intends to introduce relevant legislative proposals to Parliament in the near future, and there is a good chance that they will get a majority.
Two years ago, the Trudeau government banned 1,500 types of weapons, including assault rifles of the type Ar-15, Now the government is proposing a mandatory buyback program for them: the owners have to hand over the guns, but are compensated for it. Ar-15 Back in America were in the headlines. A gunman used a rapid-fire weapon to kill 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in the small town of Uvalde, Texas.
Mourning at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school, where a young man shot and killed 19 children and two teachers.
(Photo: Eric Gay/ Associated Press)
And two weeks ago another gunman in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Both had bought such rifles shortly after their 18th birthday. Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter had the same gun as ten years ago Ar-15 Used; He had fired 154 shots in less than five minutes.
Gun homicides are less common in Canada than in the US, but the country is not free from the problem. The ban on assault rifles, for example, was in response to the 2020 shooting in Nova Scotia that killed 22 people. According to the Small Arms Survey, the US has four times more guns per capita, but Canada has the second highest gun density of any developed country. Violent crimes involving pistols and rifles have become more common after a long decline over the past decade: the number has risen 50 percent since 2013.
Illegal weapons come from drones
While many commentators welcomed the Ottawa government’s recent plans, they also pointed out that they are not enough. Most crimes in Canada are not committed with legal guns, but with handguns imported illegally from the United States. A few days ago, there was an anecdote in which a dog owner had to walk his animal at midnight on the St. Clair River in Canada’s border area with the US state of Michigan and scare an intruder off his property. , The summoned police found a drone with a package of eleven pistols smuggled in from the United States.
In the United States, strict gun laws like Canada probably won’t be able to garner a majority. Yet nearly two-thirds of Americans support gun sanctions. However, this is hardly reflected in the US Congress. On Tuesday, a group of Republican and Democratic senators wanted a possible settlement. For example, a waiting period for arms purchases is under discussion, during which officials can conduct background checks on the buyers. President Joe Biden also promised relatives in Uvalde on Sunday he would “do something”.
After learning of Canada’s plans, Biden’s spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre immediately said she did not want to ban all handguns in the United States. It would also be difficult to do so legally: the Second Amendment (second AmendmentFree gun ownership is guaranteed in the US Constitution, and the Supreme Court may soon declare even minor restrictions unconstitutional.
However, as was the case after the previous killings, it is now becoming clear that Republicans will already be blocking all reform in the Senate. Ahead of the midterm elections, this strategy promises the greatest success; America is used to genocide. According to an analysis of conversations on social media, two days after the shooting of Uvalde, Americans were deeply concerned about the issue. But after a week, the interest has completely collapsed again.
