LETTER
Firearms & suicide
In response to the letter, March 23, claiming that the registration of firearms will prevent suicides, saying this is like saying car insurance will prevent fatal accidents.
People commit suicide because they are depressed, lonely, and desperate. A report from the Institut nationale de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) for the 30 years between 1981 to 2011 records that a firearm was used in less that 15% of all suicides. Mr Gaudreault refers only to the period between 1995 and 2008, with no indication of how many victims had used registered firearms versus non-registered firearms.
The reduction in suicide mentioned in the letter can be attributed to the fact that, after the law was introduced, thousands found themselves with unwanted firearms. They inherited these firearms or they were given to them. Those who did not want to go through the process or the expense of a Possession Acquisition License, or PAL, either gave the firearms away or turned them in for destruction. Viewed from that angle, the original registry did in fact contribute to reducing the number of households with firearms, but this cannot be repeated with a Quebec registry since these firearms are already gone.
The federal firearms registration program was a disaster. It cost billions, served no real purpose, and that is why it was abolished. With these billions, think of the suicide prevention and support programs that could have helped people in need. The federal government misled us about the cost of their long-gun registration, and now Quebec is doing the same thing.
I beg everyone to seek information on these matters. Insist on proof. Question the statistics -- they are often misleading and meaningless without calculation numbers. Don’t let your government waste your money when it is needed elsewhere in the community. The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing while expecting different results, in which case, a Quebec Firearms Registry is indeed insane and certifiably so.
Armand Martin
Gatineau (Aylmer)
