In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

MP’s vote to abolish long-gun registry in Canada

(CBC News) The federal long-gun registry is living its final days as Mps voted Wednesday in the House of Commons to abolish the controversial program. With support from 18 Liberals and New Democrats, the private member's bill passed second reading 164-137, and now goes to committee.
If passed, Bill C-391 would erase from the system all existing data, collected within a period of 10 years, of the seven million shot guns and rifles across Canada. The Conservatives have long opposed the gun registry, brought in by the former Liberal government in response to the killing of 14 women at Montreal's L'École Polytéchnique in 1989. They say abolishing the registry would save million in taxes to Canadians.But not everybody is in favor: the mother of one of the slain Montreal students made a public appeal this week, imploring MPs to preserve the gun registry.

1.

Coalition For Gun Control: gun registry has saved many lives

Coalition For Gun Control
Several groups are fervent believers in the gun registry and are publicly opposing the abolition of Bill C-391. One of them is the Coalition for Gun Control. This organization was founded in the wake of the Montreal massacre, which killed 14 female students and hurt a dozen people. Since 1989, the Coalition for Gun Control has worked to reduce firearm death, injury and crime in Canada. Its 350 supporting organizations include the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Criminal Justice Association, women's groups, victims groups, and others. Their site features news, reports and news releases that treat the gun control subject in Canada.

2.

Doctors talk about the reasonability of gun control

The Canadian Medical Association Journal
The Canadian Medical Association Journal is a general medical journal published biweekly that showcases research and ideas aimed at improving health for people in Canada and the World. It is written and directed by Canadian and international doctors. In one of its 2003 publications, their editorial was focused in gun control from a medical point of view. It features numbers of gun-related medical cases and opinion on why gun registration is "a key part of the strategy to reduce mortality and morbidity resulting from the misuse of privately owned guns and the illegal trade in firearms."

3.

Guns are for protection, not damage

Gun Owners of America
This-American based organization calls itself "the only no-compromise gun lobbying in Washington." The site contains a wide range of articles, court decisions and opinion articles related to gun ownership support. One of its sections, called "Women's Voice," features an article written by Leyla Myers. Leyla is an immigrant from the Soviet Union who has been living in the state of Virginia, in the U.S. She writes about her experience on growing up without guns and how when she got to America, she found how important guns are.
Their section "Just for Skeptics" features stories that point at the necessity of carrying guns, the dangers of gun control and how police is not there to protect a person.

4.

Who proposed the abolition of Gun Control?

Diane Finley's website
It was Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Member of Parliament for Haldimand-Norfolk. This site contains short, but useful information about Finley and the petition she filed at her officer to abolish long gun registry. It showcases a "news" section where the purpose of the Bill and Finley's reactions to it are outlined in the document called: "Diane Finley and Stephen Harper Standing up for Gun Owners." It also contains Diane's contact information.

5.

Some background on Gun Registry

Canada Online
Canada Online.about.com is a website written by Susan Munroe, a Canadian public affairs and communications professional. The focus of Canada Online is Canadian government, how it's organized and what it can do for you in your day-to-day life. The section Issue-Gun Registry in Canada explains the gun registry issue in Canada since it started until 2007, when Diane Finley filed the petition to abolish the registry. It also provides opinions about people who are against and for gun control