Gun Control: Canada’s Ban Is What Democrats Want in America

There is little reason why Canada should feature in National Review or deserve journalistic treatment anywhere, except as a joke. It’s a nation without a purpose for its existence and a void in place of a national character. Whereas America is defined by its political freedom, Britain by its rich cultural and political history, Australia by its frontier spirit, and New Zealand by its unique Anglo-Maori culture, Canada is the only Western, anglophone, liberal democracy with absolutely nothing else about it. This lack of national identity — or, as its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, describes it, “post-national” — makes it dull, uninteresting, and unworthy of respect. Ask Canadian citizens what their country means to the world, and they’ll genuinely struggle to give you an answer. As a citizen of Canada myself, I readily conclude that there is none.

Yet despite its pipsqueak significance, Canada has done something that should give Americans pause. Last weekend, Trudeau announced his government’s plans to dramatically curtail firearm ownership in the country. A new bill introduced in Canada’s parliament would ban the purchase, sale, import, or transfer of handguns, freezing the number of such weapons in the country. Meanwhile, over 1,500 types of long-barreled guns — sweepingly termed “assault-style weapons” — including the AR-15, would not only be banned but would be subject to seizure by the government, without owners’ consent, for destruction, with compensation after the fact. The first of such “buybacks,” as they’ve been euphemized, is set to begin before the end of the year.

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About the Author

Arjun Singh

Arjun Singh is an editorial intern at National Review.

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There is little reason why Canada should feature in National Review or deserve journalistic treatment anywhere, except as a joke. It’s a nation without a purpose for its existence and a void in place of a national character. Whereas America is defined by its political freedom, Britain by its rich cultural and political history, Australia by its frontier spirit, and New Zealand by its unique Anglo-Maori culture, Canada is the only Western, anglophone, liberal democracy with absolutely nothing else about it. This lack of national identity — or, as its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, describes it, “post-national” — makes it dull, uninteresting, and unworthy of respect. Ask Canadian citizens what their country means to the world, and they’ll genuinely struggle to give you an answer. As a citizen of Canada myself, I readily conclude that there is none.

Yet despite its pipsqueak significance, Canada has done something that should give Americans pause. Last weekend, Trudeau announced his government’s plans to dramatically curtail firearm ownership in the country. A new bill introduced in Canada’s parliament would ban the purchase, sale, import, or transfer of handguns, freezing the number of such weapons in the country. Meanwhile, over 1,500 types of long-barreled guns — sweepingly termed “assault-style weapons” — including the AR-15, would not only be banned but would be subject to seizure by the government, without owners’ consent, for destruction, with compensation after the fact. The first of such “buybacks,” as they’ve been euphemized, is set to begin before the end of the year.