Does Canada need better gun control?

This article has been penned by Jooyoung Lee who is an associate professor of sociology and faculty member at the Center for the Study of the United States at the University of Toronto.

The article has been published by the New York Times. The author of the article is of the view that following the recent mass shooting in Canada, the country needs to consider tougher rules on handguns.

Last summer I taught a course at the University of Toronto called “American Tragedy: Guns and Mass Shootings in U.S. History.” One memorable day, my 20 mostly Canadian students reflected on the frequency of mass shootings in America and how these calamities don’t receive much public interest unless the gunman claims several lives. One student remarked: “Reading about this stuff makes me so sad. It also makes me happy to live in Canada, where we don’t have to worry about this kind of thing.” As an expatriate from California, I have felt this same sense of gratitude many times. Watching news reels and Twitter feeds about the next mass shooting back home, I would reflect that Toronto seemed immune to the kind of gun violence that I had witnessed and written about in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

However, several gun attacks here this summer have made me, and many Torontonians, question that sense of exceptionalism. Mass shootings are no longer a uniquely American problem. The latest occurred recently when a man opened fire on diners sitting at outdoor tables along the Danforth, a bustling neighborhood near downtown. An 18-year-old woman set to study nursing this fall, was killed, as was a 10-year-old swimmer. Thirteen more people were hurt. The city has also been gripped by allegations that a Toronto man killed at least eight people and buried them on property where he worked as a landscaper.

This incident came in the wake of a spate of other attacks. In April, 10 people were killed when the driver of a rental van in Toronto struck dozens of pedestrians on a sidewalk. In June, two men shot two sisters, ages 5 and 9, in a busy playground. A friend on Facebook posted that she does not feel safe in Toronto anymore. I’ve caught myself ruminating in a similar vein; it’s hard not to, with the news dominated by multiple shootings, a mass van attack and a serial killer investigation.

The homicide rate in Toronto is much lower than Chicago and Philadelphia where I conducted years of gun violence research. Still, the immediacy of the violence is changing the political conversation in the city. The recent shooting has prompted some politicians — including Toronto’s mayor, John Tory — to reflect on whether handguns ought to be banned. And that’s a good thing — because even if Canadian cities are safer than their equivalents in the United States, this country still has a gun problem.

The national statistical agency reports that 62 percent of firearm-related homicides in Canada are committed with handguns. This flies in the face of most policy discussions after a mass shooting, which are typically associated with semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15.

Even though Canada requires gun buyers to get a license and take a safety training course, guns are still readily available, many of the same guns that you can buy in the United States. There are a few restrictions on magazine sizes and many concealable pistols are prohibited. But many other guns are as available in Canada as they are south of the border.

This latest shooting has also urged the need to reflect on mental illness and the safety nets that exist for troubled young people. Even though Canada has a universal health care system, one that Canadians often hold in high esteem, there are still serious gaps in coverage. Long-term mental health care is often not covered by provincial health care. Many who need long-term support lack access to it.

People in Canada are still processing their fear and anger over this year’s violence. My concern is that we will fall back into the comforting stories about how safe Canada is; my hope is that instead, this time, we open the difficult conversation about whether civilians ought to own handguns, and what it would take to provide humane care for those suffering from mental illness.

AJ/SS