What do you make of this commentary on self-defense laws in Canada?

Another important difference between the United States and Canada is enforcement. Anyone who uses a weapon in self defense is likely to be charged in Canada and have to defend themselves in court, even if the attacker is not injured seriously. The charges may be %26quot;possession of a prohibited weapon,%26quot; or %26quot;careless use/storage of a firearm,%26quot; rather than %26quot;assault%26quot; or %26quot;attempted murder.%26quot; The Crown apparently is determined to discourage people from forcefully defending themselves.





In Montreal, a citizen who struggled with an robber who placed a gun against his head was referred to the crown prosecutor for possible murder charges after the gun discharged, killing the robber (the Crown considered but declined to prosecute). A store owner who armed himself and arrested four thieves in his store was termed a %26quot;vigilante%26quot; in the press (Montreal Gazette, %26quot;Spectators cheer as vigilante shopkeeper with shotgun goes free,%26quot; 9 Aug 95, p. A8). An American couple were barred from Canada for five years, and fined $700, because they had a can of pepper spray to ward off dogs when they were jogging (Montreal Gazette, %26quot;Tourism loses its spice,%26quot; 8 Jul 95, p. A12).





Do Canadians really believe that they should be passive victims when faced with death? Is the legal culture created by Parliament an accurate reflection of Canadian thinking? Or is this a replay of the debate over capital punishment, a concept which the public overwhelmingly supports but Parliament repeatedly forbids.|||When push comes to shove.....I%26#039;d rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6. If my life is being threatened..... I%26#039;ll do what I need to do and take my chances in court.|||It totally sucks, thats why I don%26#039;t live there anymore!|||That has got to be totally nuts.





%26quot;The family was killed, but they followed the law and did not defend themselves. We applaud this action%26quot;





Tell me I have this wrong, OK?|||To prohibit someone from defending themselves from an attacker is sheer lunacy.





Love Jack