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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, November 24, 1998 -7, SO UR READERS WRITE you aricl onv t Tir -riw Government must back down on gun control bil! Dear Editor: It's likely true that most Canadians are in favour of gun contrai in some form. I'm 100 per cent in favour of ail hand guns heing registered, however this law has been in effect for 64 years. 'm also in favour of much stiffer fines and jail sentences being imposed on anyone found guilty af committing a criminai offence with the use of a firearm. But I'm not in favour of having ta register my collection of antique long guns but up over that last 50 years. The majority of these are black powder muzzle loaders, some of which date back ta the rcign of King George mH. My col- lection numbers severai hundred, including a few hand guns that are, of course, registered. Our prime minister in his Red Book promised that if the cost of implementing Bill 68 was ta exceed $150 billion, it would be scrapped. At the gun rally in Ottawa September 22, mare than 30,000 demanstrators attended. One of the guest speakers, a member of parlia- Letters Welcomed The Canadian Champion wel- cornes letters ta the editor. We reserve the right ta edit, revise, and reject letters. Mail letters ta: The Canadian Champion, Box 248, Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9, or leave themn at aur office, 191 Main St. E. r The future lias a way of arriving unannounced' 40 as. . Ye-. 000 Cail and let us heip you prepare your Year 2000 Business Plan. 205 Main Street Suite 303 Milton, Ontaro (905) 878-2168 Professional Computer Solutions à UPîÈLOt ý,ý IIS1 Dr. R. Strohan 106 Wakefield Rd. (Opposite ai Milton Madil) Early Morning & Evening Appointments SATURDAY MORNING APPOINTMENTS AISO AVAILABL 878-5882 Ilict, staftt lfiie hail ftlacces ta the files on gun contrai and said that the cost ta date was approxi- mately $200 million and not one gun had been regîstered. He further said that it was expected ta cost tax payers a bil- lion dollars hy the time it waa actu- ally in force plus a yearly cost of $50 million ta enforce it. in my opinion, spending ail this money 50 foolishly is a terrible waste of tax dollars whiie so many other areas are crying for additionai funds. You must be aware of the fact that the number of police offi- cers per capita is at its iowest in 28 years. Add this ta the fact that in 1997 the Justice Department's Canadian Firearms Centre increased by 126 employees. Too had it could not have been 126 law enforcement officers who were added ta the payroli. It was a pleasure ta see a Liberai senator take the stand at the gun rally in Ottawa. In very strong words she expressed her displea- sure with enforced registration of long guns. Furthermore, everyone I taiked ta favoured much stiffer fines and penalties for crimes involving ire arms. I know. I was there. I have always heen led ta helieve that members of parliament are voted inta office ta convey the feelings and wishes of the people who voted them into office. 1 know that many members of parliament have told their voters that they are very much against the bill as it now stands but they know if they were ta speak against it, they sureiy would be banned from the Liberai Party. To me this reeks of Nazîsm. We fought a war against a man with similar iron-hand ideals. His nane was Hitier. I know. I was there. The enforced registration of long guns wiil prove nothing and c ost ail of us hundreds of millions of dollars. Two countries in which privately-owned firearms are banned - Mexico and Jamaica - have the largest firearms crime rate in the free world. May I suggest, continue to enforce hand gun registration and triple the fines and sentences for ail crimes committed using firearms, but back down on forcing every fariner, hunter and legal gun owner to dig out his aid shotgun or take his grandfather's muzzle loader from the firepiace mantde and parade them ta the police station. David Enge Bancroft Studio tour fine ait "round Dear Editor: The Champion is to be congratulated for the new feature page on arts and entertain- ment. We at the Fine Arts Society of Milton were particularly pleased ta read of original art by our inibers. Sixteen artists in the Milton and Campbeliville area welcomed hundreds of viewers into the studios and homes. Marlon Detior, president Fine Arts Society of Milton TUNE UP and W cl NTERIZ $ fl~~5Book your service oppolntment todoyl 8 cyl 84 Hours: Mon-Frn 8:00- 5:30 pm *APpî tams as & light trucks Sot 8:00-1 2:00 noon I ri-P . f il T FR01IN0CANADA EXCLUSIVE ACRYLICA (4 BACK JETS!) INMRDMCORY OFME (LIMITED lIME OFFER> 18 *hmse Rod s. 1 & 2 Mito.On 878-522 «J 7175 Main Street E. Milton, 876-31481 il r.