Self-defence deters criminals more than complying. Gun control fails to reduce violent crime.
Armed citizens are better able to protect their families.
Armed citizens can help stop bear attacks. Bear spray is good; a firearm is better.
Here is a snippet from the article that John R. Lott Jr. and I wrote published in the Toronto Sun on September 10, 2025. To see the juicy details, please read the whole thing.
Gun control is not crime control
By passing gun control laws, Canadian authorities are making it harder for victims to defend themselves. Gun bans repeatedly fail.
In Canada, if people can’t successfully “hide” from criminals, police officials are advising crime victims to “comply” with a criminal’s demands. Jim MacSween, the chief of York Regional Police since 2020 who oversees 1.2 million residents living in York Region, warned residents not to attempt to confront intruders but to comply with the criminal until law enforcement arrives.
Self-defence deters criminals more than complying
In America, law enforcement usually gives very different advice. When PoliceOne — the largest police organization in the U.S. with 450,000 members — surveyed its officers, 76% said legally armed citizens play a very or extremely important role in reducing crime. There is no similar survey of police officers across Canada.
Police are extremely important in deterring crime, but, unfortunately, they almost always arrive on the scene after the crime has been committed. Studies show simply telling people to behave passively turns out not to be very good advice, so it is important that gun laws allow would-be victims to defend themselves.
Last year, with Toronto facing an auto theft rate of 330 per 100,000 people (the U.S.’s rate was 259), police in Toronto were advising people to leave their car keys by their front door to avoid home invasions.
