The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Guns Guns Guns -- Now It's Your Turn.

Episode Date: June 2, 2022

After Buffalo, after Texas and after new gun laws in Canada, it's time for your turn and you certainly deliver.  Lots of your letters this week with your thoughts, ideas and comments.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. Guns. A lot of people have had their say in the last week. Now it's your turn. And hello there, Peter Mansbridge in Toronto on this day. It's Thursday, and Thursdays mean your turn, your opportunity to weigh in on some of the issues of the day. And most of the mail this week in the old mail bag has been about guns. First as a result of Texas last week and Buffalo the week before that. And then this week, the decision by the Canadian government to move on handguns. So there's actually been quite a bit of mail on this from all sides.

And let's get right to it. Ian Hutchinson from Grey County, Ontario, has this to say. Regarding guns in Canada, the majority of Canadians have no problem with rural areas having guns. After all, they have a grandfather or uncle that had one and lived on a farm, or so seems to be the sentiment. The problem is that my rifle doesn't look like my uncle's or my grandfather's, nor does my pickup truck or my typewriter look like the one they had decades ago. The technology has moved on and the cosmetics of them have changed, which has led to these assault rifles, which in fact are just sporting rifles in operation and capability, but are seen as threatening due to cosmetic features. I'm not so sure a lot of people would agree with that about assault rifles. Assault rifles are just basically a spiffy version of what your grandfather carried. Your grandfather carried a rifle that was shooting rabbits or groundhogs or deer.

Assault rifles are built for much more than that. And you know that. And we've seen the ones that have been used in the States, the ones that were banned here in Canada. Assault rifles do a kind of damage to the human body that is meant for the battlefield, not a schoolyard.

So that's how I react to that, Ian. Louis Martinez from Vancouver. so that's how i react to that ian louis martinez from vancouver i dislike guns and find it a lazy man's tool to kill any life unless you live rurally and hunt for your own food humans should be more encouraged to join a self-defense class or carry a bat if it makes them feel safer not in public areas they make these handguns so small to be hidden like many i just can't grasp why this is still happening but i have my opinions that i take from my life and being raised in america as an american why don't we hold video games accountable and movies or any type of entertainment. Conditioning comes in many faces.

When I mention this to people, I know they always think I'm nuts and tell me, Louie, you can't blame video games. Why? Yes, I can. Some people can play them and shoot up people in that form of that reality and not act out any idea of going further than their chair. But not everyone who plays them will remain in their chair and will act on the idea of going further. That is where society comes into play. We raise everyone to believe one way but forget that we are the ones nurturing a positive or negative conditioning of an outcome. This issue about video games, as you well know, Louis,

has been around for probably 20 years. And while it's clear in some cases that we've seen over the last 20 years, the perpetrators of terrible gun crimes and mass shootings have been people who watch video games. But literally millions of others watch video games and don't grab a gun, go out and shoot up a shopping center. So I'm not sure where I am on that one, but I'm not sure I'm in the same camp as you are. Dave Kellett from Lakefield, Ontario. Why does our prime minister insist on misdirection on gun violence in our country? We do not have the United States gun problems. Guns are not a part of our identity. We're not swinging them around claiming it's our right. In the words of Andrew Crystal,

the late Andrew Crystal, to Canadians, guns are like fishing rods. We have excellent laws that make sure rifles and handguns are only owned by licensed people. Handgun licensing goes farther and is incredibly strict. I don't have handguns and I don't see any use for assault rifles. So why am I upset? Because our prime minister is taking no action on our problem. Canadian firearms problem is illegal guns, guns that have been smuggled, guns used for gang violence, and guns that don't follow Canadian laws for capacity limit. As a father and as a Canadian, I want something done about gun violence, but political virtue signaling and trying to solve

the American problem will never get it done. Stop playing politics and protect Canadians from our real gun problems. Jeffrey Oliver from St. John's, Newfoundland. Haven't heard from Jeffrey for a while. Jeffrey's one of these guys who, he works on ships. He's crossing the Atlantic and traveling the world. And every once in a while we hear from him in different exotic places or in the middle of the ocean, he finds a way to get to us.

But here I think he's actually in St. John's. He must be on a break. Here's his thoughts. So, guns. If the politicians in the States are too chicken to pass any type of gun control because of the fallout, which may lead to them losing campaign support, then perhaps the solution is to pass a law that allows any person to sue any other person who has sold, bought, supported, or used any person who uses a firearm against any person leading to harm or death. Maybe if the gun store owner is liable for a teenager shooting up a school,

they won't sell it. Or maybe they'll be more inclined to want some sort of gun control. This way they can claim to not be infringing on people's Second Amendment rights. Instead, they're giving other people the freedom to make their own choices, which is what Americans claim to be all about. I don't know, Jeffrey. I mean, think about that. How far do you go with that idea?

Do you start, you know, suing a car dealer because somebody buys a car from them the next thing they do the car is used in is it involved in some terrible accident where people lose their lives

and that person who bought the car is in the wrong do you sue the dealer who sold

them the car I don't know that's another one you got to think about but I love the idea that people are thinking

on this uh this comes from Ruth Chan in Long Beach California and people say you've got listeners everywhere we we actually do have listeners all around the world. And North America, because it's covered by SiriusXM, you have two choices. You can download the podcast or you can listen on SiriusXM channel 167. You get it anywhere in North America. Anyway, Ruth Chan writes from Long Beach, California. I'm writing as a former Vancouverite who 10 years ago moved to Southern California seeking adventure and a bit more sunshine.

I'm now married with a one-and-a-half-year-old girl and an almost four-year-old boy. I frequently take my boy on walks to the elementary school a couple of blocks from our house in the suburbs of Long Beach. We would sing the song from Cocomelon, a hit TV show with the toddlers, about the first day of school. I imagined the day that I would drop him off with his backpack to the first day of kindergarten,

wave goodbye with my heart in my throat, and then hear all of his stories at the end of the day about what he learned and all about his friends. Now, after the recent events in Texas, saying that I'm terrified to send my kids to public school is an understatement. It is the sad reality that us parents of school-age kids now have to deal in this country, that the politics of what to me is a black and white issue has become so polarized. As a Canadian, it's especially infuriating to know that strict gun laws is the answer.

But that those who are in charge of running this country either don't see it or have chosen to put their selfish obsession with guns over the safety of its most innocent citizens. And it's not just the people running the country that see it this way. COVID and abortion have led me to realize that there are plenty of well-educated, well-meaning people that I call or have called friends or even extended family that truly believe that COVID is a conspiracy, wearing masks is ludicrous, that women should not have the right to choose, and that gun ownership should be a right no matter your background or intention. The land of the free and the home of the brave is now full of people who scream freedom but don't

respect others' freedom to choose, and those who cowardly shirk from enacting real change to our safety. I would like to think that it is the minority who have radical thoughts on these issues, but after the last few years, I really don't know what to think anymore. Thanks, Ruth. it is a challenge to try and think about how this is being handled by various leaders in our communities. And I guess especially so for people like Ruth who are holding the hand of their four-year-old, taking them to school and then getting home and seeing the kind of things that have happened in schools. Nancy Abba writes from Toronto. I was listening to CBC interviewing people in Uvalde, Texas this morning. One gentleman said that an 18-year-old can go into a store and bring a six

pack of beer, a pack of cigarettes, and a gun to the counter of the store, and the only item he can legally purchase is the gun. Part of me thought that must be an exaggeration, so I did a basic Google search, and sure enough, that's correct. I don't know why this is bothering me so much. The idea that 18-year-olds need to be protected from alcohol and tobacco but are free to purchase and use any kind of gun, including an assault weapon, just boggles my mind. The utter stupidity leaves me at a loss for words, as do so many things about the U.S. Canada has many serious problems and injustices that have gone on for far too long and need to be addressed. But I remain a proud Canadian, and I am forever grateful that back in the day, my father decided not to take that job. He was offered in the U.S. Benjamin Delp,

he lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A lot has happened in the past few weeks with all the violence across the United States. As a citizen of this great country, my heart weeps. The country I grew up with and the values we once stood for, I fear are lost beyond hope. And I fear that the United States I once knew has changed forever. Our political system is in shambles and diverse groups continue to be more marginalized than ever. On Good Talk last week, I believe there was a discussion about disinformation and how that can impact people's thinking. From my seat here in the U.S., it's almost as if the truth doesn't want to be heard by the majority, whether it's gun control or basic health care or human rights. I feel as though what you call the alt-right is the dominating voice regardless of logic and our ability as a nation to engage in critical thinking on key issues is lost. Something truly is rotten in the core of our nation and it saddens me.

I feel as though I may be living on the precipice of a dystopian theocracy like that portrayed in The Handmaid's Tale. I too cannot accept what is happening in this nation. Benjamin Delp in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dave Yursik in London, Ontario. After listening to your podcast regarding the tragedy at an elementary school in Texas, I could not help thinking of the last one at Sandy Hook in Newton, Connecticut, Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. Personally, it was my last day at work before a Christmas break. We were at lunch, celebrating the time of year and having a great day. After our Christmas lunch, while driving home, the news came out of the sickening and

utterly depressing news at Sandy Hook. A feeling of despair stuck with me for quite some time. The only thing I could think of was Robert F. Kennedy's speech on the mindless menace of violence. I also remember over time the U.S. government, the Senate actually, tried to impose a minor restriction that would mandate background checks for all purchasing assault weapons. The Republican senators and their masters, the NRA, fought that restriction to the end. It was at that point it became obvious that if you cannot act to protect 28 seven-year- old grade 1 students from pure evil then

what will it take? I have absolutely no confidence that meaningful change shall ever happen in the US. They have lost their souls. Dave, I hope you're wrong. I fear you may be right, but I hope you're wrong.

I fear you may be right, but I hope you're wrong. As of this moment, Thursday, in the first week of June, there do seem to be some attempts at some very basic changes that could impact this story as it relates to guns and schools. As a working group between Republicans and Democrats, is it all just for show? Is it something that will disappear as the days stretch out from when the horror in Texas happened. I fear that. I'm sure you fear that. It seems that with each day passing and less discussion about what happened in Texas and no resolution on the part of these politicians who are working to try and get something agreed to.

As each day passes, the likelihood is less that something meaningful will happen. I hope I'm wrong. You know, sometimes I think, you know, there's a theory about things like this that it's kind of like a Ferris wheel. And if you can imagine that Ferris wheel turning and the bottom end of it goes through, well, let's say water. And for a few moments, those seats in the Ferris wheel are submerged in the water. Now, if you can just hold your breath,

you know it's going to come up. Eventually. And of course it does. And if you've held your breath, all's good. Those who are really against any measures that would control guns in the U.S. are at this moment on that Ferris wheel. And they're just seeing how long they can hold their breath

before the attention moves away from this subject and on to something else. And if they're able to do that, and the Ferris wheel comes up and out of the water, well, they're kind of home free. They move on without any changes. I don't know. Let's hope that's not the case. Michelle Dextra in Kanata. I don't know where Kanata is, just on the outskirts of Ottawa.

The more I read about America, the more I see a country that resembles a Central South American type country. Election results being questioned, women's rights rescinded, guns everywhere, and politicians voting to appease their financial supporters rather than their constituencies. In Bertrand Russell's America, he wrote in 1965, America is sick and her sickness endangers the whole world. Given America's immense power and resources, a cure must be found within. The first thing that is needed is an education teaching that hate must be avoided, that excellence does not consist in violence. To achieve this change of outlook is an immense task which America's radicals must attempt to carry out. Whether the necessary heroism will be forthcoming, I do not know.

We can only hope that it may be so. That was Bertrand Russell in 1965. Thanks, Michelle, for sending that along. Michelle concludes her letter with this line, Nothing has changed. It is even worse. And these are our neighbors. Scary.

Debbie Prince writes, and this is our last letter on the subject. She writes from Squamish, British Columbia. School shootings in the U.S. is not news. I have four elementary age grandkids that I drop off or they take the bus. And I never worry that they might get shot while in school. But I live in Canada and we made different choices than the States.

They choose guns over their kids' lives. Sorry, that's just how I feel. I want to know what is happening in the rest of the world. And mainly the war. Something else. Well, that's why we spend a lot of time, Debbie, on the story in Ukraine as well. And that's why we depend, and clearly you do,

because her letter goes on to thank Brian Stewart for his contributions to the bridge on this subject of Ukraine, where Brian joins us every week, usually on Tuesdays. I'm sorry, there is one last letter on the school shooting subject. It comes from Alex Clark. Alex is in Courtney, Bc on vancouver island i wanted to put forward a radical idea to curb gun violence in the u.s i feel like there's no hope for the u.s lately but you said something that made me think you made a comment that if people had had to see the aftermath of a mass shooting, it would likely change their opinions about gun control or something to that effect. I think the U.S.

should do to themselves what they did to the Germans at the end of World War II. They should take the people in that town or region and make them tour the crime scene once police are finished with it police need to see what their rights are actually costing pictures won't do as mass shooters have live streamed themselves and people have seen it and not changed the way they feel or they simply ignore it. If not the people themselves, then at least their elected representatives. They need to stand in that classroom to see, hear, and smell the aftermath and truly understand what's at stake. You know, Alex, you said it was a radical idea. It is a radical idea. You're not the first to mention it this week.

That people have no understanding of what that assault rifle used by the shooter in Texas did to the bodies of those young kids. And maybe if they saw that, it might have an impact. Okay. That was the main subject this week, but there were others, and we're going to get to what you have to say about them right after this. And welcome back. Peter Mansbridge here in Toronto this week. With your turn, your comments, your ideas, your thoughts on some of the stories that we've been dealing with in the past week.

You're listening on Sirius XM, Channel 167, Canada Talks, or on your favorite podcast platform. And as we always say, wherever you're listening from, we're glad you're with us. All right, Liz Prosser. This is just a grab bag of different stories and thoughts and ideas on different subjects. This portion, this segment of The Bridge today. Liz Prosser writes from Bracebridge, Ontario. I went to a movie theater with my husband last night for the first time

since the pandemic began. We saw Top Gun. It was excellent. I cannot wait to see Top Gun. Maverick. The second installment, the first one was 36 years ago.

And this is the biggest opening of any movie ever. So, good for Tom Cruise. Anyway, Liz wasn't writing about Tom Cruise. This is what she was writing about. With the exception of one other couple, we were the only ones wearing masks throughout the movie in a fairly full theater. I felt no judgment towards us for wearing masks, and I felt none toward those who didn't wear one. It's our new normal, and we must respect where everyone's comfort level is. Bang on, Liz. That is the right attitude.

Good for you. Peter Todorovich in Etobicoke. I'm concerned about Ukraine and American involvement in the conflict. In childhood, I saw years of American involvement in the Vietnam War. Later, I watched the first war with Iraq and then the bigger war to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, which of course didn't exist. Finally, I watched years of the war in Afghanistan. In each case, I have seen enormous death, pain and destruction with little in the way of positive outcomes for the countries and people involved. And in each case, before the situation is stabilized, America finds a reason to exit.

Based on America's track record, I predict the same disastrous outcome for Ukraine, even if they win the war in the end. So many people will die. So many will become physically and mentally injured or handicapped. So many children will become orphans. And so many will lose everything they had, all in the name of American foreign policy. You know, Peter, I think we could have an argument about that. It's more than American foreign policy involved in this particular war. I don't disagree with you on some of your other examples, but this one has different aspects to it.

Carl Raskin writes from Ottawa. Consider the progressive policies and programs we have in Canada compared to the lack of similar ones in the U.S. Universal health insurance, maternity, paternity leave, mandatory vacation leave, programs to address inequality, just to name a few, are normative in Canada, but would be considered extreme left-wing in the American context. Moreover, we have a viable left-wing political party, the NDP, that has no American equivalent. Given this, it's obvious that a right-wing news network akin to Fox News would not succeed in Canada. Carl's letter is a result of a discussion we had last week. Why, with right-wing television channels doing so well in the United States, why haven't they done well in Canada or in the United Kingdom? That's his thought on that scott keller

who says he's the president and chief scientist for weather logics incorporated seems to be based in winnipeg i'm a meteorologist in winnipeg. Just listen to your segment regarding reading National Geographic weather facts. Unfortunately, National Geographic had some of their facts wrong. But the purpose of my email is not to correct them, but rather to comment on why they might have been wrong. In Canada, the federal government is responsible for weather and climate monitoring. However, in recent years, these programs have fallen into disarray. Limited to no quality control is done on our climate data

and our climate records, and normals are 10 or more years out of date. Did you know that official snowfall data is rarely collected in Canada anymore? Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, among others, stopped collecting official snow data over a decade ago. With climate change being such an important issue, how can we attempt to monitor changes when we don't even track this data anymore? National Geographic can't hope to get their data right when much of it is out of date or not collected. Well, Scott, I don't know whether that's the case. It's certainly worth checking into, and I will by talking to some of my friends

in the weather business. But I'll tell you one thing you got wrong. It wasn't National Geographic that I was quoting from. It was Canadian Geographic that I was quoting from. It was Canadian Geographic that I was quoting from. And they're different. Anne-Marie Klein writes from Toronto. I listen in from Toronto every day. Loved your Monday show about flights, as I am, like you, somewhat of an airplane geek.

My brother also had a long career at British Airways, and so I wanted to say two things about that part of your show. He gently corrected me many years ago and said the supersonic is Concorde without the in front of it, as it is a proper name. And so I thought I'd gently pass that along too. I know that like me, you are often in Scotland and want to do highly recommend a visit to the National Museum of Flight in North Berwick,

just south of Edinburgh. Not only can you see a lot of historical planes from the last century, but they also have a fully preserved concord inside a hangar that you can also see up close. It was for me the highlight of that museum visit, as I gave up a ride on the magnificent bird on October 3, 1987, offered by my brother, who went up to the Arctic Circle with the rest of the Toronto BA staff. Because you too were playing at the C&E, and I thought Concord would be around longer than the band. Clearly one of the dumbest decisions ever, as I never got a

second chance before the horrific crash in 2000. I hope you make it out to the National Museum of Flight on one of your future visits to Scotland, as it's well worth the drive. And I just may do that. I've been to North Berwick before. I didn't know about the museum. North Berwick has one of the great Scottish golf courses, which is a long course right on the water. There's an amazing island just off,

a small island, not far from the coast, North Berwick. And it looks like, even in the middle of the summer, it looks like, man, it must have snowed there last night out on that island

because it's all white. It's not snow. Let's just say there's an awful lot of birds that live on that island. An awful lot of birds that live on that island. We've heard from Kevin Chan before. He writes every once in a while. It's always good to hear what he has to say. He's in Mississauga, Ontario.

He has written a really long letter here. I'm just going to read a part of it because it brings back memories for me. This Saturday, June 4th, marks the 33 years from the night I glued myself to the TV screen watching the CBC anchor, Peter Mansbridge, and his program Sunday Report. It was a special edition, one main focus, Tiananmen Square. You can still watch the segment on CBC Player. Shocked by the reported merciless killings of thousands of students in the square, I went to the Chinese Consulate General on St. George Street in Toronto the next morning, June 5th, intending to take part in a spontaneous demonstration. Ever since that night, I always wanted to know what exactly had happened to the students in the center of the square.

Over the years, I read and researched on the topic. From the memoirs and the interviews from the student leaders after they had left China, it's my understanding that what had happened in June 1989 was a heavy crackdown on a protest turned violent in Beijing, especially after some small groups of protesters gained access to weaponry, but a massacre it never was at Tiananmen Square. Now, I'm not going to read on, Kevin, because I got to tell you, we've been very careful on this story. I was when I was at the CBC, so were our correspondents who were there.

It's clear that there was death in that square that night. It's not clear exactly how it started. It's not clear exactly which protests turned violent and whether they turned violent before the Chinese army moved in, which they did that night With tanks and armored vehicles. People died. Students died. There have been many different versions.

From many different corners. About what happened that night. But. It's still unclear. With certainty. Exactly. What happened. but it's still unclear with certainty exactly what happened, other than the fact that people died in big numbers. And I've interviewed some of those student leaders many years later, as many of our correspondents have.

And still at this time, it's unclear. But what is worth remembering and why I'm glad you sent the letter is it is a day always worth remembering, June 4th. And boy, how time moves. 33 years this saturday june 4th there's some big anniversaries coming up right monday is june 6 d-day 78 years since those lads went ashore, including Canadians at Juneau Beach,

thousands of Canadians, I think there were about 14,000 landed that day, but almost 400 of them died as they landed at Saint-Aubin and Bernier and Courcelles. All right. A couple more letters here. Nancy Shipman writes, this is also about that issue about Fox and right-wing television. It works in the States, not so much in Canada or the UK. Nancy writes, you were talking about Fox the other day.

Interesting factoid. We moved last fall, and when we got Rogers to supply our cable, I was shocked to find that they included Fox News in the package, but not CBC News World or CTV News. I have to pay extra for our national broadcaster, but for the Fox lies no extra charge. Are you kidding me right now? I have to pay extra for our national broadcaster, but for the Fox lies no extra charge. Are you kidding me right now?

I have no words. In the end, we were able to swap out other channels to get reliable news, but that's not the point. Crazy times we live in. Nancy. I didn't know that, and I don't know whether that's the same everywhere, or whether there was some kind of mix-up in the package you bought. But it doesn't make a lot of sense whether it was Fox or CNN or MSNBC. It doesn't really matter.

If you're getting those for free, basically, is part of the basic package. But not getting the Canadian channels, that just doesn't make any sense. Two more. Judy Gorman writes, I very much enjoyed your snippet on pay phones on Monday. Remember, we did the last pay phone in New York City was put out of service last week. The last payphone in New York City was put out of service last week. The last one. With the pandemic and me being immunocompromised, my husband canceled service to my phone to save some money as I was rarely away from home.

Hence, when he takes me to the hospital for an appointment, I need to call him to fetch me when I'm done. I think I know where all the payphones are in the Toronto General. You mentioned the annual income from a payphone. It was over $365 a year. A payphone call is 50 cents. Therefore, a Canadian payphone averages just over two calls per day. Without them, a person would be forced to pay for a cell phone and a cell phone plan. That definitely costs more than 50 cents per call. I'm hoping they don't get phased out, as I believe they provide an important service,

especially for those who are struggling financially. Last letter. This will be the shortest last letter I've, I think I've ever read. It's from Christine McDonald in Windsor, Ontario. I read it out of self-interest, but nevertheless,

I get that opportunity. It is my podcast, but I will today. So much going on in this crazy world. I look forward to your podcast to hear balanced and fair opinions that do not involve shock value, hyperbole, screaming, and the vacuum of facts. Cannot say there was one episode that was a standout. They all were. Thank you for providing us with a small slice of daily

sanity and food for thought. That's so nice, Christine. Thank you so much for that. Very kind of you. Listen, we're not perfect. We make try to use this tool of this program, this podcast, you know, talk about issues, explore them. And on Thursdays like this, listen to what some of your thoughts are. And the beauty of a day like today is those thoughts are varied. People have different opinions on certain subjects, and that's okay. And it's especially okay when you've got the vehicle to express them. And you do. Okay, tomorrow, Friday, good talk, Chantelle Hebert,

Bruce Anderson. We'll be here. You know, we'll probably have something to say about the results of the Ontario election. Elections are always interesting. There's always something that's unpredictable about them. So we'll look for that. So much for the bridge on this day. A day of your turn. Thanks so much for the bridge on this day a day of your turn thanks so much for listening we'll be back in 24 hours

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