Toronto shootings fan anti-gun hysteria

Last week a couple of young black gangstas duked it out at a Toronto street party.

As is the norm these days, they didn't duke it out with their fists, but rather with their 9mm Glocks.

The result? Two dead and 23 injured.

But more than that, the event unleashed the predictable deluge of anti-gun hysteria in the Canadian media.

The stories are telling. Should we ban handguns? Should we ban the sale of bullets? Should we ban all guns?

Let's take a couple of steps back and a couple of deep breaths.

Ban handguns? For all practical purposes handguns are already banned in Canada. To get a legal handgun involves so many hoops to jump through and so many legal hurdles to clear that you can bet your bottom dollar that no gangsta type in the last 30 years has gotten his handgun through legal channels.

A ban on handgun sales will do absolutely nothing to close off the channels of black market handgun distribution.

I think the powers that be banned something called marijuana about 85 years ago. How is that working out?

Ban bullets? The people who write this shit seem to be under the impression that anyone in Toronto can walk into Walmart and walk out with a box or two of 9mm rounds.

Wrong! You don't buy ammo anywhere in Canada without producing a FAQ. That means you've jumped through the hoops and been certified as a reasonably sane and politically reliable citizen. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY on the gangsta scene is buying their ammo at Walmart or Canadian Tire.

So banning ammo sales in the city of Toronto means absolutely nothing to the gangs and the gang culture that foster this violence.

So what is the answer?

There's a reason gangsta culture is such a draw to young black kids growing up in Toronto. You're just a nigger in the big city and nobody gives you the time of day, let alone a job. Poverty is rampant.

Suddenly you're on the fringe of the local Crips affiliate and holy shit, you're a somebody! You're getting respect!

That's the essence of gang appeal right there.

You're never going to break that with a ban on bullets or guns or by building more prisons.

These guys need opportunities for real jobs and a real life.

They need hope.