For the next six weeks, folks who live in Cape Breton can register their gun with local authorities, who will be glad to stop by, pick up the offending weapon, and compensate the former owner market value for the weapon. Canada's Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, says it's completely voluntary.
“It is strictly voluntary. Nobody is being forced to undertake the buyback program. Our expectation is that law-abiding citizens will abide by the law, and beyond that, the police jurisdiction is tasked to implement the criminal code,” states Anandasangaree.
Canada has banned over 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms since 2020, and the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program gives compensation to both businesses and individuals for “voluntarily” turning in their firearms. However, if they do not participate, they must still dispose or deactivate prohibited firearms before the amnesty period ends or risk criminal liability for illegal firearm possession.
Luis Valdes of Gun Owners of America states the obvious.
“Well, this is clearly not voluntary because the Canadian parliament has passed this, and the Canadian prime minister wants to enforce this nationwide,” says Valdez.
He says "voluntary" is not the only term the Canadian government is playing fast and loose with.
“Buyback is such a frivolous, false term to begin with. The Canadian government never owned these firearms to begin with,” says Valdez.
The right “to keep and bear arms” is a key constitutionally guaranteed right in the U.S. Most countries do not have a Second Amendment that allows this, with Mexico and Guatemala the only other ones that have this right.
“Because our founding fathers even stated that government doesn't grant these rights. These rights are inalienable. They are God-given. They existed before our country was founded,” says Valdez.
Of course, Canadians can take comfort in the fact that criminals in the Great White North will be the first in line to sell their guns back…or maybe not.
“As a 15-year law enforcement officer, I can tell you this; criminals are criminals because they break the law,” says Valdez.
