Conservative MP Larry Miller: Soft on crime?

Unable to change the law through democratic means, Conservative MP Larry Miller is urging the authorities to simply stop enforcing laws he doesn't agree with. Because that's how democracy works.

Conservative MP Larry Miller has suggested government officials should turn a blind eye to unregistered firearms if farmers are just using them to protect their livestock from coyotes.

The beef farmer-turned-federal politician made the remarks at a Saturday meeting in Elmwood, Ont., to discuss how to deal with the growing problem of coyotes preying on sheep and other farm animals in the area.

“(Farmers) are afraid to bring out their guns and travel around like they used to,” Miller (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound) told the crowd, according to a report in the Owen Sound Sun Times published Monday. “What the (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources) needs to do when it comes to unregistered guns and what have you, they’ve got to start turning their heads the same way they do with commercial fishermen that break the law . . . Let the farmers out there that have guns do a lot of this control.”

He stood by his defence of ignoring laws he doesn't like when contacted by the Toronto Star:

“There are a lot of guns that aren’t registered and urban people may not understand why, but it just goes to show you how ridiculous a law it is and until it’s scrapped, people in my part of the world and most rural parts of Canada are not going to be happy,” Miller said.

Actually Larry, you said we city folk don't understand, but maybe it would help if you tried to explain it to us, instead of just stomping your feet and saying its stupid. Because, particularly with the reforms that a Liberal government would make to the registry, I fail to see any compelling argument why farmers shouldn't need to register their guns. I support their right to have them, just take five minutes to register the dammed things.

In the mean time, counselling that laws he doesn't like shouldn't be enforced is an interesting position for a lawmaker to take. Any other laws we should feel free to ignore, Larry?

Anyway, I enjoyed how a Ministry of Natural Resources spokeswoman corrected three of Larry's misconceptions in one comment:

Ministry of Natural Resources spokeswoman Jolanta Kowalski said enforcing firearms registration is federal jurisdiction and noted there is no closed season on coyotes. Kowalski also said the ministry enforces the rules surrounding fishing.

Opps, sorry Larry.

P.S. I like Mark Holland, but his linking the Phoenix shootings in his comments was unnecesary, inappropriate and unfortunate.

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