Good Guys and Bad Guys with Guns: Gun Control in Canada and the U.S.

By

Nathan R. Kozuskanich

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This 1829 cartoon mocked the Philadelphia militia.

"The Nation's Bulwark. A well disciplined militia"

This 1829 cartoon mocked the Philadelphia militia for its lack of discipline.

Sentries on duty in front of the Canada National War Memorial.

Canada National War Memorial

Nathan Cirillo, much like these sentries, was on duty in front of the Canada National War Memorial when he was fatally shot in 2014.

Minute Man Statue, Concord.

Minute Man Statue, Concord

Gun politics can date all the way back to the United States's colonial days and the "minuteman."

Illustration by Thomas Nast.

Thomas Nast "The Union as it was/ The Lost Cause, worse than slavery"

Those fighting to emancipate slaves in the U.S. embraced the same right to bear arms to resist tyranny by force that the Confederacy did. This illustration by Thomas Nast "The Union as it was / The Lost Cause, worse than slavery" appeared in Harper's Weekly, v. 18, no. 930 (24 Oct 1874).

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.

Zehaf-Bibeau

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau at the National War Memorial on Oct 22, 2014 perpetrated the Parliament Hill Shootings.

Canada's Winnipeg General Strike.

Winnipeg General Strike, 1919

Canada's Winnipeg General Strike caused concern over security in general and immigrant radicals in particular.

Plaque at École Polytechnique.

École Polytechnique Massacre

Plaque at École Polytechnique commemorating victims of the massacre in Montreal, Canada on December 6, 1989.

Hope Columbine Memorial Library.

Hope Columbine Memorial Library

This library was built on the hill where the Columbine Shootings of 1999 took place and dedicated to the memory of the victims.

Scene in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.

"Negro Militia After a Drill," 1876

Scene in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia "Negro Militia after drill."

Prime Minister John A. MacDonald.

John A. MacDonald

Prime Minister John A. MacDonald opposed adding pistols to the list of offensive weapons in an 1869 concealed carry law because it would prevent Canadians from protecting themselves from American criminals who crossed the border.

Canada's National Firearm Association.

Canada's National Firearm Association

This organization gives none of the current five major political parties an “A” grade because none of them will support the repeal of the 1995 Firearms Act.

Wayne LaPierre.

Wayne LaPierre

Gun Advocate, Wayne LaPierre speaks at a political conference in Orlando, Florida (2011). He has served as the Executive Vice President and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association (NRA) since 1991.

James Brady and Thomas Delahanty lie wounded on the ground.

James Brady

The aftermath of the assassination attempt on President Reagan (March 20, 1981). James Brady, assistant to Reagan (who inspired the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993) and Thomas Delahanty lie wounded on the ground.

Smith and Wesson Model 60 .38 Special revolver.

Smith & Wesson Revolver

Most common type of gun confiscated by the police and traced by the ATF are .38 special revolvers, such as this Smith and Wesson Model 60 .38 Special revolver with a 3-inch barrel.

The unveiling of the South African War Memorial in Toronto, Canada.

The Boer War, 1899-1902

The unveiling of the South African War Memorial in Toronto, Canada, 1908.

Displays at a gun show in Houston, Texas.

Gun Shows in the United States

Displays at a gun show in Houston, Texas’ George R. Brown Convention Center.

An example of Canada's possession-acquisition or possession-only (PAL/POL) license.

Possession-Only License

An example of Canada's possession-acquisition or possession-only (PAL/POL) license, which individuals must have to possess or acquire a firearm.

Police arrive at Sandy Hook Elementary after the shooting.

Sandy Hook Elementary

Police arrive at Sandy Hook Elementary, after the shooting on December 14, 2012.

Kevin Vickers.

Kevin Vickers

Vickers stopped the October 22, 2014, shootings at Parliament Hill by killing gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau. He was responsible for security at the House of Commons.

A photograph of Corporal Nathan Cirillo.

Nathan Cirillo

A photograph of Corporal Nathan Cirillo, honor guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa killed during the Parliament Hill Shootings of 2014.

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