Carey Price is the goalie for the Montreal Canadiens. Like many people, famous and not-so-famous, he has an Instagram account. Over the weekend he made a post that read:
“I love my family, I love my country and I care for my neighbour. I am not a criminal or a threat to society. What @justinpjtrudeau is trying to do is unjust. I support the @ccfr_ccdaf to keep my hunting tools. Thank you for listening to my opinion.” The post included a photo of Price holding a shotgun.
Canada is of course, on track to establish what many would consider some of the most stringent anti-gun measures ever in what is allegedly a free country. Don’t worry; Oregon is not far behind.
Naturally, Canada’s left wing was probably not pleased. Price’s team was also not pleased. Eager to distance itself from anything that might incur the ire of the press, the public, or the Trudeau administration, the team posted the following on Twitter:
Statement from the Montreal Canadiens pic.twitter.com/JoVuiSvR75
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 6, 2022
If nothing else, Price will not have to apologize for the crime of having an opinion. His team took care of that for him with the words “Montreal Canadiens wish to express their sincere apology to any and all who have been offended or upset by the discourse that has arisen over this matter in recent days.” And the team was also quick to point out the charitable contributions it is making. Cancellation averted for the Canadiens.
What happens to Price remains to be seen. The post is referencing a mass shooting that occurred 33 years ago, and Price was talking about hunting. He was hardly advocating for the use of violence or irresponsible gun ownership. But he did tacitly express concern over a government that can find ways to revoke individual liberties and always for what sounds like perfectly reasonable purposes. And aside from the fact that in an ostensibly free nation, no one should be penalized for voicing a point of view (cue the laugh track), Price’s post also brings to light another facet of the law that many may have overlooked.
The Post Millennial reports that Bill C-21 was originally an attempt to prevent handgun sales or transfers in the country. But there is an amendment that would also prohibit “a firearm that is a rifle or shotgun, that is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner and that is designed to accept a detachable cartridge magazine with a capacity greater than five cartridges of the type for which the firearm was originally designed.” So the restrictions will be broader than most people thought. The Post Millennial reports that the Toronto Sun stated, “The Trudeau Liberals aren’t even hiding it anymore, they are coming for hunting rifles and shotguns.”
The leader of the Conservative party, Pierre Poilievre, reposted Price’s content, adding, “Hunting is a great Canadian tradition. Trudeau’s attempts to ban hunting rifles are an attack on rural and Indigenous people.” Poilievre has also been outspoken about Trudeau’s vaccine policies since taking the helm of the party in October. Of note: back in May of 2020, Trudeau stated that people do not need an AR-15 to “take down a deer.” Well, at least we know where the Biden administration is getting its material.
Do I have to say it again? Sigh. I guess I have to say it again. At its heart, the issue is not about guns. It is about governments that find ways to take one right after another away from their people. It’s not the pistols. It’s the principle.
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