Canada = Switzerland

I think you misunderstood my post. Anybody who "plays" with guns and shoots themselves deserves what they get. If they shoot somebody else, then they deserve their time in prison. The other person should have been smart enough to recognize the danger presented by the idiot and left.

As far as shooting someone in your yard, you've never been to Florida, have you?

Well, yes, i lived there for awhile, in fact . . . but the weather was always too drunk out, so i left.

I have no objection to gun ownership; i also know that every constitutional argument i've ever read advanced by the proponents of gun ownership has been specious, and pointedly ignores both the first clause of the second amendment, and paragraphs 14 and 15, of Section 8, Article I of the constitution.

I consider none of this germaine to a discussion of the similarities and differences between Canada and Switzerland.

If we are ignoring the constitution, then how come there was never any attempt to disarm the populace until modern liberalism crept into the mainstream?

And if people want to compare Canada and Switzerland, where every citizen is required to arm themselves, then I think it is quite "germaine" to the discussion.

I'll pick this one up Set.


GunOwners.org


In 1998 Vermont had 63 gun deaths, a rate of 9.56 per 100,000 persons

In the same year Switzerland had 66, a national rate of 5.78 per 100,000 persons

Ergo, in the safest state in the Union you are more likely to be killed by a gun, than in Switzerland which DOES happen to have very strict laws about PRIVATE gun ownership.

Now, can we get back to the silliness of comparing moose-lovers with fondue-suckers?

Thanks Mr. Stillwater, despite your added commentary, I will take your post as a compliment to law abiding gun owners everywhere.

Jeepers, who knew owning a gun would make me brilliant.



I have too. This is patently untrue, bigoted and plain ugly.



I have been in this situation, I've also been the approaching (target?) person. Maybe, I'm not as paranoid, but generally, in my experience, across this glorious country, it has always turned out to be a pleasant experience, and Tea usually is involved.

I don't know why gun lovers insist on smearing Canada. We have guns, more than enough, too many actually. We have some stupid gun laws, with no teeth, partially because cheap american guns are readily available.
Your average urban Canadian probably doesn't own a gun, I don't know many who do. Not because they have feelings one way or the other, but because they don't feel they need them.
Rural Alberta is the most fervent gun population in Canada, they'd probably put you to shame, however, most of these people do not own handguns. They are farmers and hunters and would use guns for protection...see quote above, against wild animals.

Hi Ceily. Ever been to Armstrong, Ontario? I have. 150 indians and only one of them sober. He was the mayor, owned the hotel, the bar, the taxi...

Wow, well based on your knowledge of Canada, maybe we should all become paranoid, card carrying, members of the NRA.

I know the communities of Armstrong and Nakina well. They are not what cjhsa describes.

It seems that based on cjhsa's feelings about Canada, we do not need to be concerned about the possibility of him dropping by. I'll find time to weep about that later.

ehBeth, if Armstrong isn't what I described, then your government must have relocated those folks.

Of one thing i am certain . . . the doughnuts in Canadia are superior to any drab confection mascarading as a doughnut in Switzerland.

I find pastries in Europe to be uniformly bad, even French pastry. It looks pretty, but it doesn't taste like anything.

I've been in Canada four times. Three times I had a bad experience, but I still like the place.

First trip: Quebec. I got food poisoning from the pepper steak at a bistro. Cool city. So sick.

Second trip: Armstrong. My Dad flew, my uncle and cousin and a nationally known hunter/outdoorsman. I swear, only the one guy and his wife were sober, and the place was a dump. We came to fish for trout, caught a bunch of pike, left after one day of a scheduled three day trip.

Third trip: Went skiing at Mont Treblant. This mountain is a two sided beast. At the end of the day, we got stuck on the wrong side, missed the lift by about a minute. All the lift operators are unionized and weren't about to mess up their schedule for us. So, one of us had to hitchike back around the mountain to get our car while the others waited. We were there for almost two hours, freezing because the bastards closed the base lodge too.

Trip four: A bunch of us were skiing at Lake Placid and decided to go check out Montreal. We caught the closing night of a downtown punk rock club. Place was packed and rocking. Got shitfaced and had a blast.

I've travelled around Canada eight times, six months total. Stunning land, incredible nature, wonderful people much more accomodating, compassionate and friendly than Americans.

The times that I had a bad experience were because I was in a bad mood, was ill-prepared, or had a demanding attitude. The longer I stayed, the less this happened.

Switzerland was a bit different -- pricier, tourist-ridden, a bit closed-off and snooty, but it was mingled with dramatic vistas, charming history, and Chocolate! The longer I stayed the more fun I had, but the more I missed home.



When a country fails to provide me with a good experience,
I hope that someone slaps me for being so arrogant.
Their only job is to be themselves, and as an adult it's my job to
see, learn, and appreciate whatever there is, no matter what it is.

Been to Canada about five times - all good experience. Vancouver is the most visited, because it's also on the west coast. Been to Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara Falls, Niagara City, Jasper, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefields, Banff, Kamloops, and Victoria.

What were those places like, CI?

Smiley, I'll do it in parts, because it would be a book if I did it in one post. Quebec is the most European, and probably with the most history. It's a quaint city with old buildings that are tagged that shows when it was built, and who lived in it. It's a 'walled in' city somewhat like York in England. It's a art colony with several good restaurants. I had lunch one day at the Portofino Italian Restaurante. One of the highlights is the Basilique Notre Dame which was built in 1633. I purchased a painting at a art bazaar that hangs in our family room. A famous hotel in Old Quebec is the Chateau Frontenac, one of the most famous of the CN hotel chain. I had dinner at restaurant row outside of Old Quebec. We also visited the fort. That's all I can remember of Quebec.