Aug 18 2005
A letter to the mayor…
I’m angry, angry that once again I am being penalized for the actions of criminals in our city. I have dashed off an email to our esteemed Mayor Miller (should you want to do likewise you can drop him an email yourself), it’s hardly the most eloquent letter I’ve ever written, but I think it speaks to my disappointment and disgust.
Mayor Miller,
My name is Erik, I was born and raised here in Toronto, and after living several years in Vancouver, British Columbia I returned to this city. I returned here because I honestly believe that Toronto is the best city in our country, a city I have considered home since I was a child.
The increase in gun violence has troubled us all, but your recent comments as to creating a “gun free zone” in Toronto saddens, disturbs and even angers me.
You see, I am a gun owner. I compete with and collect firearms. These firearms are registered in accordance with the federal regulations and I am licenced to own them. I store my firearms in a manner well beyond the measures set out in the federal regulations, as do those firearms owners I know within the city. We do this because the idea of arming criminals is abhorent to us, we do this because we live here too.
What saddens me is that you didn’t appeal to us gun owners for assistance, asking that we make efforts to secure our firearms against theft. You didn’t seek a situation where we were made part of the solution. You seem to have made the decision that we are part of the problem, that even when we are the victims of theft we are somehow on par with the thugs roaming our streets.
This, Mr. Mayor, is entirely unforgivable. Far from enlisting support from the law abiding gun owners of your city, you have instead managed to isolate and alienate an entire segment of the cities population, and this at a time when unity against the criminal element is of paramount importance.
I wish you well Mr. Miller, but I for one have to question the leadership of the city when the best solution to escalating gun crime is directed not at the criminals themselves, but at law abiding contributing members of the community.
Sincerely,
Me
Feel free to critique, I’m not going to resubmit the email (although I’ll be mailing off a paper copy to city hall this week), but it’ll help next time I’m writing a letter I’m sure.
5 Responses to “A letter to the mayor…”
It seems fine to me, but my own letter marks the first of it’s kind for me.
Good letter Mike, I like it!
Both of you wrote excellent letters.
I admire your efforts…but why not just leave Toronto? The mouthbreathers like this kind of nonsense and as they elect people like this, why not let ‘em live this way?
If you’re interested in some fun, wander over to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam: According to my brother, the mercs are so desperate for people to work in Iraq and Afghanistan, they’re trolling the departure lounges looking for “anybody” to go. My brother is about the least military looking guy on the planet(Based on him getting approached, they’ve even gotten rid of the “long haired freaky people need not apply” condition of employment)and even when told “I’ve got no military experience”, they say “Who cares? Ride around, shoot people, get paid, go home. Who needs training for that?”.
Or Alberta. Or Western Ontario. Or British Columbia. Or New Zealand(Once the degrees are finished for the wife and I, we might just pull up stakes, depending on how badly Canada is sinking or other parts of the world are crapping out).
Honestly Greg: I’m stuck in this job. I’ll be the last person I know to utter the old Security cliche, “I don’t need this job. I could quit right now if I wanted.” Any movement on my part would land me in a much lower paying occupation I know I’ll despise. I’ve looked around, with my paper qualifications, I’m a contract security guard or the cashier at an HMV.
Furthermore, I couldn’t handle being that far away from my family. I may only visit mom and dad quarterly, but knowing they’re right there is very comforting.
Of course I received a standard form letter response;
Figures, no?