r/canadaguns • u/Low_Bar_804 • Apr 19 '26
News / Politics / Activism Owning guns- Right or Privilege?
So obviously here in Canada our government sees private firearm ownership as a privilege rather than a right. My question is, how you guys feel? Do you think gun ownership is a right or a privilege?
When you look at other things people view as rights, such as abortion, freedom of expression and freedom of religion etc. These are all viewed by most as inherently “good rights”, but in many countries these rights are restricted. I think, along with many others, that it is justified to ignore unjust laws that restrict human rights.
I personally believe that firearm ownership is a fundamental human right because it protects all of our other rights and freedoms from being taken away. So even though legally speaking firearm ownership is a privilege that can be taken away at any time here in Canada, I don’t agree with the way our country and many others treat firearm ownership.
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u/Strong_Bid_947 Apr 19 '26
As an American, I'd love to say that it's a right, because I am vehemently pro-gun.
However, realistically, I know that rights only seem to exist as much as your cause is willing and able to fight for them, literally and figuratively.
I have the "right to bear arms" but have had that right violated in the past by American LEO's, to myself as an individual - that said, of the times LE has attempted to infringe on that right whilst I was in an organized group of armed people (supporting a protest against the various neonazi groups that are indigenous to my local area, whom had been showing with the intent to cause harm/harass protestors) - they backed down, and my rights were not infringed upon.
It fills me with sadness seeing how anti-gun things are up north, I wish there was some kind of way we could help you... Unfortunately we've got a helluva lot of our own issues right now and helping anyone who isn't a billionaire doesn't seem like something that this current government would like to do.
I guess at the end of the day, our rights come from our ability to preserve, protect and implement said rights and sometimes that can be a nerve-racking and unpredictable situation - I don't really feel that any document, ethos, etc will ever actually protect a right, it has to come from the people/individuals.