I emphatically disagree with the comments made by Thérèse Daviau, who voiced her support for the Firearms Act in the July 13 edition of Le Devoir. Legislation adopted since the Polytechnique massacre does not institute a culture of peace; it institutes a culture of surveillance. I thought that, in this country, we didn't condemn people for potential crimes but, rather, for crimes they had actually committed. The noblest intentions cannot justify a departure from the fundamental principle on which our so-called free societies are built. However, I have been "put on file", along with two million other Canadians, on the pretext that I am a potential threat to society, my family and even myself!

The existing legislation is undoubtedly motivated by good intentions; however, that is its only merit. Its inability to prevent violent deaths is a well-known fact in criminological and sociological literature. Nonetheless, because I own a hunting rifle, my private life will be scrutinized every five years. As far as I know, I have never committed a criminal offence, yet I am being treated like a criminal and an irresponsible individual. In this respect, the firearms legislation is in total conflict with Canadian traditions.

Claire Joly