I don't disagree with the idea of folks being allowed to carry handguns in the bush or shoot them on their property etc.
Unfortunately the reality of it is that there would be more thefts of those guns if they were treated more casually and there would be more accidents.
Forget the criminals... they are a constant and... predictable.
It's the honest folks that are just careless, arrogant, bad tempered or over confident.
Some very good people just can't be trusted to take reasonable precautions or play safe once left to their own devices.
I'd support many of the ideas put forth here if there was a process of renewal that also included refresher training to confirm that people remained safe and competent over time after their initial licensing.
Too many guys write an exam... get a license then walk out with the attitude that they can dump everything they just "learned" and do their own thing.
It's no different than what happens when some people get a drivers license.
Safe usage is dependent upon continued diligence and respect for whatever tool you are using and the maintenance or development of the skills required to use those tools.
I'd support periodic re-examination of drivers to.
I'd bet that would result in less accidents and that quite a few people out there would fail a re-test... even if they have been licensed for years.
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