Gun control in Canada has been a controversial issue since it was imposed in 1892 by the Criminal Code. Many parties, such as anti-gun control lobbyists, argue against stricter gun control while others believe in stricter firearms laws. Historically, Canada has always had stricter gun laws and regulations than the United States. Canadian firearms law is regulated by the federal government. In 1991, Bill C-17 promoted stricter gun laws and required people to obtain a criminal background check to acquire firearms. However, in 1995 the Liberal government required registration for all firearms. Before 1892, anyone carrying a firearm without reasonable cause was sentenced to six months. Since 2001, federal gun control legislation has passed Bill C-68 requiring all gun owners to obtain a license to own and acquire firearms. In 2005, approximately 16% of Canadian households owned some form of firearm. Due to the fact that homicide rates are decreasing, gun laws disproportionately affect law-abiding citizens, and gun control does not address the root causes of gun crime, increased gun control in Canada will not it is justifiable. Canada's population in 2012 was 35 million people and there are approximately 2 million gun owners. Over the past decade, gun crime in Canada has plummeted. According to Statistics Canada in 2006, there was a homicide rate of 0.58 per 100,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, the United States accounts for 3.40% of firearm-related homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2006, there were 190 firearm-related homicides, a 16% decrease from 2005 (Statics Canada, 2013). However, the vast majority of homicides committed in Canada are not due to firearms but to other weapons such as knives. Statistics C...... middle of paper ...... n promoting stricter gun laws, the government needs to find out what is causing the problem and address it. Parents need to consider what video games their children are playing and what movies they are watching. Spending too much time examining and enforcing tougher gun laws can be costly, while taxpayer money can be used in the war on drugs or other beneficial goals for the country. An alternative to strict firearms laws is a harsher prison sentence for people who commit a crime with a firearm and therapy for the mentally ill. Wayne LaPierre introduced the famous quote “Guns don't kill people, people kill people.” The quote demonstrates that firearms cannot kill an individual without human intervention. Rather than looking at firearms in a negative light, the individual should change the concept of human nature from violent to peaceful.