Alan Grosskurth
Letters to the editor
Submitted to the Toronto Star on 2006.01.15.
Re: Gun owners not the villains (Letter, 2005.01.11)
Re: Victim being blamed (Letter, 2005.01.09)
The alarming story of Mike Hargreaves and his arsenal raises a number of questions: Why is anyone allowed to “collect” 35 weapons, including assault rifles, machine guns and semi-automatic hand guns? How did Hargreaves qualify for a public housing unit when he owned $40,000 worth of guns? How did he obtain a license from the federal government to store weapons in a public housing complex? How did he move a 1,700 pound safe into the unit without anyone raising an alarm? If the police inspected the unit annually, why didn't they consider it a hazard? How did Hargreaves retain this unit even after he moved to Florida?
To store weapons in a public housing complex is the height of recklessness. Obviously, legally owned guns can fall into the wrong hands even when they are locked in a safe. Hargreaves' guns can now be used against the public and the very police officers he trained. This case clearly illustrates the need for restrictions or a ban on private ownership of certain types of guns. Public safety is more important than anyone's right to own a cache of lethal weapons. The gun enthusiasts who paint Hargreaves as a victim should save their tears for the real victims of crime.