I would say to Mr. Cossette, Mr. Pelletier, Ms. Cabrera and Mr. Bernardo that I am sad to see that they are frustrated, feel aggrieved or have the sense that they are being judged by Canadians simply because they are required to register a firearm. That is not the case.
I understand that it is a nuisance, a bother. That is what they are arguing. It is a nuisance to have to register a firearm. But we would like the process to be as little of a nuisance, as free and as easy as possible, so as not to burden people with red tape.
On the other hand, there is the issue of protecting the public and human life. You heard Dr. Leonard's comments. I was a defence lawyer for 12 years and I worked on cases involving crimes of passion where, unfortunately, in all the cases I argued before the courts, the victims had lost their lives because of injuries caused with long guns. Consequently, if we are comparing public safety to red tape, it is obvious that one clearly outweighs the other—public safety must take precedence.
Having said that, Mr. Comartin, I would just like to add that, with all due respect for hunters, these individuals register their firearms and obtain acquisition licences with the best possible intentions. Unfortunately, however, we do not live in a cold, subjective world. We have human emotions and situations arise where, unfortunately, the line between mental health and mental illness is easily crossed. That is part of life, and it is important to acknowledge that.
However, we have no desire to stigmatize these people; we like them. When they practice their sport, they do so correctly. It is unfortunate that they feel--