Differences between neighbours

While the U.S. goes out of its way to prevent the gun industry from being held accountable for anything, Canada is looking at ways to ensure at least some responsibility for gun violence:

Government sources told the Star yesterday that Canada will be looking into "every legal option" to stem a tide of crimes involving weapons that make their way into this country illegally from the United States, whether they're sold through the Internet or smuggled across the border.

That includes possible suits against U.S. manufacturers, launched either in the United States or in this country if the firm has assets here as well, the sources said. Though no precise estimates are available, Toronto police have said repeatedly that almost half the gun crimes committed in Canada involved illegal, U.S. weapons.

I'm not entirely sure why it's the federal government taking a position on the issue when responsibility for the court system generally lies with the provinces. But to the extent the federal government is looking to make sure that gun companies (as well as smugglers and offenders) have to own up to their conduct, this is a good sign for now. We'll see soon whether there's any follow-through, or whether it's just public posturing to be forgotten long before anything gets done.