Z3X0

Good morning. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask somewhat of a touchy question. Let me preface this by saying that I am a card carrying member of the LPC, and also a Restricted Firearms owner.

There are many Canadians who are members of the LPC or the NDP who also enjoy the shooting sports, whether simple hunting, plinking with Non Restricted Firearms, or some of the competitive Restricted Firearms sports such as IPSC or Three-Gun. However, we face the frustrating position of being supporters of parties that traditionally wish to put more restrictions, or outright do away with, a hobby that is very important to us. As such, many of us feel the need to vote counter to our political beliefs simply to avoid having our legally owned property taken away from us. We have put a great deal of time and money into this hobby, and yet some of us feel pressured to keep quiet about something we enjoy when in the company of our fellow party members to avoid being judged or belittled for something we enjoy.

Do you feel that there is any chance that we can begin a shift in values in the LPC to become more tolerant of the millions of law-abiding gun owners, including those of us who own legally purchased and registered handguns? Do you believe that the LGR was truly useful in keeping law-abiding Canadians safe?

First off, I just want to say thank you. People like you are incredibly under-appreciated. You have a hard job, but you help out people like me who have diagnosed family members understand what our loved ones are going through. Without people in your occupation, my brother would either be dead or living on the street, instead of living in his own place with a great job.

To piggyback on your answer, my brother has auditory hallucinations during his bad periods, and also some visuals. When his symptoms first started, he would typically see a black cat in his room out of the corner of his eye. Paranoia is also a common symptom, which can sometimes make it difficult to help those suffering from schizophrenia. You're bang on about trying to look past the symptoms though, I can't be afraid of my brother just because he's dealing with an illness that I may not entirely understand.