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I work in the film/theatre/opera industry, sometimes as the props person. Part of my job is procuring, preparing and maintaining weapons for use in the shows. I have to train actors in the proper use of all kinds of weapons (mostly, to train them that a gun is ALWAYS dangerous and never to point it at their own friggin' head!).
Twenty years of experience in the safe use of handguns has taught me to not keep firearms in my house - first, because I do not want to ever point a gun at someone else, and second, I cannot imagine living with the knowledge that someone got posession of a weapon of mine and hurt themselves or another.
Do I think Canada's gun laws make sense? Of course not. Do I think the owners of firearms ought to be trained in their safe use/storage and that the police ought to be able to know if there might be a weapon in the house? Of course I do.
My father hunted - heck, my whole family does. Not one of us has a handgun in the house. My father, a policeman, kept his revolver in his locker at the police station. He knew curious children and weapons were a recipe for a lifetime of regret.
Burglars can be discouraged long before they get to your house. Good lighting, decent locks, an alarm system, and cutting back hedges from your basement windows will go a very long way to deter criminals from your home.
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