A ban on handguns? Criminals must be quaking in their boots

Press outlets are reporting this morning that PM Paul Martin is going to propose a total ban on handuns today in Toronto in order to stem the gun violence which I discussed yesterday.

I have one question:

How are they going to enforce a ban on handguns? Criminals don't respond to things like gun registries and penalties for smuggling, so it is unreasonable to assume that they would respond to a ban on handguns.

This is pure political posturing.

It's time to implement strict mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes and also for the provinces to instruct their Crown attorneys in no uncertain terms that gun offences are not to be plea bargained away.

There also needs to be stricter immigration controls, especially from countries like Jamaica where gangs export their turf wars to Canadian cities, and more inspections at the border to increase the number of firearms seizures.