ROSZKO: AN UNSTABLE MAN

Dear Editor,

This is a response to last week's 'Tragedy Brings Tough Questions' by
Greg Markey and to the recent comments of certain individuals.

The recent shootings hit home for me. Only a year ago, RCMP Brock
Myrol was finishing college in my hometown. Our sisters are best
friends from high school.

Canada is an enormous country. It is essential to learn about other
provinces before making statements about the West or the East that may
be hurtful. I am as offended when I hear Nova Scotians called "lazy
drunk have-nots who refuse to work" as I am when Albertans are
stereotyped as "ignorant rednecks" or "millionaire farmers" from the
"gun belt".

As well as possessing a Bachelor of Science, my father owns several
guns. Our family uses guns to shoot injured livestock, ward off
predators, and protect our land. Guns have a purpose in the farming
community. Farmers do not have "millions" to spend on gun
registration. Machinery and fertilizer expenses have skyrocketed. My
parents lose money every year because grain prices have not increased
since the sixties. They both must work day jobs just to keep the farm
running. Our neighbor had his whole herd of cattle slaughtered because
of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. Many desperate farmers have
committed suicide because of drought. Then the US closed the border on
beef.

The incident in Mayerthorpe is not a result of gun or marijuana
legislation. The marijuana was discovered by accident. According to
Statistics Canada, the weapon of choice for homicide in 2002 was the
knife. Should we register all the knives in Canada? People like James
Roszko are going to get their hands on guns regardless of gun
registration laws. The man operated an illegal grow-op and owned an
illegal rapid-fire auto carbine assault rifle! Four RCMP are dead
because Roszko was an unstable man.

Beth Arrison