We received a lot of email over the weekend about Toronto's gun crime problems, and the politicians' proposals to tackle the problem.

Most of the response came from this story: Leaders declare war on gun crimes, criminals

If you have an opinion, email us at Newsonline@ctv.ca

Please include your full name, your city or province, and understand that some letters will be edited for length, clarity and spelling

From the mailbox so far:

Cass Morrison, Lloydminster, AB
One can only wonder where we would be had the billions spent on gun registration had been spent on enforcing existing gun laws, stiffer sentences for crimes committed with guns and preventing illegal guns and ammunition from entering our country. It couldn't be less effective than gun registration created to give urbanites a false sense of security.

George D. Tripp
The politicians of all stripes are missing the entire point of the no guns/send them to jail debate. It is the judges who are responsible for this mess. We have heard and seen many cases of probable killers being released for time served in the jails. udges are writing the law, not enforcing the existing laws. But that said, I am sure the feds are telling our judges that they have no room at the inn. The parole boards are similarly pressured to release.

William Dunn
What are they going to say when their ban doesn't work and hoodlums are still out there robbing and murdering? This is just another feel-good speech to fool voters.

Lionel Trudel
Story: Leaders declare war on gun crimes, criminals... There is an error in your story. You say that the three Liberal amigos -- McGuinty, Miller and Martin -- have declared was on gun crimes. There is no such declaration. They have declared to ban legal handguns in Canada, effectively missing the target of criminals and drug gangs on the streets of Canada.

Clark Beamish
There are already sufficient laws regarding firearms to put people away for years if they use a firearm to commit a crime. What we see in Toronto is a failure to enforce the existing laws. It seems that the Ontario premier and PM have chosen the easy way out, to push for the banning of something they know they will have absolutely no capability to enforce... All we have is a bunch of politicians hopping up and down and calling it progress. There's also a perception that what's good for Toronto is good for the rest of the country. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Holger Enge
Really? What a splendid idea! Because LEGITIMATE firearms owners have been pleading with politicians to do this for YEARS! It is disgusting that a tragedy like the Creba killing is what it takes to force them to act or at least "promise", once more, that they will act.

Ellen Moodie
Politicians on all levels of government must encourage our legal system to eliminate the young offenders act as it is a hindrance to justice. If a person is caught with a gun an automatic 10-year sentence should apply. Any crime committed with a gun -- automatic 25 years -- and bring back the death penalty for anyone that kills another person with a gun. If we do not start now with these laws we are lost forever.

Cliff Ross
Here we go again. We have a handgun problem, so let's take them away from honest law abiding citizens. As long as criminals know that if caught, the price of their crime is lenient, they will continue to do what they do best. Meaningful sentencing for gun related crime is the only solution.

Bob Randall
I do not own a hand gun. But I also realize that the problem is not registered hand guns in the hands of responsible citizens who have obeyed all the rules and regulations of gun ownership. It is the illegal guns brought up over the U.S. border that causes the vast majority of these crimes.

As usual the politicians take a knee-jerk response by banning all hand guns.

1. Anyone using a gun in the commission of a crime 25 years no parole.

2. Anyone using a gun in the commission of a crime and discharges it regardless of wounding or killing an individual 25 years for the possession plus 25 years more for discharging the weapon. A total of 50 years to be served.

I think the individual committing the crime will get the message that we will no longer tolerate their kind in our society.

Dennis McKinnon
Perhaps our Prime Minister should question the incident in Quebec where a police officer was slain after a Judge gave a firearm back to an individual who was already under restriction! Where was our gun control there? It seems the saying may come to pass -- When guns are outlawed only the outlaws will have guns!

Mike Atkinson
This is the normal government response when they have no idea as to how to proceed and yet desperately need to look like they are doing something. The simple truth is, the guns being used are not legal now. ... Do politicians think if they ban handguns the gang members will all line up to turn in their illegal weapons? The only people they will affect are the law abiding owners who do not present a threat now. Use the tool they have, the courts, and make it hard on these people who think they can do whatever they want because they hold a gun.

B. Ashley
Heard the expression "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"?