The Canadian Bat Registry: Coming Soon from the Coalition of Urban Alarmists

The Bat: Unregistered, Used with Alcohol, and Improperly Stored.. a tragedy waiting to happen.

As the Canadian Media reported of the tragic death of 15 year old Delta, B.C. student Laura Szendrei today , allegedly beaten with a baseball bat in broad daylight - the coalition forces of Jack Layton and Michael Ignatieff immediately came to the fore.

Following an earlier incident, being a reported assault in Winnipeg where residents of a home were assaulted with baseball bats, causing one of them to sever a finger, in a speech to hundreds of frontline police officers, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff proposed the establishment of a "bat registry" system that would address frustrating irritants for baseball-playing Canadians while giving our police the tools they need to keep our communities safe.

“You are the frontline of our system of justice, and we’re committed to giving you the tools you need to do your job,” Mr. Ignatieff said to the gathering of the Canadian Police Association. “That’s why the Liberal Party proudly stands with Canadian families and Canadian police officers for effective bat control.  Our initial estimates are that the bat registry can be established at a cost of less than one billion dollars, however, it would be a bargain at double the price if it saves just one life.”

Immediately, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police applauded the effort, with
Toronto police chief and CACP president Bill Blair telling CBC's Power and Politics with Evan Solomon, "I think it's a very strong statement of the commitment of our members to safe communities and for retaining the tools for our police officers that help them do their jobs."

“Canadians want bat control that works, and that treats bat owners fairly,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “But we won’t abandon bat control. Not when bats are responsible for so many deaths and injuries in Canada over the years. Not when the bat registry is a vital tool that law enforcement will use every single day.”

In his speech, Ignatieff stated, “Let me be perfectly clear: the Liberal Party opposes the Conservative government’s effort to block the bat registry altogether and we will vote to a man in favor of the bill at third reading in the House of Commons."

“Police across Canada are taking the lead on crime prevention, and finding new ways to keep our communities safe,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “We have supported tougher sentences, when they are appropriate. But we also support giving police the tools they need to prevent crime, and the bat registry is a crucial part of that support."

Initial polls in Montreal and Toronto show strong support for the registry - though some segments of the Sikh and Hindu communities raised questions about whether the registry did or didn't apply to cricket bats.