Photo from: http://fun-pics.com/guns.htmlHere in the Philippines it is election season. The people of this proud nation will soon be electing a new president. As a result of the elections and the preceding campaign period, a nationwide gun ban has been implemented with the intent of minimizing or eliminating gun related violence.
Violence has been a part of Philippine politics for a very long time. Armed factions have sought to change the political landscape of this country for generations. The tampering of ballots, outright threat, and as witnessed by the recent Maguindanao massacre; murder.
It can be argued that by eliminating firearms totally, it would stand to reason; the use of firearms would definitely be controlled. Political thugs and their ilk would have to resort to using clubs and knives to do their dirty work. Would then the call to ban all sticks and knives be made for the same reason? Just asking.
In the United States police officers are allowed and often expected to carry their firearms while off duty and out of official uniform. The current gun ban, as executed here, will land an off duty police officer carrying his firearm in jail, what more any regular law abiding citizen who has a licensed firearm and a legally obtained permit to carry? If a fully trained and commissioned police officer cannot be trusted, Would it be logical to assume that a civilian with no criminal intent could not be trusted with this privilege either? Should either parties ability to defend themselves or their loved ones be taken away?
What about criminals themselves? Can they be trusted to follow the gun ban? Do we believe that they have obtained their firearms through legal means? In a country with thousands of islands and teetering on a population of nearly 100 million people, can we expect a severely undermanned police force to provide its citizenry the protection it truly needs?
Photo from: http://fun-pics.com/guns.html Of course we are just talking about a ban on the carrying of firearms and not the ownership of firearms in general. Although, admittedly there are those truly idiotic individuals out there who do not deserve the privilege of owning a gun. I speak of the college administrators who threaten gas station attendants and the Jason Ivlers who kill people due to minor traffic altercations. In fairness of course to the good guys, these aforementioned morally challenged individuals changed sides to the bad guys and cannot be used as part of any arguments meant to take away the rights of us good guys.
Just to clarify my own opinion. I believe that law abiding citizens should have the right to own a legally obtained firearm. I believe that law abiding citizens should be required to take a psychiatric test and undergo a background investigation to provide a legal baseline that the citizen in question is in fact, “law abiding”. I believe that every gun owner should undergo a rigorous training program and be tested and retested upon renewal of any permit or license to demonstrate a minimum proficiency with regards to the handling and firing of any firearm. Finally, I believe that there should be stiff penalties for all gun related crime.
I want to know what you think. There is no right or wrong opinion. You have a right to state your belief here and have it heard and reacted to by others who will in turn have their own opinion. I sincerely hope to hear what you have to say.
