Do we need to change the gun-laws?
© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008
Until a few years ago it was easy: Most countries have tougher gun laws and less violence. But this changed: There are more and more news about violence all over the world. Sometimes with guns, sometimes with bombs, sometimes knifes, et cetera. As a perfect example, just yesterday the mayor of Nagasaki, Japan was gunned down. Because Japan has strict gun laws (the mob does the shooting) other weapons are used: In June 2001, Ikeda, 20 kilometers outside of Osaka, using a kitchen knife Mamoru Takuma - a psychiatric outpatient - stabbed 8 elementary students to death.
In Germany like in Japan, gun laws are tough. Still the problems are the same:
On April, 26, 2002, 19-year-old Robert Steinhäuser-heavily armed and wearing a head mask-went to his former school [Gutenberg-Gymnasium Erfurt] and shot 16 people to death, before taking his own life.
The gun laws in Germany got tightened up with effect of 4/1/2003.
11/20/2006 in Emsdetten, Germany at the Geschwister-Scholl-Realschule an 18 year old former students injures 11 students before taking his life. (Sorry, only a link to the German department of education page) Ironically enough the Geschwister-Scholl (the Scholl siblings Hans and Sophie) were executed by the Nazis for their dissent, courage, principles and honor.
The sometimes proposed solution that everyone should carry a weapon and then the bad guy can be easily killed isn’t a solution either. Police officers undergo continuous training—to ensure that they do not gun down the wrong person—how are you going to ensure that in a crowd of panicking people? How are you stopping those that try to manipulate a crowd to their advantage? Once a person is dead, there is no way back…
This is a problem that appears in all societies, independent of age, gender, education, financial and / or ethnic background. Neither are those right or wrong who want tougher gun laws, nor those who think that the existing gun-laws are proper. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between: Better enforcement of existing laws and a more sensible education. I really wonder how many of those that become violent do so because they do not see any perspective in their lives. But one rarely hears anything about that. Maybe because it would mean that too many would then have to admit that they too didn’t do enough?
Unfortunately what we see most are bloggers, politicians and media who either call for no guns or for guns for everyone. Will a change in the gun laws change anything? It is easy to say that, but when we look around and see that countries with more restrictions face the same problem than it becomes quite clear that those asking for tougher laws are missing the point. Violence has become too much part of our daily lives. Everywhere.
But what we really need now is leadership. That’s what I am really missing. Everywhere. Remember Rudy Giuliani? He pursued what is known as “broken-windows policing.” He proved that we can prevent crime. Now we need the leadership to prove that we can prevent violence.
After all—the killings continue, worldwide.
Technorati (All Links are external): 19 year old bloggers bombs broken windows continuous training crowd culture education education financial elementary students ethnic background future gender gun down gun laws gunned down guns kilometers kitchen knife knifes laws mamoru takuma missing the point mob nagasaki japan nazis osaka panicking police officers proposed solution rudy giuliani scholl shooting strict gun laws truth lies violence weapons wrong person general leadership motivation politics
Until a few years ago it was easy: Most countries have tougher gun laws and less violence. But this changed: There are more and more news about violence all over the world. Sometimes with guns, sometimes with bombs, sometimes knifes, et cetera. As a perfect example, just yesterday the mayor of Nagasaki, Japan was gunned down. Because Japan has strict gun laws (the mob does the shooting) other weapons are used: In June 2001, Ikeda, 20 kilometers outside of Osaka, using a kitchen knife Mamoru Takuma - a psychiatric outpatient - stabbed 8 elementary students to death.
In Germany like in Japan, gun laws are tough. Still the problems are the same:
On April, 26, 2002, 19-year-old Robert Steinhäuser-heavily armed and wearing a head mask-went to his former school [Gutenberg-Gymnasium Erfurt] and shot 16 people to death, before taking his own life.
The gun laws in Germany got tightened up with effect of 4/1/2003.
11/20/2006 in Emsdetten, Germany at the Geschwister-Scholl-Realschule an 18 year old former students injures 11 students before taking his life. (Sorry, only a link to the German department of education page) Ironically enough the Geschwister-Scholl (the Scholl siblings Hans and Sophie) were executed by the Nazis for their dissent, courage, principles and honor.
The sometimes proposed solution that everyone should carry a weapon and then the bad guy can be easily killed isn’t a solution either. Police officers undergo continuous training—to ensure that they do not gun down the wrong person—how are you going to ensure that in a crowd of panicking people? How are you stopping those that try to manipulate a crowd to their advantage? Once a person is dead, there is no way back…
This is a problem that appears in all societies, independent of age, gender, education, financial and / or ethnic background. Neither are those right or wrong who want tougher gun laws, nor those who think that the existing gun-laws are proper. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between: Better enforcement of existing laws and a more sensible education. I really wonder how many of those that become violent do so because they do not see any perspective in their lives. But one rarely hears anything about that. Maybe because it would mean that too many would then have to admit that they too didn’t do enough?
Unfortunately what we see most are bloggers, politicians and media who either call for no guns or for guns for everyone. Will a change in the gun laws change anything? It is easy to say that, but when we look around and see that countries with more restrictions face the same problem than it becomes quite clear that those asking for tougher laws are missing the point. Violence has become too much part of our daily lives. Everywhere.
But what we really need now is leadership. That’s what I am really missing. Everywhere. Remember Rudy Giuliani? He pursued what is known as “broken-windows policing.” He proved that we can prevent crime. Now we need the leadership to prove that we can prevent violence.
After all—the killings continue, worldwide.
Tags:
19 year old bloggers bombs broken windows continuous training crowd culture education education financial elementary students ethnic background future gender gun down gun laws gunned down guns kilometers kitchen knife knifes laws mamoru takuma missing the point mob nagasaki japan nazis osaka panicking police officers proposed solution rudy giuliani scholl shooting strict gun laws truth lies violence weapons wrong personTechnorati (All Links are external): 19 year old bloggers bombs broken windows continuous training crowd culture education education financial elementary students ethnic background future gender gun down gun laws gunned down guns kilometers kitchen knife knifes laws mamoru takuma missing the point mob nagasaki japan nazis osaka panicking police officers proposed solution rudy giuliani scholl shooting strict gun laws truth lies violence weapons wrong person general leadership motivation politics
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01:41 on Thursday, April 19th, 2007
Did you see his videos? He’s a national hero now.
America is going to the dogs….the spineless politicians and stupid gun-loving people are responsible for this.
04:59 on Thursday, April 19th, 2007
Violence is the problem.
And calling people stupid and spineless sure does a lot to fix the problem, right? Doesn’t your comment show that you are as ignorant as those that you call names?