Loaded guns<\/p>\n
Someone is clearly failing in their job when police sources
\nadmit that there could be up to 100,000 illegal firearms in
\nJakarta. There is something even more seriously wrong when
\nsupposedly sane gentlemen can so easily pull out guns and
\nthreaten and shoot people who pose absolutely no threat to their
\nsafety.<\/p>\n
Several cases in recent months have highlighted once again the
\nemerging danger of the use of guns -- legal and illegal.<\/p>\n
It leaves those residents without a gun -- and who have never
\ndesired one in the first place -- fearing even more for their
\nsafety. It is one thing to be a victim of a crime involving
\nfirearms, but it is completely different when a shooting is
\ncommitted by "supposedly" licensed owners.<\/p>\n
Those who can afford the Rp 150 million price tag for a
\nlegitimate handgun must be considering whether it is time to buy
\none, just in case the person seated next to them at a restaurant
\nor club starts waving around a revolver.<\/p>\n
While some people carry around a gun to satisfy their need to
\nfeel macho, others have more "legitimate" reasons for owning a
\nweapon. Some are collectors and others feel it necessary to own a
\ngun for their personal safety, having been victims of gun-related
\ncrimes.<\/p>\n
The number of registered guns in Indonesia has increased
\neightfold since 1997 to more than 15,800. Increased crime and the
\nineffectiveness of the police are the primary reasons people feel
\nthe need to protect themselves.<\/p>\n
We believe the world would be a lot safer if there were no
\nguns at all. Nevertheless, they are here -- legal or illegal --
\nand there is little that can be done about it. Hence the question
\nis whether the authorities have scrupulously adhered to the law
\non gun ownership and taken the necessary measures to stop the
\ngrowing number of illegal firearms.<\/p>\n
Despite the rampant smuggling of weapons, the authorities seem
\npowerless -- or perhaps they simply lack the will -- to make a
\nconcerted effort to stop this profitable business. Some accounts
\nhave suggested that buying firearms in this country is as easy as
\npurchasing rice.<\/p>\n
Last year there were reports from around the country on the
\nwidespread circulation of illegal guns. The North Sumatra Police,
\nfor example, estimated there were over 8,000 illegal firearms in
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
Indonesia does not have a strong gun culture like that in the
\nUnited States or the Philippines. This does not mean that we
\nshould wait for a madman to go on a shooting spree before tougher
\nmeasures are put in place.<\/p>\n
Experience has shown that curbs on illegally imported weapons,
\ntight monitoring and the faithful application of strict gun laws
\ncan help reduce the number of gun-related incidents and deaths.<\/p>\n
Australia toughened its gun laws in the late 1980s after a
\nstring of fatal shootings, and then again in 1996 after a gunman
\nkilled more than 30 people in Port Arthur. According to the
\nAustralian Bureau of Statistics, the annual gun death toll
\nthroughout much of the 1980s was close to 700. It fell to about
\n500 in 1993 and in 2002 was "just" 299.<\/p>\n
Britain in the mid-1990's also tightened its gun controls
\nafter the Dublane shootings. People turned in their handguns
\nafter they were banned, and rifles and shotguns were required to
\nbe stored in an "inoperable" condition.<\/p>\n
Studies also question the actual effectiveness of guns in
\ndeterring crime. The Journal of Trauma in 1998 reported in the
\nUnited States that more people are killed by firearms kept in
\ntheir own homes than by criminal intruders.<\/p>\n
With millions of guns in circulation in the United States, it
\nwas surprising to find that, according to the Journal, guns were
\nused for protection in less than 2 percent of home invasions and
\nburglaries. In fact, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report found 154
\njustifiable homicides committed by private gun owners in 1999 in
\nthe United States, compared to 8,259 firearm murders in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Indonesia should not wait for a gun-related tragedy on the
\nscale of Port Arthur before action is taken. There are enough
\nindicators to suggest that Indonesia is in the preliminary stages
\nof a gun epidemic that can only have a fatal ending.<\/p>\n
Stricter background checks and a waiting period for potential
\ngun owners are among the few improvements that can be made. Close
\nmonitoring of licensed gun traders and harsh punishments for even
\nthe smallest of gun ownership-related violations are other ways
\nto deter abuse. Most importantly, there has to be an end to the
\nsmuggling of firearms.<\/p>\n
Bullets and guns are the most unprejudiced of objects and once
\nthey are used the outcome is irreversible. Once it has left the
\nbarrel of a gun, a bullet does not differentiate between foe or
\nfriend, criminal or family member.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/loaded-guns-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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