I disagree with civilians using guns'

I disagree with civilians using guns'

The fatal shooting of trainee waiter Yohannes Berchmans Haerudy
Natong, alias Rudy, at the Fluid Club in Hilton Hotel, Central
Jakarta in the wee hours of Jan. 1, once again reignited
discussion of the issue of civilians possessing firearms. The
Jakarta Post asked Jakartans their views about civilians
possessing guns.

Maria, 24, a student at the University of Indonesia in Depok,
West Java. She lives in a rented house near her campus:

I totally disagree with the current practice of allowing
civilians to have a license to use a gun. Self-defense can't
justify the possibility that a civilian can use a gun against
other unarmed civilians.

I think in the case of Adiguna Sutowo killing Rudy arbitrarily
in the absence of any threat on him is a very good example of how
dangerous an armed civilian can be. That's why civilians should
be banned from owning a gun for good.

The current condition reflects the police's inability to
protect citizens. It shows that they fail to protect civilians
miserably. If they did their job properly, citizens would feel
secure and have no intention of owning a gun in the first place.

Agung, 28, works for a printing company in Kota, West Jakarta.
He resides in Ciputat, Tangerang with his wife and daughter.

"What happened to Rudy only for a trivial thing could also
happen to anyone, anywhere and anytime, as long as civilians here
have easy access to guns. It is terrible to imagine that it could
happen to me on the street. For example, what if I was in a
traffic accident with a mad person who was carrying a gun?

I think most civilians that carry firearms have no regular and
intensive training, including how and when to use them properly,
like the military and police. I think that is the reason why
similar incidents as had happened to Rudy have been rampant
lately. Personally, I support the idea that civilians carrying
firearms should be stopped.

Heri, 32, is a lecturer at a private university on Jl. TB
Simatupang, South Jakarta. He resides with his family in Bintaro,
Tangerang.

I don't agree with the idea of giving a permit to civilians to
carry guns. Civilians owning firearms reminds me of the time when
the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was in power. The idea was
to arm civilians just like the military and police. We knew the
result -- untrained men behind the guns easily pulling the
trigger.

For me, it will be more effective to leave security affairs to
the police or military.

Hardy, 34, is a truck driver working for a transportation
company in Cakung, East Jakarta. He lives with his wife and two
children in Jatinegara, also in East Jakarta:

Every day I deliver merchandise to several areas in Jakarta. I
also pass through notorious areas including certain sections of
outer ring roads in North Jakarta and slum areas in West and East
Jakarta.

In the past two years I have become more and more insecure
because when I read the newspapers of robbers that use guns and
kill victims in broad daylight. I am afraid they will stop and
rob my truck one of these days. I could get killed you know.
That's why I think people like me should also have a gun to
protect myself.

However, I disagree with the loose control of guns. Police and
the government shouldn't give people guns easily only because he
or she has money to buy it. Screening should be tighter. Because
of this loose control, many criminals can get guns easily and use
them to rob people like me.

The Jakarta Post