Another golden goose has dropped in the laps of the media in the form of The Blade Runner murder.
O the ratings, the ratings, the ratings. CNN is off and running - breaking news banners and all. How sickening.
But there is another reason why we should we be taking a serious look at South Africa. In response to rampant gun violence in the wake of the dismantling of apartheid, SA very courageously enacted comprehensive gun control legislation which have resulted in the steady decline of gun violence.
South Africa is a democracy.
It puts us to shame that despite the overwhelming support for comprehensive gun control laws, the gun manufacturers - through their spokesmen in the NRA - have told us that we are asking for too much. No way, no how, no go.
All they have to do, they argue, is to wait out the The Connecticut effect.
Take a look at some aspects of SA's gun control laws below the squiggle.
Need:
) An applicant must prove to the police that he or she needs a gun - a requirement, called "motivation," which gun advocates complain is vague and hard to satisfy.
Age:
) Before it was enacted, 16 was the minimum age to own a gun; today it's 21. To apply for a gun, you have to take competency tests, akin to a driver's license test, which demonstrates that not only can you shoot straight, but that you also know the law and how to store your firearm safely.
Background check:
Next, law enforcement conducts a background check that runs an applicant's criminal history and also tries to assess whether the applicant has a propensity for violence, may be mentally ill or suffers from an addiction that might cloud their judgment. An applicant must give references whom the authorities will interview, including relatives and a spouse. Further, checking medical information and digging into any instances of domestic violence or employment issues.
Limits:
Limits most citizens to one weapon for self-defense and a maximum of four others for other uses, like hunting or skeet shooting. If someone is a sport shooter or has a reason that for needing to own more than one gun, he must file a separate application and explain.
Must reapply:
Once licensed, gun owners must re-apply and re-qualify for their licence every two to 10 years.
Read more:
http://www.southafrica.info/...
The vast majority of people in this country are demanding comprehensive gun laws.
Is there any good reason why our government should not be acting on our demands?
Note that South Africa's laws have quite adequately taken care of the assault weapon problem. The chances of getting a license for weapons designed for the theater of war, seems slim to none.