More and more people know the feeling of being helpless. More and more people are becoming victims of crime. What if one could have defended his or her property with a gun? What if a robbery could have been avoided by gun carrying witnesses? Not to mention all kinds of other horrible crimes that law-abiding citizens carrying a gun possibly could have prevented.
One thing is for sure: there are a lot of pro's and con's when it comes to legalizing guns for law-abiding citizens. Unfortunately, too often we hear of a mad man or woman making amok with all kinds of weapons. Too often we see horrible pictures of innocent bystanders, sometimes children, with the most horrible gun shot wounds afflicted by stray bullets. Or what about all the accidents that happen with guns accidentally going off?
Looking at Washington D.C., for years murder capital of the United States and where they have strict gun control, you can see that shootings don't decrease by making guns illegal. Last week in New York more than three dozen people got shot in less than forty eight hours during the Labor Day festivities. Now they also want stricter gun control in New York.
On Sint Maarten we have an increase in crime, jail is full and our police force is understaffed. If we had a trustworthy government and a reliable justice system I think that I would feel safe and secure enough and might only have had a bat next to my bed "just in case". With the current crime situation, however, I sure would feel better with my friend Magnum around the house. If anything bad should happen, I don't have to face anybody with a potato cutter.
I don't want more guns on the streets, but I also want to secure myself, my family and friends and my belongings. To gun or not to gun...that's the question.
Have a great day,
Sjaoel "Shooz" Richardson