BTW, how about this pic accompanying the story? 
Not too infammatory is it?
If the BBC is that worked up about South Africe then Texas must give them a heart attack.
BTW, how about this pic accompanying the story? Not too infammatory is it?
If I lived in South Africa I'd have belt-fed weapons around my property.
I wonder why? </sarcasm>
Translation: This is part of the UN's Eliminate all guns from the planet campaign headed up by that commie skank Rebecca Peters.
GET OUT OF THE UN NOW!
"South African civilians own more guns than the police and military combined..."
Hooray! Now if the good guys can just get organized...
Murder rates fall in South Africa
Regardless, I would observe that South Africa with its piddly 8.8% gun ownership rate has a 45/100,000 homicide rate. The US, with a gun ownership rate of 50%, has a 9/100,000 homicide rate.
Hmmm...maybe something else is at work other than gun ownership rates...y'think?
According to the book THE WASHING OF THE SPEARS the author tells how in the late 1800's Blacks in South Africa would work a full year to get a flintlock trade musket.
The British were so alrmed they instituted a thing called GUN REGISTRATION for Blacks. When they brought in their privatly owned muskets the firearms were confiscated or damaged beyond use, then returned to the natives.
Could that be because South Africa's insanely high crime rate tends to impact the poorer segments of the population more? Duh.
Carolyn
Having spent some time in South Africa, Jo'burg specifically back in 1999/2000 all I can say is there is a reason that people have weapons. The crime was out of control. The hotel even encouraged us to use an armed escort (which the hotel was able to provide us) when we went out to certain tourist places. At night you could hear gun shots here and there and in the morning bodies would be laying in the streets in some sections. Unbelievable.
That town was what I imagined Dodge City to be when they talk about it in the old westerns. Although I understand it has improved, I can't imagine how since the police powers have been severely restricted by the new government.
Beautiful country though.
Let's see how that compares to the countries per capita GDP:GUN OWNERSHIP RATES South Africa 8.4% Namibia 5.4% Botswana 1.9% Swaziland 0.95% Zambia 0.86% Zimbabwe 0.32% Malawi 0.26% Mozambique 0.04%
There seems to be a close correlation between the rate of gun ownership and the per capita GDP of a country. The poorest countries have the least gun ownership. If you think about it, do the people who have naked small children with extended bellies and flies swarming around their eyes standing in line to get a bowl of gruel have enough money to buy a gun? Or you could interpret it to mean that ownership of guns is the path to economic prosperity and if you never own a gun you will be in the group of people who are living in a van down by the river.GUN OWNERSHIP RATES P/C GDP rank and amount South Africa 8.4% # 77 $10,700 Namibia 5.4% # 98 $ 7,100 Botswana 1.9% # 87 $ 8,800 Swaziland 0.95% #127 $ 4,900 Zambia 0.86% #213 $ 800 Zimbabwe 0.32% #172 $ 1,900 Malawi 0.26% #227 $ 600 Mozambique 0.04% #199 $ 1,200