Posted on 03/07/2005 10:31:21 AM PST by Dan from Michigan
Activists call for global gun controls
Mon Mar 7, 2005 4:14 PM GMT
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By Andrew Quinn
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Gun control activists say the world was awash with small arms, fuelling violence, and have called for global cooperation and stricter limits on the trade.
"You can't control international arms proliferation, especially small arms proliferation, without international cooperation," said Brian Wood, Amnesty International's arms and security trade research manager. "We want tough action."
A human rights report by a consortium of groups highlighted the impact of guns on the lives of women, saying they were often the "silent victims" of the small arms trade.
The activists noted there were an estimated 650 million guns in circulation around the world -- almost all in the hands of men.
"Given that they are almost never the buyers, owners or users of small arms, (women) suffer disproportionately from armed violence," said Denise Searle of Amnesty International, one of the groups releasing the report.
Gun control campaigners hoped the report would give fresh impetus to moves to impose more regulation on the world trade in small arms, although they noted progress to date has been slow.
A 2001 U.N. action programme on the trade has yielded few results, but campaigners hope a review meeting in 2006 will push improvements such as a world arms trade registry, written arms shipment permits and better policing.
Statistics worldwide indicate young men are the main victims of small arms, whether used in disputes, in conflict zones or in criminal activity including gang violence.
But the report issued ahead of International Women's Day on Tuesday showed women too are paying a price, often in their own homes as a result of domestic violence.
"Where guns are available, more women are likely to be killed," Searle said.
South Africa, famous for high crime rates, sees a woman shot dead by a current or former partner every 18 hours, according to statistics from the state-funded Medical Research Council.
U.S. studies have shown that having a gun in the house increases the risk that someone in the house will be murdered by 41 percent, but boosts the risk for women by 272 percent.
Some countries such as Canada and Australia have managed to bring down the murder rate of women by toughening laws on gun licensing. But the problem is growing in the developing world, where such safeguards are harder to implement.
From Africa to Afghanistan, civil strife, insurgencies and cross-border wars have increased the threat of gun violence against women, putting huge quantities of guns into circulation in countries as social norms and legal frameworks collapse.
"Once small arms are brought into a country, they post a continuous risk," said Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, a conflict adviser for Eastern and Central Africa with British-based aid agency Oxfam which also sponsored the report.
"And Where guns are available, more women are likely to be raped and abused," Centurion2000 said.
God made men and women, Sam Colt made them equal.
Denise has found the problem all right. More women need to purchase firearms. See how easy that was?
Most of the wimmin I know have access to firearms and don't subscribe to socialist drivel.
And yet in Switzerland where there are at least as many small arms per capita as in South Africa, the domestic violence rate is far lower.
What if guns are not the common factor?
What else could it be?
"Where guns are available, more women are likely to be killed," Searle said."
Hmmm...something isn't quite right here.
Well, why don't we give these women guns, so they can dfend themselves?
They still don't explain why women outnumber men, and live longer.
You can bet your last Dunkin Doughnut their numbers are carefully collected. They don't want to see John Lott's work nor do they wish to hear of anyone, male or female, sucessfully using a firearm in self defense.
BULLSHOOT!!!
If anyone is going to get shot in my house, it'll be someone who isn't supposed to be there.
AS I remember, those who cry for the violation of the Constitution in anything other than the context of a call for Constitutional revision via a properly convened convention to revise the Constitution are requesting a violation of the Unalienable Rights of the rest of us, and crying out for what is sedition.
Suggestion: Try 'em. Then hang 'em.
Studies have shown that most of the 170,000,000 citizens murdered by their own governments in the 20th century were disarmed by gun control.
Ask the black Sudanese being systematically slaughtered by the Arab militia and government which they would rather have. A rifle in the hand, or more laws in the books.
Their answer should speak for itself.
Look how many time 50Cent got shot, he is still walkin' around. Maybe they mean although guys get shot more (pop pop), women die...Or something convoluted like that.
"U.S. studies have shown that having a gun in the house increases the risk that someone in the house will be murdered by 41 percent, but boosts the risk for women by 272 percent."
Kellerman, a liberal proffesor, who wrote this study now refutes it.
I propose that Amnesty International and the UN give up their guns first in a sign of good faith.
My wife is obviously uninformed, I 'll let her know that tonight, she must surrender her shotgun and .45 to be safe ...
So guns may be a mans thing, but we do not get bent out of shape on how many hair dryers the ladies have and or ice picks.
Of course, this is the same UN that's being accused of raping women in the Congo. Just think, if those women were armed ...
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