Posted on 07/24/2005 8:41:35 PM PDT by epow
Crime-hit Brazil split over possible gun sales ban
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - Rio de Janeiro taxi driver Luiz Marcelo is normally mild mannered, but he loses his temper when Brazil's upcoming referendum on whether gun sales should be banned comes up in a conversation.
"All you see around us in the streets is crime, and the best they can think of is to disarm honest citizens like me and you," the 50-year-old almost shouts. "I have a gun at home and another one in this car and I'm not giving them up."
Many Brazilians share this view, saying the state does not give its people adequate protection from violent crime and they need guns for self defense. But others are afraid of having guns at home and don't like the idea of armed citizens walking the streets.
There are no nationwide opinion polls projecting the outcome of the referendum on Oct. 23 to ban gun and ammunition sales. But some smaller polls have found strong support in urban areas. Congress approved the vote on July 7.
Rampant crime gives Brazil the world's second-highest rate of gunshot deaths after Venezuela with nearly 40,000 people killed annually. That's more than the number who die yearly in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Colombia's civil war or who died in the first Gulf war.
Brazil is also one of the world's top small arms makers.
But some Brazilians fear that without a ban on gun sales, more carnage will result.
"My worst nightmare is that a bandit is robbing a car next to mine in a traffic jam and somebody takes out a gun and bullets start flying," said Maria Borges, 38, a psychotherapist from Rio.
Her fears are based on real incidents -- such as when several bus passengers, including an old man, were wounded in Rio de Janeiro in January in a gunfight between an off-duty policeman and two robbers, one of whom died.
A poll in the seven cities of the densely populated, industrial ABC region in Sao Paulo state earlier this month showed that about eight in every 10 citizens wanted the ban. Experts say, however, there are more supporters of gun sales in the outback where many farmers have shotguns and pistols.
The referendum idea was part of the so-called Disarmament Statute, or stricter gun controls, developed by the Justice Ministry under President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva's administration which has pledged to combat rampant violence.
BLAMING ILLEGAL WEAPONS
Gun manufacturers have avoided commenting on the referendum. But Forjas Taurus, whose pistols are hugely popular in the United States, has posted on its Web site comments from clients who believe deaths are mostly caused by criminals with illegally obtained weapons.
The Web site says the number of guns in illegal circulation is "stratospherically" higher at an estimated 8.7 million pieces, rather than the 7,219 officially sold last year for private use, so prohibition will not solve the crime problem.
If Brazil votes to ban gun and ammunition sales, those who already have a registered pistol or shotgun will still be able to buy 50 cartridges a year. But under strict rules imposed last year, they need to re-register their weapons every three years, paying a special fee that would be prohibitive for many. They also have to pass psychological and other tests.
Taurus said its gun sales to private individuals have been "practically zero" since the new rules came into effect. Meanwhile, its exports jumped over 40 percent last year.
"I bet on a significant rise in crime with the ban," said Gilberto Thums, a prosecutor and a well-known critic of the proposed ban on gun sales. "This referendum is idiocy."
Anti-gun activists say the arms situation in Brazil with its huge social inequality and widespread poverty is different from richer countries like Canada, where guns in households are commonplace but gunshot death rates are extremely low.
"Inequality in big urban centers is an important factor here that pushes young people with their resentments into crime in general and drug trafficking in particular," said Rubem Fernandes, director of Viva Rio rights group.
Security experts tend to agree that a gun offers only relative protection or can pose more risks for its bearer and people around.
"Our recommendation to clients always is not to have a gun," said Alessandro Sanches, a security consultant with Kroll Inc. international risk consulting company in Sao Paulo. He said shooting range practice is not enough to stand up to thugs, which requires psychological training and experience.
"In fact, many people who have guns at home make it easier for criminals to expand their arsenals. Many like to boast that they have a gun, which often is the reason for robbery," he said.
Drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro even have a history of raids on army weapons depots. Police have discovered slum arsenals with machine-guns, land mines, grenades and bazookas.
Last month police found a missile. They suspect gangsters from Rio's notorious Red Command criminal organization jointly with Sao Paulo gang First Command of the Capital were planning to use it to free jailed ringleaders.
Still, police figures show that most of the guns they confiscate are Brazil-made revolvers, and these are responsible for most crimes such as street robberies.
Source: REUTERS
"All you see around us in the streets is crime, and the best they can think of is to disarm honest citizens like me and you,"
and I am filled anew with appreciation for our Founders.
The brilliance of governments ---
Disarm the law-abiding public, and only the criminals will have guns!
Now that smacks of a good, old-fashioned government take-over of whatever freedoms they might have had....
Kinda like our liberals, come to think of it -- and our founders were smarter than leftist oppressors...
Luiz Marcelo - My personal hero for today!
As in the U.S., the vast majority of their gun deaths consist of one drug trafficer killing another. Can this be entirely bad? I suppose it is for politicians who depend on drug money.
---"My worst nightmare is that a bandit is robbing a car next to mine in a traffic jam and somebody takes out a gun and bullets start flying," said Maria Borges, 38, a psychotherapist from Rio.---
Rest easy Ms Borges, you'll soon have much worse nightmares to replace that one with.
Mine also.
Poor Luiz, he will probably have his guns confiscated and end up sharing a jail cell with real criminals while his family starves. But I'm sure that little inconveniences like that won't bother the ruling class Brazilians who can afford gated communities, armed guards, and armored Mercedes limos.
Typical cowardly liberal attitude. Look only to the government to save you and it's lost all ready.
Not only that, but if the US pattern is followed, most of the putative "victims" are criminals, either killed by other criminals, or by otherwise law abiding citizens, whose only "crime" may be keeping and/or bearing the arms they use to defend themselves.
Figures. Brazil is like the US in a lot of ways. They don't have our Constitution though, apparently.
Pssssssssssssssst! Outlaw crime!
Brasil is a beautiful country with very pretty women in places but their self government leaves a lot to be desired.
boy that's sure an exclusive cultural characteristic in this hemisphere..lol
Hey, why not? That would make as much sense as outlawing guns. Just have that one law passed and Shazam, and all the world's crime problems are solved just that quick.
We can laugh, but that might actually make sense in the gungrabbers' minds.
Go rent City of God. Great movie about the Crime in Brazil dealing with Guns. Awesome.
And they are following the UN "Small Arms" disarmament plan.
Disarm people? Same crap, different continent, still smells the same.
Nope, no conflict of interest here. (Security is a huge industry in Brazil, more unarmed citizens, more clients needing body guards)
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