Everybody has one

March 3, 2019 Editorial Sideglance

In this time of day and age, we cannot but take notice of the grim scenario that there are probably more unlicensed and unregistered firearms in the hands of civilians than there are licensed and registered firearms in the possession of law-abiding and authorized gun owners.

If there is any doubt about this situation one only has to listen, read and watch the news to discover that almost all of those alleged criminals killed in legitimate police operations were armed with handguns either in the caliber .45 range or the more ubiquitous caliber .38. There is also a smattering of caliber .22s in some instances.

What is disturbing is that in almost every armed confrontation that results in the death of the suspect or the wounding of the policeman, there is a firearm recovered at the scene of the crime.

Reports have indicated that so far in the so called legitimate police operations that led to the deaths of drug offenders, we have about 4,000 plus individuals getting killed and assuming that only half of them were armed with handguns when they bought that great and big ticket to the sky, the police already has in its possession and custody more than 2,000 small caliber unlicensed and unregistered firearms.

Those are a lot of loose firearms and if that is any indicator of how civilians and ordinary individuals are protecting themselves, then we might actually have a worse situation than gun-crazy America.

Just take a look at those politicians and government officials whose houses and residences have been raided lately by the authorities on suspicion of being involved in illegal drugs or other criminal activities.

We are surprised to learn that they not only possess several handguns or small caliber firearms but also machine pistols, M4 carbines and other types of rifles.

When the authorities discover and literally seize an arsenal kept in the possession of a politician or even just an ordinary individual, then the prevailing peace and order situation in our country is downright imperiled.

While we understand our brand of culture in defending ourselves from danger, imminent or otherwise, having your own personal armory is already overkill. Unless you believe yourself to be a warlord of some sort with your own private army having one or at the most, three firearms in the house is enough.

While we also understand the need to protect your home and family as well as yourself, there is also a necessity to abide and comply with existing gun laws to lessen the headache and predicament of the authorities in preventing the proliferation of loose firearms in the country.

Unfortunately, and this is developing into a grim reality, it would seem as if there are so many unlicensed and unregistered firearms circulating in the country, that possibly everybody has one. Now, there is a problem.