Mary uayne 1al !

une 13, 2013

2013-72173 L 8lM rof. Pernandez


oslLlon aper: A Cun-free SocleLy?


ln our socleLy aL presenL, Lhere are a number of ways on how we conLrol Lhe dlsLrlbuLlon and use of
guns. ln !apan for lnsLance, lL ls an almosL compleLely gun-free counLry, wlLh gun laws LhaL are very
sLrlcL. Cops, gangsLers, robbers, bodyguards, or anyone of Lhe llke are all banned from ownlng one.
eople who do wanL Lo own a gun have Lo go Lhrough a rlgorous process lnvolvlng lengLhy appllcaLlons,
marksmanshlp classes, menLal checks and background checks. ShlpmenLs of flrearms are noL only
sLopped aL Lhe porLs buL lL ls a crlme LhaL can be punlshable by Lhe governmenL. Cn Lhe oLher hand, ln
Lhe opposlLe slde of Lhe world, guns are wldely used ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes of Amerlca. eople can geL
Lhelr hands on 8lfles, ShoLguns, and lsLols aL a young age wlLhouL Lhe need of havlng a llcense. All Lhey
need ls Lo reglsLer Lhe gun, submlL Lo a background check and Lhey can flre away. lL ls legal Lo shooL
anyone whom Lhey Lhlnk ls a LhreaL Lo Lhelr llfe or when Lhey're defendlng Lhemselves from an aLLacker.
Also, lL ls a regular recreaLlon for Amerlcans Lo go ouL hunLlng for anlmals uslng Lhelr guns. Some people
even [usL shooL Lhlngs ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe deserL for pleasure. 1here are also Amerlcan 1v Shows LhaL
promoLe 8lfle Marksmanshlp, such as 1op ShoL, whereln Lhe conLesLanLs show off Lhelr awesome klck-
ass skllls.

Powever, Lhere are slde effecLs Lo Lhese laws. Whoever sald belng ln a gun-free socleLy saves a loL of
llves anyway? !apan has Lhe hlghesL sulcldal raLes ln Lhe world and Lhey don'L need a gun Lo do so,
lnsLead Lhey [ump off bulldlngs. Also, lf Lhey needed Lo Lake revenge on someone, Lhey use oLher
weapons or Lhelr bodles (Muay 1hal, karaLe, 1aekwondo) Lo Lake Lhe llfe ouL of Lhem. 1he !apanese cops
would acLually beaL up Lhe crlmlnals uslng wooden sLlcks ln publlc.

1aklng lnLo accounL Lhe recenL evenLs ln Lhe u.S.A., lL ls also dangerous Lo have very lenlenL gun laws. As
you've heard, Lhere are a loL of gunnlng lncldenLs Lhere LhaL kllled a number of clvlllans. Slnce lL's very
easy Lo geL flrearms, when some people have flLs of rage (accompanled wlLh drugs and alcohol), Lhey
would [usL go ouL and shooL everyone on slghL. 1hls ls noL a very healLhy way of managlng anger or
repressed feellngs.

Looklng lnLo Lhe hlllpplnes, our culLure ls noL blg on guns. 1here are [usL a handful of gun aflclonados
besldes Lhe mlllLary. Also, we are qulLe Lhe mlddle ground beLween !apan and Lhe u.S.A. when lL comes
Lo gun laws and lmplemenLaLlon. Cur counLry sLlll requlres proper llcenses and reglsLraLlons when
purchaslng, carrylng, and uslng guns. 1here are also deslgnaLed areas, slLuaLlons, and occaslons where
you can use Lhem. A loL of esLabllshmenLs ban guns Loo, llke caslnos, bars, alrporLs, eLc. lurLhermore,
flndlng hlgh-powered guns are dlfflculL here because Lhey are regulaLed ln Lhe porLs and for Lhe lack of
lncessanL demand for Lhem.

Cn a personal noLe, l Lhlnk Lhere ls noLhlng wrong wlLh havlng guns around. 1hey should [usL be
regulaLed properly and Lhe users should be educaLed enough Lo ablde by Lhe rules of gun use and
ownershlp. Cuns aren'L exacLly only weapons for desLrucLlon, as a loL of people may deem lL Lo be, buL lL
can be used for a loL of oLher useful Lhlngs. 8lfle Marksmanshlp ls a good way of releaslng sLress and lL
lmproves focus a loL. lL ls also a good sklll Lo learn especlally when you're lnLeresLed ln oLher LargeL
sporLs llke uarLs and Archery.

lor me, Lhe hlllpplnes ls acLually a good sLandard when lL comes Lo regulaLlng guns. l approve of Lhe
facL LhaL we only allow llmlLed hlgh-powered arLlllery lnLo Lhe counLry and LhaL Lhose are puL Lo Lhe
mlllLary's (good) use. As for Lhe publlc, lL ls [usL rlghL LhaL Lhose allowed Lo use recreaLlonal guns are Lhe
ones who are lnLeresLed ln hunLlng Lrlps and conLrolled shooLlng ln ranges.

Many people mlghL say LhaL havlng a gunless socleLy would mean a safer envlronmenL. Powever, wlll
Lhls acLually be Lrue? 1he maln reason l dlsagree ln a havlng a gun-free socleLy ls LhaL lL ls noL abouL Lhe
guns, lL's abouL Lhe people handllng Lhem. lf people are noL educaLed abouL gun safeLy and Lhe huge
responslblllLy of ownlng a flrearm, Lhen Lhose people should noL be allowed Lo own one. lf people do
noL know Lhe value of llfe, Lhen Lhe presence or absence of flrearms would noL maLLer slnce Lhose
people wlll [usL use oLher weapons, llke knlves, anyway. 1hls ls why lnsLead of bannlng guns and oLher
flrearms, l belleve LhaL Lhe counLry musL lnvesL ln educaLlon and sLrlcLer gun laws LhaL would check on
Lhe people who acLually own Lhem. roper educaLlon, sLrlcL reglsLraLlon and llcenslng are deflnlLely Lhe
keys Lo avoldlng manlc gunnlng aLLacks and abuse of gun use.

WlLh Lhese, l Lhlnk our counLry ls dolng a good [ob (Lhough Lhere ls sLlll a loL of room for lmprovemenL)
ln malnLalnlng peace and order wlLhouL havlng Lo go Lo far exLremes. 1hls [usL shows LhaL we are a
dlsclpllned people who knows how Lo value llfe. 1herefore, l do noL approve of a gunless socleLy.

Sources:
1. 1he 8laze -uo you know abouL !apan's Plghly 8esLrlcLlve Cun Laws? 1he olar CpposlLe" of
Amerlca's Second AmmendmenL, Pallowell, 8llly <hLLp://www.Lheblaze.com/sLorles/2013/01/28/Lhese-
are-[apans-hlghly-resLrlcLlve-gun-laws-Lhe-polar-opposlLe-of-amerlcas-second-amendmenL/> [28
!anuary 2013].

2. !apanese Cun ConLrol, kopel, uavld <hLLp://www.gunclLe.com/[ournals/dk[gc.hLml#fn4> [2003].