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| Caribbean-Latin America | |||
| Brazilians reject gun sales ban | |||
| 2005-10-24 | |||
| A proposal to ban the sale of guns in Brazil has been defeated by a clear majority in a referendum. Sixty-four percent of those who voted rejected the proposed ban, which was backed by the government, the Catholic Church and the United Nations. The gun ownership lobby successfully argued that guns were needed for personal security. Guns kill one person in Brazil every 15 minutes, giving it the world's highest death toll from firearms. Last year, there were 36,000 shooting deaths. The UN says guns are the biggest cause of death among young people in Brazil.
The immediate consequence of the referendum is that gun shops will remain open. The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Sao Paulo says that the result may surprise outsiders, given the horrific scale of gun violence in Brazil. The defeated "Yes" campaign had enjoyed an early lead in the opinion polls, but it was quickly outmanoeuvred. The "No" campaign convinced voters that the proposed ban would have no effect on criminals, on the grounds that criminals do not buy guns legally in shops. It also argued that a gun ban would be a breach of civil rights. Beni Barbosa, the "No" campaign spokesman, said: "We managed to get our message across that Brazilians have individual rights which the state cannot take away." "Here, people were not choosing whether to have a gun or not. They were voting for their rights to choose."
"We didn't lose because Brazilians like guns. We lost because people don't have confidence in the government or the police," said Denis Mizne, of anti-violence group Sou da Paz. "The 'No' campaign was much more effective. They are talking about a right to have a gun - it is a totally American debate."
Under existing laws, any Brazilian over the age of 25 can buy a firemarm, provided they pass background checks. The referendum rounded off a series of campaigns run by the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to cut down on gun crime. Penalties for unlawfully carrying a gun have been increased, and money has been offered to people who surrender their weapons in amnesties. The proposal to ban firearms initially had strong public support. But opinion polls in recent days showed this backing had weakened dramatically as campaigns against the ban got off the ground. Some opposition to the ban also came from shanty towns, or favelas, the scene of vicious turf wars between drug gangs. Maria, a shantytown resident whose sister was gunned down by an ex-boyfriend, said disarmament would make little difference. "If I had the money, I would have a weapon to try to protect myself and my family," she told the BBC. "The police are never going to arrive in time and if they do, they may kill you." There are estimated to be more than 17 million guns in Brazil, nine million of which are not registered, according to a survey by non-governmental groups. | |||
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 eLarson: What were you doing over there? Some more stories. I donât know a single person down there who didnât get their car stolen. One friend of mine was carjacked, but they didnât steal anything. He says they were high on drugs and just left after terrorizing them for a few hours. My exâs cousin (the cop) had his car stolen once. He found out who did it and he and some other cop buddies went and found the guy and killed him. And this is when they were off duty. He said it was good he was âoff the streetsâ. Yeah, I heard about not stopping after dusk. But then, lots of Brazilians in Sao Paulo or Rio donât even leave their homes at night! My friend wonât drive alone after 8PM, even in the safe neighborhoods. Itâs amazing how they let crime slip so far. Brazil is a country with loads of potential and could really make something of itself if they got their act together. Crime and corruption are the biggest things holding it back. |
| Posted by: bonanzabucks 2005-10-24 21:55 |
| #5 You people just can't comprehend the amount of violence that occurs there. A coworker of mine was carjacked in 'suburban' Campinas-SP back 1997. (Actually he was a passenger, and didn't speak Portugues... he came thisclose to being snuffed for noncooperation as I understand it from the driver of the car.) The girl I was seeing there never stopped at intersections after dusk. Too dangerous. And she warned that to see a big, black Suburban coming your way was a sign of the Apocalypse. Or something. Maybe not quite THAT bad... but bad. (My own Portuguese was pretty sketchy, too.) Still, I enjoyed myself immensely and would go back in a heartbeat. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2005-10-24 18:25 |
| #4 Thanks, BB. First-hand knowlege of a country is valued here at the 'Burg. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-10-24 16:50 |
| #3 I don't post much, but I'd probably be the forum's resident Brazilphile. Violence and corruption aside, it's truly a remarkable country. That 36 000 number is for murders, but I think that figure is low, especially since Sao Paulo has move than 10 000 a year and Rio has a lot more. You people just can't comprehend the amount of violence that occurs there. My ex-girlfriend's cousin and wife are cops in SP and some of the stories I heard were pretty scary. I think he's an honest cop because he is a good guy. I never debated him about guns, but even when he was off-duty, he always carried a gun with him, which speaks volumes. I even saw this pic of him at the beach with his wife and he had a pistol shoved in his swimming trunks and his wife had one attached to her bikini bottom. This is no joke. So, that will probably tell you what they think of a gun ban. |
| Posted by: bonanzabucks 2005-10-24 16:48 |
| #2 This is telling: "If I had the money, I would have a weapon to try to protect myself and my family," she told the BBC. "The police are never going to arrive in time and if they do, they may kill you." Brazilians may prefer a socialist state but they don't trust it. 2 of my most favorite firearms were built on Imbel(Brazilian)receivers. They make lots and lots of guns. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-10-24 13:09 |
| #1 Last year, there were 36,000 shooting deaths. Ya notice how they never break down the numbers into murders and self defense. Steve you had your finger right on the trigger with the statement about personal responsibility. And lastly: socialist government=firearm confiscation, every time. Just like here the Brazilians will be fighting their government for their rights for years to come. |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2005-10-24 12:23 |