antigunners in South Africa

[Niël .]

Seems like the debacle about the tragic death of a South African athlete's girlfriend , is turning into an "anti-gunners" debate , as I expected .
Now we must here and read about irrelevant things such as , his pending firearm licenses , a declined firearm license that has been approved after appeal , his passion for firearms , a shot that accidentally went off in a restaurant , his visits to the shooting range when he couldn't sleep etc. etc. Its like some people’s attention is now just on firearms . I have noticed comments of well known people such as singers an DJs , about firearms and the firearm law in South Africa . One particular DJ on a well known radio station commented Yesterday morning that all these guns are just too much and he is considering getting rid of his own gun . One particular singer asked the question , about how the athlete managed to license a handgun as well as a "machine-gun" (as he called it) and I am sure that he made this comment without even reading one page of the firearms control act .
It is very sad that people get such cheap sensation from this tragedy and it leaves me questioning people’s mentality .
I suppose "anti-gunners" will always use such incidents to point fingers to gun owners and the firearm control act .

 

[Al Norris]

Moved to L&CR.

Niël, do you have a link to this?

 

[Spats McGee]

For those of us, including myself, who are largely ignorant of South Africa's gun laws, some basic information about SA's gun laws would also be helpful. I think that SA regulates firearms ownership fairly heavily, but know next to nothing about the topic beyond that.

 

[dean1818]

I go there for business.

They have some odd rules (per what my clients tell me)

Many people do have guns there. Legally and illegallly

If you have a gun permit....... And someone breaks in

If they have a club or knife...... You cant shoot them

In your home

If they have a gun.... You can shoot them

Its an appropriate threat to appropriate threat logic

(sounds crazy)

I feel safer in capetown vs joberg.

 

[godot]

What bothers me

is that in the US, one may use deadly force when one is in immediate danger of death or serious physical harm. There are other circumstances like preventing arson or felony theft, but these vary by state. In the Bladerunner case, he shot into a room with a closed door and no knowledge of who was behind it. It could have been a BG, but could have just as easily been a teenager doing something on a dare or a monkey or his wife. In any case he was not in immediate danger. His behavior was at best irresponsible and at worst criminal.

Whenever gun owners behave irresponsibly, it's to be expected that the anti's will demand more restrictions. The best way to preserve our rights is to behave responsibly.