Just returned yesterday from a trip to Japan, and thought i'd pass along a news article i read in the newspaper.."The Asahi Shimbun" 4-8-08. ( One of the few papers printed in english. )
TIGHTER GUN CONTROL
Guns, ammo held privately must be deposited
Presumably, gun control in Japan hitherto has been too soft on those who own guns for hunting and shooting competitions.
The National Police Agency is now in the process of drawing up revisions to the Swords and Firearms Control Law. It is considering stricter requirements for ownership permits of firearms. The move is in response to a shooting spree last December in which a 37 year old man went on a rampage in a gym in Sesabo, Nagasaki Prefecture, killing two with his shotgun. The authorities were lambasted for having allowed such a person to own a gun.
As many as 320,000 guns for hunting and sporting competitions are legally owned in Japan. Within the five years leading up to 2007, there were 19 cases of murder or attemped murder involving legally owned firearms.
Also fresh in our memory is an incident in which a rifle accidently went off at a doctor's house in Tokyo, killing a 2 year old child.
Control on guns for hunting under the Swords and Firearms Control Law has not undergone drastic change in almost 30years. According to the law, the only disqualifying clauses for gun ownership are drug addiction, lack of a permanent address and a history of having committed felonies using firearms.
The law revisions are aimed at broadening the scope of these disqualification clauses. Past offenders of stalking crimes and domestic violence as well as those who committed heinous offenses without guns will be barred from owning firearms. It goes without saying that such people should never be allowed to own guns.
The NPA is also considering a ban on gun ownership among those who have gone financially bankrupt or are in danger of tasking their own lives.
However, it is not enough just to enforce stronger restrictions. We don't believe that all past crimes using firearms couldhave been prevented if stronger restrictions had been in place at the time.
We think the system should be changed so that guns and ammunition are not controlled by individuals, but stored in specific locations except for those occasions when they are to be used. If a firearm is not in constant proximity, it would be difficult touse it rashly in a fit of rage.
The NPA did consider this idea, but shelved it on grounds it is too difficult to implement at this stage. This is because existing gun depositories can store only 30,000 guns.
Yet, public anxiety about guns must be dealt with. If nothing else, the NPA should consider storing at least ammunition, by delegating the responsibility to local hunting and shooting societies. The government, meanwhile, should increase the number of depositories where guns can be securely stored. Eventually, the government should make it mandatory to have all guns and ammunition stored in depositories.
After the Sasebo shooting, more than 5000 people throughout the country returned their gun ownership permits voluntarily. In some cases, the police persuaded registered owners to return their permits, citing reasons such as "problems with neighbor" or " advanced age" . A systematic structure is necessary to catch the warning signs of someone likely to commit a crime, and revoking gun permits even after they have been issued.
Illegal guns owned by criminal organizations should, of course, re rigorously tracked down; but one wrong step and legal guns can also become lethal murder weapons.
We must not forget how frightening that is, and nip the danger in the bud.
Credit ...The Asahi Shimbun, April 6, 2008
TIGHTER GUN CONTROL
Guns, ammo held privately must be deposited
Presumably, gun control in Japan hitherto has been too soft on those who own guns for hunting and shooting competitions.
The National Police Agency is now in the process of drawing up revisions to the Swords and Firearms Control Law. It is considering stricter requirements for ownership permits of firearms. The move is in response to a shooting spree last December in which a 37 year old man went on a rampage in a gym in Sesabo, Nagasaki Prefecture, killing two with his shotgun. The authorities were lambasted for having allowed such a person to own a gun.
As many as 320,000 guns for hunting and sporting competitions are legally owned in Japan. Within the five years leading up to 2007, there were 19 cases of murder or attemped murder involving legally owned firearms.
Also fresh in our memory is an incident in which a rifle accidently went off at a doctor's house in Tokyo, killing a 2 year old child.
Control on guns for hunting under the Swords and Firearms Control Law has not undergone drastic change in almost 30years. According to the law, the only disqualifying clauses for gun ownership are drug addiction, lack of a permanent address and a history of having committed felonies using firearms.
The law revisions are aimed at broadening the scope of these disqualification clauses. Past offenders of stalking crimes and domestic violence as well as those who committed heinous offenses without guns will be barred from owning firearms. It goes without saying that such people should never be allowed to own guns.
The NPA is also considering a ban on gun ownership among those who have gone financially bankrupt or are in danger of tasking their own lives.
However, it is not enough just to enforce stronger restrictions. We don't believe that all past crimes using firearms couldhave been prevented if stronger restrictions had been in place at the time.
We think the system should be changed so that guns and ammunition are not controlled by individuals, but stored in specific locations except for those occasions when they are to be used. If a firearm is not in constant proximity, it would be difficult touse it rashly in a fit of rage.
The NPA did consider this idea, but shelved it on grounds it is too difficult to implement at this stage. This is because existing gun depositories can store only 30,000 guns.
Yet, public anxiety about guns must be dealt with. If nothing else, the NPA should consider storing at least ammunition, by delegating the responsibility to local hunting and shooting societies. The government, meanwhile, should increase the number of depositories where guns can be securely stored. Eventually, the government should make it mandatory to have all guns and ammunition stored in depositories.
After the Sasebo shooting, more than 5000 people throughout the country returned their gun ownership permits voluntarily. In some cases, the police persuaded registered owners to return their permits, citing reasons such as "problems with neighbor" or " advanced age" . A systematic structure is necessary to catch the warning signs of someone likely to commit a crime, and revoking gun permits even after they have been issued.
Illegal guns owned by criminal organizations should, of course, re rigorously tracked down; but one wrong step and legal guns can also become lethal murder weapons.
We must not forget how frightening that is, and nip the danger in the bud.
Credit ...The Asahi Shimbun, April 6, 2008