Friends,
I'd like to give you all the latest news from Brazil, concerning gun control. I think there's a lesson to be learned here.
Two years ago, president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, then in his first mandate, sanctioned a law aimed at regulating firearms. There weren't many restrictive aspects to it, other than the fact that carrying without a permit, which used to be a misdemeanor, became a crime. Among this law's provisions was an "amnesty period", during which owners of unregistered guns were encouraged to register them, making them legal.
About two months ago - for the first time in his political career - president Cardoso expressed his desire to ban the private ownership of firearms. He had just returned from a trip to England, where, he claims, some local government official asked him why Brazil wouldn't follow the prohibitionist lead of the British. Coincidence or not, this statement happened during a live TV interview; the original subject was the latest financial scandal, involving some of his closest collaborators. It's not hard to see this move as a "smoke screen" of sorts...
Last Tuesday (06/01), Cardoso sent Congress a new project, urging them to approve it "with utmost urgency" (the real important issues get postponed for years, and sometimes are never voted). The new law would ban the sale of firearms and ammunition, except to the armed forces, police departments and private security firms. Regular citizens would have 360 days to surrender their legally bought, registered firearms. Those caught carrying would be arrested whithout the possibility of bail. All shooting sports would also be outlawed.
The fact that most people oppose such arbitrary, demagogic measures is simply disregarded by the "elite" in power. Here, all politicians have the right to carry concealed, and the new law has no provisions to change that; meanwhile, ex-presidents are allowed the services of two bodyguards and a chauffeur for the rest of their lives - paid with our money, of course.
The media, predictably, plays the government's game, pretending there's no dissention and trying to "educate" the population through an outrageously biased coverage and indoctrination campaigns. Even though we've been holding "free" elections for the last few years, Brazil has no tradition of democracy, and it shows.
Like I said, there's a lesson to be learned here: do NOT fall for any gun registration schemes! Don't let anybody tell you it's "reasonable" and "only a small compromise". Registration is the first step towards prohibition.
Sorry for the long post.
Regards,
Leo Daher
BTW, does anybody know a good immigration lawyer? I'm not kidding.
I'd like to give you all the latest news from Brazil, concerning gun control. I think there's a lesson to be learned here.
Two years ago, president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, then in his first mandate, sanctioned a law aimed at regulating firearms. There weren't many restrictive aspects to it, other than the fact that carrying without a permit, which used to be a misdemeanor, became a crime. Among this law's provisions was an "amnesty period", during which owners of unregistered guns were encouraged to register them, making them legal.
About two months ago - for the first time in his political career - president Cardoso expressed his desire to ban the private ownership of firearms. He had just returned from a trip to England, where, he claims, some local government official asked him why Brazil wouldn't follow the prohibitionist lead of the British. Coincidence or not, this statement happened during a live TV interview; the original subject was the latest financial scandal, involving some of his closest collaborators. It's not hard to see this move as a "smoke screen" of sorts...
Last Tuesday (06/01), Cardoso sent Congress a new project, urging them to approve it "with utmost urgency" (the real important issues get postponed for years, and sometimes are never voted). The new law would ban the sale of firearms and ammunition, except to the armed forces, police departments and private security firms. Regular citizens would have 360 days to surrender their legally bought, registered firearms. Those caught carrying would be arrested whithout the possibility of bail. All shooting sports would also be outlawed.
The fact that most people oppose such arbitrary, demagogic measures is simply disregarded by the "elite" in power. Here, all politicians have the right to carry concealed, and the new law has no provisions to change that; meanwhile, ex-presidents are allowed the services of two bodyguards and a chauffeur for the rest of their lives - paid with our money, of course.
The media, predictably, plays the government's game, pretending there's no dissention and trying to "educate" the population through an outrageously biased coverage and indoctrination campaigns. Even though we've been holding "free" elections for the last few years, Brazil has no tradition of democracy, and it shows.
Like I said, there's a lesson to be learned here: do NOT fall for any gun registration schemes! Don't let anybody tell you it's "reasonable" and "only a small compromise". Registration is the first step towards prohibition.
Sorry for the long post.
Regards,
Leo Daher
BTW, does anybody know a good immigration lawyer? I'm not kidding.