THE EDITOR, Sir:
IN RESPONSE to 'Keeping The Poor Unarmed', I am in total agreement with Mr. Henry. I have long advocated that the Firearms Act 1967 be revised to provide for a uniform, objective system of licensing and remove the local Superintendent's opinion from the process.
The myth that licensed firearms pose a greater threat to society than criminals has been used to justify the requirement of "need" to get a firearm licence. As Mr. Henry noted, the big man is much more likely to successfully prove his "need" than the poor man so the poor man is forever going to be defenceless.
I say "fly the gate". Even in the USA, FBI statistics have shown that states with more liberal firearms laws (mostly Southern states) have shown dramatic reductions in crime compared to their peers with highly restrictive firearms laws (mostly northern and urban states).
I believe that Jamaica's firearms laws have even contributed to the 'gun culture' because the difficulty in getting a licence has made them a status symbol.
Let's treat everyone equally and evaluate applicants on criminal history, not by who has a better relationship with the 'supe'.
I am, etc.,
STEFAN BRAND
anynamethatworks@hotmail.com
Orlando, FL
Via Go-Jamaica
