Namibian Gun Laws Scary

I AM a Namibian-born Canadian who reads your paper first thing in the morning every day and have been doing this for the past 14 years now.

When I read the article on the guns registered in a country with a small population of less than 3 million, I am scared to think that there are walking time bombs waiting to explode at any time when someone makes other person angry or a drunken person wants to show off their power. It is even more disturbing to hear that most of the people who fell victim to guns are women and children.My questions to the politicians are: 1.What are they afraid of putting in place a non-gun law for ordinary citizens? 2.Is there criminal record check before a gun is license is issued? 3.If a gun is confiscated once, why give it back to the owner especially if he/she was found not to be responsible in the first place? Minister Tshirumbu’s findings should be very, very scary and should have every Member of Parliament thinking about the future of the country.Why is the Government paying Police people to protect people if the Government is issuing arms to the same people the police are supposed to protect? Most Namibians are trained to handle guns, which makes it even worse.In my opinion, guns should be for the Police force and the Military to defend the country…thieves will never respect the force because they have the same power…rapists will never fear the law because they know that they have the right to carry that gun that they are using to terrify their victims with.Over the years I have resided in Nova Scotia, Canada, and in the city I live, no one is allowed to carry a gun except the officers on duty.As citizens, we feel protected, and safe in our own houses…there are no high fences and walls here…we do not live like prisoners in our own homes.I think from time to time way back in the sixties and seventies when I was growing up in Walvis Bay – rape was never heard of much, crime you could not even talk about because the law was obeyed.If you were caught urinating in public, you were fined… today people just urinate everywhere.As a kid I could walk from one end of the township to the other and no one would hurt me, but today you can scream for help and your next-door neighbour won’t help you when you are being killed by your own child.So, what is the problem? Shebeens.I don’t care what people say, but when you have drinking places open for 24 hours and people are permitted to carry guns, it is a danger zone.If people want to operate bars, these should not be in residential areas.They should be in business areas and have operating hours.Namibians have money to drink but not to educate their children.They complain about lack of jobs but have plenty of time to sit in the shebeen.Those who work also go to bars at lunch.That is sad.How can you give your employer 100 per cent, if half the time you come to work drunk or late? Namibia is a rich country and should not have problems providing for its citizens.I would like to know how others feel about this subject.Anyone can write back to me at vpennyarthur@yahoo.com I am open to honest discussions.Penny Hamutoko-Arthur Via e-mailIt is even more disturbing to hear that most of the people who fell victim to guns are women and children.My questions to the politicians are: 1.What are they afraid of putting in place a non-gun law for ordinary citizens? 2.Is there criminal record check before a gun is license is issued? 3.If a gun is confiscated once, why give it back to the owner especially if he/she was found not to be responsible in the first place? Minister Tshirumbu’s findings should be very, very scary and should have every Member of Parliament thinking about the future of the country.Why is the Government paying Police people to protect people if the Government is issuing arms to the same people the police are supposed to protect? Most Namibians are trained to handle guns, which makes it even worse.In my opinion, guns should be for the Police force and the Military to defend the country…thieves will never respect the force because they have the same power…rapists will never fear the law because they know that they have the right to carry that gun that they are using to terrify their victims with.Over the years I have resided in Nova Scotia, Canada, and in the city I live, no one is allowed to carry a gun except the officers on duty.As citizens, we feel protected, and safe in our own houses…there are no high fences and walls here…we do not live like prisoners in our own homes.I think from time to time way back in the sixties and seventies when I was growing up in Walvis Bay – rape was never heard of much, crime you could not even talk about because the law was obeyed.If you were caught urinating in public, you were fined… today people just urinate everywhere.As a kid I could walk from one end of the township to the other and no one would hurt me, but today you can scream for help and your next-door neighbour won’t help you when you are being killed by your own child.So, what is the problem? Shebeens.I don’t care what people say, but when you have drinking places open for 24 hours and people are permitted to carry guns, it is a danger zone.If people want to operate bars, these should not be in residential areas.They should be in business areas and have operating hours.Namibians have money to drink but not to educate their children.They complain about lack of jobs but have plenty of time to sit in the shebeen.Those who work also go to bars at lunch.That is sad.How can you give your employer 100 per cent, if half the time you come to work drunk or late? Namibia is a rich country and should not have problems providing for its citizens.I would like to know how others feel about this subject.Anyone can write back to me at vpennyarthur@yahoo.com I am open to honest discussions.Penny Hamutoko-Arthur Via e-mail