Jet lag!

Hello!

The jet lag was quite bad D: On the day we came back I couldn't sleep until about 6am, and then I woke up at 4pm and missed an appointment I had at 11!

Anyway just commenting on the idea about gun laws, the other day we watched a documentary in debates 'Bowling for Columbine' regarding gun laws in USA. It's by Michael Moore and explores many ideas with regards to bearing arms, including the right to self-defense (ie. the right to keep a pistol under your pillow every night and to shoot if you feel threaten?), whether or not the prevalence of guns in the USA translates into higher crime rates (compare Canada which has about the same amount of guns or more and yet has an incredibly low crime rate), the effect of growing up in a town where everyone bears arms (the Columbine shooting incident).

It's quite interesting and thought-provoking, so if you've the time do check it out!

Regarding UK's gun laws, they're apparently really, really strict.

The Firearms (Amendment) Act of 1988 made registration for shotguns mandatory. Shotguns were required to be kept in secure storage. Stricter laws in 1997 outlawed handguns.

The Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2006 made it an offence to make, import or sell realistic imitation guns, doubled the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation gun and made it a crime to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of any premises. It also increased the age limit for buying or possessing an air weapon from 17 to 18.

And yet in spite of these tough gun laws, nearly 600,000 people legally own shotguns, which fire pellets only, and more than 100,000 own a firearm, usually a rifle or high-powered airgun. Many of these guns, if fact most, are actually used for hunting purposes or for pest control.

However, comparing this to Singapore, the two countries' contexts is completely completely different.

1) Singapore does not have many animals nor land to hunt on. Thus no 'need' for a gun.
2) In Singapore under the 'Arms and Explosives Act', to own a gun you need a license. And seeing the above point, I think showing the need for a gun in Singapore is pretty hard. If you do not obtain a license and still get a gun, you can be charged with a $5000 fine and no less than 3 years jail term.
3) People generally avoid guns. Somehow, I think there's a stigma attached to bearing arms in Singapore. Nobody, and I really mean nobody obtains a gun except soldiers, and just the sight of soldiers holding guns in Changi Airport can strike fear in one's heart.

So well perhaps this is why Singapore rarely, or perhaps has never ever, has a case of a man with guns going wild (Thank God). In light of recent events, knives seem to be the fad.

Focusing on the question of whether or not UK's gun laws are strict enough? For me, I just think that they are strict, but can definitely be improved on. It is not a panacea, and the fact that there are still loopholes and crimes committed means that there is room for improvement. But because of the differences between UK and Singapore, UK will probably always have guns in the hands of citizens, however little.

At least the situation is not as bad as the US.

Cheers!
Joyan