“Force and mind are opposites; morality ends where a gun begins” – Ayn Rand
The subject of firearms, the application and subsequent approval process for their possession, the accompanying inherent responsibility imposed upon the registered owners, and the increasing circulation of illegal weapons coupled with the alarming rise of gun-related crimes in our society have provoked many heated discussions and raised concerns about our apparently pointed progression into a modern-day Wild West society. These apprehensions are well founded as the casual perusal of any month’s edition of this publication over the past few years will reveal the diverse aspects of the gun control problem.
Just after midday, on 2nd September, 2020, Lennox Robinson was sitting at the door of his family’s business, Robinson’s General Store, at Lombard and Drysdale streets, which had been an integral landmark of the Charlestown neighbourhood since the 1950s. It was reported that two young men rode up on a bicycle, there was an exchange of words, a scuffle ensued, Robinson was relieved of his licensed firearm and shot with it. The assailants then escaped with the weapon, whilst the wounded Robinson was rushed to hospital, where, five weeks later, he succumbed from complications resulting from the shooting.
This unfortunate occurrence was not an isolated incident in our society. Two months later, in Kitty, a teenager breached the security lock on a wardrobe, retrieved his father’s licenced firearm, and accidentally shot and killed his best friend whilst showing him the gun. In July of the same year, a young woman, who, two years earlier had been charged with attempted murder and being illegally in possession of a fireman and ammunition had all charges dismissed against her. In a strange twist of events, the policeman who had given evidence against her was found by the courts to have committed perjury and sentenced to three months in jail, whilst the gun and ammunition evidence presented were found not to have matched the charges.
These episodes highlight just a few of the issues the high prevalence of guns present; registered gun owners becoming targets of criminals for their firearm(s), the responsibilities of firearm holders to ensure strong security for storage of their weapon(s), the dangers of loaded weapons in the hands of untrained persons and the difficulties of imposing gun control charges in the court where the ominous foreshadow of corruption looms in the presence of overwhelming evidence. The convicted former policeman alleged that he had been coerced by a senior police officer to recant his initial testimony against the young lady.
Chapter 16:05 of the Laws of Guyana is the Firearms Act, which, over 47 pages, covers every facet of the control of firearms, including importation, regulations of purchase, possession, manufacture and sale of firearms and ammunition, power of minister to make regulations, applications and issuance of firearm licences. One area of heated argument over gun control is the procedure for acquiring a firearm licence in this country. Most adults have had to endure several tales of woe from various family members and friends who have been applying for years for a firearm licence without success, whilst to their amazement, they accidentally discover that some whippersnapper, who is obviously too young to bear arms is the recipient of a licence. One can speculate if these new gun owners are aware of the Firearms Act, have bothered to read it, or are even aware of the range of responsibilities that they now carry.
The list of applicants who have been denied include business owners, former police and army officers who received firearms training (and bore arms) whilst serving their country, remigrants who served in disciplined forces abroad, and others who started businesses or farms. The most popular answer given to the applicants when they follow up is that their application has been lost in the system and that they will have to apply again. One remigrant farmer who suffered through this grinding process for over 20 years, was told several times by other successful applicants what he had to do to ‘to get through’ and questioned why he was only prolonging the agony and frustrating himself.
In February 2012, then Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee announced the establishment of the Firearm Licence Approval Board, the result of amendments to the Firearms Act which provided for changes in the procedures for the granting of such licences. According to a GINA release, the minister stated, “The procedure will be that a person applying for a firearm licence will make such application to the Commander of the respective police division, who will then process the application. Once that is completed it will then pass on to the Police Commissioner who will then forward it to the Firearm Licence Approval Board, who will in turn submit its recommendation to the Home Affairs Minister who will make his views known and then return it to the Commissioner for the administrative aspects to be instituted.” The minister added that the Disciplined Services Commission opined that administratively, the minister, if he so wishes, can make amendments to the regulations in order to ensure that it is transparent and more to the satisfaction of an applicant.
The addition of the Firearm Licence Approval Board appears to have been just another stumbling block (or opportunity to lay blame for losing applications) in the process. As with all matters of this nature, it’s the final line that deserves the most attention; “ …the Home Affairs Minister who will make his views known…” As long as the powers that be in this society continue to hold on strongly to the reins of every aspect of importance, these situations will be par for the course.
Here are the words of one frustrated applicant, who, totally fed up with the system, penned a letter to the Editor of this publication: “In Guyana, if you go through the proper channels, you get nothing. You must go under or over the (table) system to get whatever you want. It’s how the system operates here. It’s insulting, disgusting and disrespectful to ask a person who waited three years to get a firearm licence to start over when it was no fault of their own.” As the misuse of guns rolls on, the firearms’ debate continues.
