BBC: Brazil implements draconian new gun control law

[papercut]

I did a search and didn't find this already posted by anyone...sorry if I missed it.

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3862173.stm

Brazil gun law comes into force

A law to ban the carrying of guns in public and control illegal ownership has come into effect in Brazil.

The law, passed by Congress in December, came into force on Friday after being signed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It will tighten rules on gun permits and create a national firearms register, with strict penalties for owning an unregistered gun.

A referendum will be held in 2005 on whether to ban gun sales outright.

About 40,000 people are shot dead each year in Brazil, mainly in urban shanty towns, giving the country one of the worst murder rates in the world.

Gun owners now have 180 days to register their weapons or surrender them to the police.

Thereafter, anyone with an unregistered gun faces a four-year prison term.

The law is also creating a programme whereby the government will purchase guns from people as an incentive to them to disarm, but Congress has not yet approved funding for this.

Only strictly defined groups of people - including police, security officials, target shooters and transport companies - will be able to obtain a gun licence.

The legal age for owning a gun is being raised from 21 to 25.

In October 2005, a national referendum will ask: "Should the sale of arms and munitions be prohibited in Brazil?"

Slow change

More than 50 other gun control bills have come before Congress over the years and failed to be passed.

Brazil's arms industry is the world's sixth largest, and strong lobbying has in the past blocked any changes to the law.

Critics of the bill say that it will not stop criminals from buying weapons illegally while depriving ordinary citizens of the means to defend themselves.

However, campaigners say that public opinion is now overwhelmingly in favour of gun control.

Over 100 police officers have been shot dead in Sao Paulo alone, and thousands of civilians die in incidents involving firearms in the country every year.

 

[Pebcac]

And they actually think the murder rate will go down.

 

[Standing Wolf]

...and control illegal ownership...

Yeah, and it's going to rain money, too.

 

[pinblaster]

It's okay , it's for thier own safety

 

[papercut]

Yeah, let's see how safe they feel when the crime & murder rates jump. Then again, this is Brazil we're talking about--how would they tell???

 

[fletcher]

The legal age for owning a gun is being raised from 21 to 25.

25? Where did they pull that from??? I also wonder what qualifies someone as a 'target shooter'...

 

[RooK]

It will tighten rules on gun permits and create a national firearms register, with strict penalties for owning an unregistered gun.

A referendum will be held in 2005 on whether to ban gun sales outright.

No doubt they will be confiscated based on the new 'registration' db they're creating. If the referendum to ban holds.

 

[HankB]

Yeah, let's see how safe they feel when the crime & murder rates jump.

Well, if this happens, it will only be because the law isn't strict enough. So they'll tighten the screws some more.

And when that doesn't work either . . .

 

[jeff-10]

Brazil has steadily been moving towards a authoritarian state ever since they elected the Communist, Lula. Also they have been fighting a low level insurgency against various criminal gangs and in recent times the conflict has moved up a notch. 40,000 killed my gunfire alone each year is pretty much a full blown guerilla war.

Don't think I am bashing Brazil though, my favorite girlfirend of all time was Brazilian. She hated guns though. In Florida a lot of cops just dress casually and wear a badge and gun on there belt. She would often complain even about the cops having guns if they were not in uniform.

There women, food and beaches are wonderful its just there culture is one of corruption, class warfare and violence. Its a country whose was born from the slave trade and it has inherited all the problems one would associate with such a dreadful beginning. I don't think the average Brazilian would understand the privilege and responsility of owning and carrying a gun for self-defense. Its a shame because it would probably be the perfect fix for there crime problem.