Friday’s incident involving a school bus in which nine students were arrested and a powerful firearm seized has once again heightened concern about crime in general and school violence in particular. The bus reportedly had been attacked with bottles by a youth gang and shots were fired from the vehicle in retaliation.
Nobody was hurt in this case, but it could have very well ended in tragedy, not just for those directly involved, but also for innocent bystanders, including other students in the bus. After all, a bullet hit the windshield of a car, ending up in the headrest, and the .38-calibre Smith & Wesson revolver found in a schoolgirl’s bag is a powerful weapon that can easily kill someone.
Apart from the motive and people behind the attack, the question is exactly who fired from the bus and an apparent second shot from outside, but also how the gun found on the bus ended up there and in the female student’s bag. The latter is crucial, because there is a good chance the firearm belongs to an adult, perhaps even a relative of one of the students.
There has been some debate on the Opinion pages of this newspaper recently about the right to bear arms, which some advocate as a way to enhance safety. Their main argument is that this will allow citizens to defend themselves against armed criminals and thus also act as deterrent.
The problem is that research has shown that legally obtained weapons in, for example, the United States often end up in the wrong hands. This can be the result of burglaries, but also because of neglect and lack of proper control by the permit holder, whereby other people in their immediate surroundings somehow get their hands on the gun, in many cases youngsters.
Another shooting with two injuries in Dutch Quarter was reported over the weekend and last week’s incident in which a man licensed to carry a firearm took it into Court in Philipsburg illustrates that gun ownership can lead to undesirable and potentially dangerous situations. While the well-known local sports legend involved had suffered a terrible attack some years ago, the question is warranted whether gun permits are not being given out too easily, especially when people are allowed to walk around with their weapons rather than having to keeping them secured at the home and/or business, which would seem a less risky option.Some may disagree, but most law-abiding residents on “The Friendly Island” still seem to believe that the fewer guns are out there, the better off they are.
