Beyond frivolities, this conversation has been long coming, and it is not just championed by some fringe elements. For example, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State said three months ago that people should be allowed to own guns for their own protection, given the fact that the security situation is in shambles.
The situation is even more dire now than it was when Governor Ishaku gave his charge. This week on WhatsApp Conversation, we ponder the question of the rights to gun ownership.
Tosin Awoniyi
Yes, every citizen should have the right to own a gun. The reason being that; If every citizen in the country owns a gun, they would be able to protect themselves from any danger whatsoever before the police would arrive.
I don’t think anything is wrong with every citizen having a gun once they have a license for it, and once they (citizens) have a license, “they are good to go.” What I mean is that they can use the gun any time, any day.
Kayode Emmanuel
Even without the right to own guns, look at what’s happening already. I’m not in support of widespread gun ownership, even when licensed. Nigerians without power will abuse it, let alone with power.
Nwakaego Ilochonwu
With the way humans are naturally. Please no. People think it would be used for self-defense. But we all know it won’t. When people have small power, they make others suffer. If we should now add a gun to it, the outcome might not be palatable..
Deji Adeyemi
Human right has to do with something intrinsic to who you are as a human being and your most basic needs. Healthcare, food, housing, and water are human rights. They are all critical things that human beings need to stay alive. Access to reproductive health services is a human right. The ability to participate freely in society regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or disability status is a human right. These are things society suppose to guarantee for its citizens and these things are integral to our very identities.
Naomi Achibong
Owning a gun does not place one in a protected class of society. It’s not integral to the inextricable identity of a human being. And a gun is not a basic necessity for survival. Some guns can be useful for hunting food, but not most, and there are alternatives to hunting for most people. They can sometimes be helpful for self-defense, but not nearly as often as people like to claim. More commonly, they are used to inflict violence, which is an infringement on other people’s human right to remain alive. Nothing about a gun is intrinsic to identity or survival.
Opeyemi Adekeye
Essentially, the right to bear arms is the right to kill. What was intended for self-defense may soon blossom into an instrument of mass destruction. Every situation reminds us of the toothpaste, which, once you press out of the tube, cannot be put back. Once gun proliferation started, there will be no way of stopping it, the lessons of Libya are still there for learning.
Although It might seem like it, but the cure for violence is not more violence. It will only end with all of us dead.
Rachel Ogunmuyiwa
Mass ownership will take guns beyond the boundary of protection, and it will become an instrument of harm. We might as well worry about the disaster that would be let loose if everyone had a gun. Beyond the original plan of ‘protect yourself.’
Without guns, we are harmful to each other already. For me, the answer will always be strengthening the security system to do better.
Stephen Ajadi
We are not a zoo, Nigeria is not America, and knowing that our regulations will be sloppy should we allow guns to become commonplace? It is not advisable. We should leave guns where they belong – to law enforcement and security agents.
Daniel Omonitan
Given the atmosphere, licensing and commonising arms will cause more harm than good. If we get to that point, we will see a spike in robbery in domestic violence. The mere fact that a politician, who is supposed to know better, is the one who suggested this speaks volumes. We should be having conversations around fortifying the military and other security personnel. We cannot descend to the stage where every man will stay on his own. A bad idea is a bad idea.
Next week, the conversation will be on the topic : “Do you think the mining of crypto currencies poses an environmental threat?’ To be part of the next edition, send your response to 08136601345 via WhatsApp or SMS.
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