Case for ban on private arms
Media Response
Copied below is my response to a report in The Hindu today:
M G Warrier
Letters
May 8, 2023
Case for ban on private arms
This refers to the report "Gunman kills eight persons in shopping malls in Texas" (The Hindu, May 8). One may not link such insane behaviour of individuals with availability of arms or the efficiency of security systems. But frequency and the repeated occurrence of such incidents in and around the same geographical locations should signal the need for more caution about availability of arms and the legitimacy of their use by private individuals.
The casual approach of the media to such tragedies is intriguing when a wild elephant moving out of the forest and a movie portraying unacceptable social behaviour gain long shelf life in world news.
Reports indicate per capita ownership of firearms in US has crossed 100 for 100 individuals. This should be seen also as a measure of sense of insecurity among citizens in the oldest democracy.
M G Warrier
Mumbai
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