Gun culture growing in our states
IN GUYANA, a security guard kills seven family members and then turns the gun on himself; in Jamaica the news reports tell us that 22 people were murdered in less than a week, bringing the figure then to 486 people killed since the start of the year; and in Barbados after a shootout near the Eden Lodge Day Nursery, which traumatised those at the nursery, a decision has been taken to put security guards in place at the nurseries. It is all part of the deadly gun culture that appears to be doing its worst in spite of the best efforts of the authorities to keep illegal guns out of the hands of people, even though there was a twist to the Guyana story. In Guyana, where the seven family members were shot dead, the security guard who did the shooting was carrying a gun which he was permitted to take home and which was part of his equipment as a security guard. The authorities are now thinking of taking away the privilege given security guards of taking their guns home when off duty. It is another example of where it only takes one incident to make us realise that situations which we take for granted can carry with them the potential of great harm to people. In much the same way, the decision to place security guards at the day nurseries has come after the shooting incident at Eden Lodge reminded us that nowhere is safe these days with the number of illegal guns that are around. It is not easy to provide protection for people who just want to go about their business from day to day without putting their lives at risk, when a society becomes gun-happy. The reasons why guns claim victims are myriad. What causes one attacker to resort to the gun is not the same for another even though the end result can be as deadly. But it is certain that if people were not in possession of guns, however murderous might be their thinking, a gun would not be there for use. This has always been the challenge facing the authorities as they try to limit the number of guns that are legally permitted to be carried by citizens, while trying to keep illegal guns from those who have no such permission. The problem threatened to get out of hand, however, where the illegal guns are being brought into the country from whatever source, or for whatever purpose. Control here is most difficult. Not only that. The determination for the criminal-minded to get their hands on guns can place even those whose task it is to provide security for others, in a deadly situation. Reports coming out of Jamaica state that security guards are being killed for their guns. It is this type of reckless cynicism that spreads fear throughout a society and reflects itself in how the criminal-minded are prepared to challenge the law when it tries to clamp down on illegal weapons. In Barbados, we have laws aimed at imposing heavy sanctions on those caught with illegal guns, but as a deterrent, it is still not as effective as we hoped, judging from the number of gun-related incidents. 
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