Unfortunately, there is no magic wand we can wave to make every firearm vanish from Trinidad and Tobago. Opponents of Firearm User’s Licences who believe the solution to crime lies in stopping guns from entering the country need to get over themselves.

We’re not going to address crime by wishing the problem away, nor can we change the minds and spirits of criminals by having positive thoughts about them.

Criminals are in the business of crime. Even if we were to effectively prevent guns from entering the country and remove them from the streets, it would not alter the mindset of individuals determined to commit house break-ins, robberies or gang-related murders.

Long before guns were the weapon of choice, there was a serious problem with blades in Trinidad. Razor blades, in particular, were the preferred instrument of violence among the lower-class Barbadian immigrants during the 19th century, while the Indian wife-murderer was notorious for his mastery of the cutlass.

For anyone who wishes to understand the culture and pattern of criminality during the 19th century in Trinidad-before guns were commonly availableDavid Trotman’s Crime in Trinidad is recommended reading.

Fast-forward to the present day, guns have come to replace the blade for several economic reasons. Yes, criminals can make economic decisions, too. Guns are not only easier to carry around than a cutlass, but they can be fired from longer ranges. They’re also much more powerful and therefore more intimidating.

But the same economic benefits guns offer to criminals, they offer to law-abiding citizens as well.

FUL holders can fire shots from a distance, saving potential victims from several feet away. Criminals are just as intimidated by guns. The decision to brazenly walk into an establishment and hold up everyone stems from the confidence of knowing that it’s highly unlikely that there is an armed civilian nearby.

Some opponents contend that widespread FULs would result in a Wild, Wild West-but that is the furthest thing from reality.

We don’t need to rely on imagination to envision a country where civilians have broader access to firearms. There are several countries with high rates of gun ownership.

The most obvious example is the United States. What makes the US unique is that each state has its own unique set of gun laws which gives us ample data on the effectiveness of FULs as a response to crime.

Chicago is notorious for being one of America’s most violent cities, and the state of Illinois has been at the centre of gun control advocacy since the 1960s. Yet a series of mass shootings in the summer of 2012 once again re-opened the case for tighter gun laws. Chicago continues to struggle with its high homicide rate, which was 29 per 100,000 in 2021.

How does Chicago compare to, say, Boise City, Idaho, where the laws are loose?

Boise City had a homicide rate of 0.44 per 100,000 in 2021. The state of Idaho, in general, had a homicide rate of two per 100,000-which was below the US average of four per 100,000.

Correlation isn’t causation and there are many other factors that determine the homicide rate, but the fact remains that there is no direct evidence that more guns would seemingly lead to more gun-related crimes.

Are we suggesting that law-abiding citizens, who remain non-violent even during minor accidents, would suddenly become dangerous once armed?

Let’s not even waste time bringing race into the argument. You know no one is buying the ‘shooting innocent black people’ narrative when even black PNM supporters have no qualms about the Opposition leader’s call to ‘light up’ criminals.

The Prime Minister realises he is losing the battle on the racial front, hence why he had to recently raise the fear of T&T becoming a ‘militant state’.

Go check the history books. Militant states do not arise when citizens are armed. Quite the opposite, it often follows gun-grabbing.

Our neighbour, Haiti, has most recently taught us this lesson. Do a quick Google search on the law of gun ownership in Haiti and see for yourself.

Almost everyone can agree that we need more robust police and patrolling of our borders. Putting guns into the hands of citizens is just an added layer of security to help our protective services in the fight against crime. We can put a policeman on every corner, but it would still take a few minutes for them to arrive-minutes that the victims do not have to spare.

Jean-Claude Escalante Belmont