Locked and Loaded in the PRC
October 22nd, 2008
Ah, guns. Nothing better to fuel passionate debates, politics, judicial appointments, family fights, litigation and plaintiff lawsuits than guns and the good ol’ US of A Second Amendment.
Guns, and all that relate to them are handled a bit differently in China.
See this Wall Street Journal article, Staring Down the Barrel: The Rise of Guns in China. Great article that touches on history, culture, wealth and leisure time, economics, government regulation, crime, etc. etc. etc.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Which model to you like, and why? Defend your answer.
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, Beijing, China
2 Comments Add your own
1. Eric White | October 22nd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
**first I have to say that the picture of the fake pistols being destroyed by a steam roller is quite funny
I think it is quite ironic that the country which first introduced gun powder and guns to the rest of the world yet it is one of the few (I believe) to completly ban private gun ownership.
Even so, the fact that punishment for gun posession (atleast 3-4 years in prison) and gun robbery (often execution) does not seem to curb many Chinese from posessing or obtaining them. In fact, the article suggests that the main source of guns is the lax control of gun factories and theft from arsenals. Even when gun fights or armed robberies take place, news stories and even prosecution trials downplay or hide the fact that there were guns involved.
I think this is a huge statement of omission by the Communist party of wanting the appearance of strict control and regulation, but in practice, their grip on the control they have over citizens’ lives is loosening.
I suppose this article brings up the old cliche that banning guns will not stop those who really want them.
2. Jessica Harris | October 28th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I remember as a kid having many, many toys. When I was playing alone, none of them really seemed all that great, but when I had a playmate over and they were playing with my toys, suddenly that toy become much more appealing. So the story goes; you want something more when you can’t have it. With China banning the individual ownership of guns, this has only made having one that much more enticing.
Looking at the regulations that are currently being practiced in China in regards to guns, it seems like the punishment doesn’t quite fit the crime. Possessing a single gun is grounds for three to four years in prison! Not only does this seem rather excessive, it is not working!
The reason behind why this isn’t working is due to the mixed messages that are being given to the people of the country. First off, China was the first to make gunpowder and a “fire spear”. Then, movie and art are portraying guns as “fashionable.” Also, marksmanship is considered to be a prestigious and defining part of China’s history. The communist party thinks so highly of marksmanship that they have decided to give all college freshmen a form of training in it. If this doesn’t encourage people to become interested in owning their own gun, I don’t know what would.
I can understand that encouraging the possession of guns is not in the best interest of the crime rate of the country, but by creating a system in which people must register guns that they are going to possess, as well as a claim to why they would like to have ownership of the gun would allow the government to have some type of record of gun owners.
Not to reiterate what Eric discussed previously, but if people want something bad enough, whether it is guns or something else, they are going to take every mean possible in order to ensure that they achieve what it is they want.
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