Venezuela's Chavez bans gun ownership and firearms sales

[Ban Hammer 13,570]

In a move sure to make the American gun-control lobby green with envy and Second Amendment advocates wary, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's new gun law, which totally bans the commercial sale of firearms and ammunition to civilians, went into effect on Friday, June 1, a police source in Washington, D.C. told the Law Enforcement Examiner.

Until this ban became law, anyone in that South American country with a gun license could purchase firearms and ammunition from privately owned gun shops or sporting goods stores.

With Chavez's new gun-control law, only the Venezuelan army, police officials and certain groups such as security and private detective firms are allowed to buy firearms, and then only from state-owned weapons manufacturers and importers.

"It's gun-control on steroids and its nationalizing the firearms industry. And I'm certain American progressives are envious of both actions: banning gun ownership and nationalizing the gun industry," said the police source who requested anonymity.

According to the Venezuelan news media, the gun ban is the latest attempt by the government to improve security and cut crime ahead of elections in October, but many suspect it's all part of Chavez's socialist plan.

According to the Chavez government, Venezuela had more than 18,000 homicides in 2011, a much higher per-capita murder rate than the United States.

As is usually the case in justifying the limiting of gun rights, the government and the government-controlled news media have tied gun ownership by civilians to high crime rates, said gun enthusiast and police firearms trainer Charles "Chuck" Schwan.

According to a press statement, the Chavez government initiated a gun amnesty of sorts in order to phase in the new law and encourage people to give up their weapons peacefully and without incident in order to avoid necessary action such as house-to-house searches and arrests for illegal gun possession.

President Chavez, who has been shuttling back-and-forth from Cuba for medical treatment for cancer, says the goal of his gun program is to simply disarm all civilians. However his opponents say the police and government may not have the manpower or the will to enforce such a law, and many gun owners are suspicious of a government so eager to disarm law-abiding citizens.

The Chavez government claims it is responding to a recent United Nations report on global gun violence. The U.N. study claims that over 70% of all homicides in Latin America are caused by guns. In the U.S., according to the FBI's Annual Uniform Crime Report, about 24% are committed with firearms.

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so this should mean no guns, right? wrong - how about making your own?

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[Karee 4,191]

I'll be curious to see the murder rate in a few years. I don't think this will have an affect one way or the other.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I'll be curious to see the murder rate in a few years. I don't think this will have an affect one way or the other.

Why not? It did in Compton. They took 7K guns off the streets and the murder rate dropped an astonishing 75% over the 6 years following the gun reduction initiative. I know certain people like to pretend this isn't so but fewer guns actually do translate into safer streets.

[natty bumppo 297]

1359405441[/url]' post='5946177']

Why not? It did in Compton. They took 7K guns off the streets and the murder rate dropped an astonishing 75% over the 6 years following the gun reduction initiative. I know certain people like to pretend this isn't so but fewer guns actually do translate into safer streets.

Nice claim ... Got link?

Wonder how many of those Venezuelan home made items went through registration and background checks?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Nice claim ... Got link?

Yep, in the other thread. Posted it this morning.

Edited January 28, 2013 by Mr. Big Dog

[natty bumppo 297]

1359406697[/url]' post='5946224']

Yep, in the other thread. Posted it this morning.

Answered your other thread. Any comments on the large change of demographics from 2000 - 2010 besides "that doesn't count"

[natty bumppo 297]

1359408330[/url]' post='5946300']

Answered your other thread. Any comments on the large change of demographics from 2000 - 2010 besides "that doesn't count"

In case you can't find the other thread

1359408177[/url]' post='5946296']

There is much more to this than a simple couple of $ for a gun.

Check the demographics between 2000 and 2010. Looks like the turf has changed hands ...

AA -16%

Pacific native -27%

Asian alone +23%

Hispanic +18%

Linky

Edited January 28, 2013 by natty bumppo

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Answered your other thread. Any comments on the large change of demographics from 2000 - 2010 besides "that doesn't count"

How about demographics changes in the same time frame? 2005 - 2011? You know about them apples and oranges.

[natty bumppo 297]

1359410956[/url]' post='5946373']

How about demographics changes in the same time frame? 2005 - 2011? You know about them apples and oranges.

Post the link ...I posted one .. Your turn

Census stats are on a 10 yr cycle ... Make yours count ....

Edited January 28, 2013 by natty bumppo

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Yep, in the other thread. Posted it this morning.

You also said robberies were way down. How did buying back guns accomplish that ? So someone that does a lot of robbing, decides to sell a gun for a few hundred bucks and stops robbing .. Maybe since all crime was down is it possible something else was at play.

[natty bumppo 297]

1359412693[/url]' post='5946435']

You also said robberies were way down. How did buying back guns accomplish that ? So someone that does a lot of robbing, decides to sell a gun for a few hundred bucks and stops robbing .. Maybe since all crime was down is it possible something else was at play.

The turf wars are over.

I'm waiting for b.dog to post census data from 2005 to 2010 for validation to prove the demographic change had zero influence ...

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Post the link ...I posted one .. Your turn

Census stats are on a 10 yr cycle ... Make yours count ....

It's you that want to prove a point. I already provided back-up for the success of the gun reduction program which took place in 2005. Murders, robberies, assaults and crime overall have since significantly declined. If you want to prove that demographics are the reason, then prove it with relevant data. Thus far you have not.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

You also said robberies were way down. How did buying back guns accomplish that ? So someone that does a lot of robbing, decides to sell a gun for a few hundred bucks and stops robbing .. Maybe since all crime was down is it possible something else was at play.

Maybe. That's all you got. Maybe Jesus showed himself in Compton and made better people out of the residents. Thus far, we know that in 2005 some 7K guns were removed from the streets of Compton and that murders, violent crimes and crime overall has decreased. Significantly so. You want to show that something other than the reduction in guns has done that? Then show it. Keep your speculation to yourself.

[natty bumppo 297]

1359413061[/url]' post='5946445']

It's you that want to prove a point. I already provided back-up for the success of the gun reduction program which took place in 2005. Murders, robberies, assaults and crime overall have since significantly declined. If you want to prove that demographics are the reason, then prove it with relevant data. Thus far you have not.

You must prove 2005 to 2010 demographics and the documented changes to invalidate my point. I posted and linked the census data.

Anything less and you are only something to be scraped off my boot ...

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Post the link ...I posted one ..

I already did. You posted a link as well but it's not related to the subject at hand. It discusses a different time frame. Try and be relevant every now and then.

You must prove 2005 to 2010 demographics and the documented changes to invalidate my point.

No. You must present a point first that invalidates what I am saying. Thus far you have not.