Phillipines Removing Gun Rights: Security or Crackdown on Liberties?

The government in Manila will be enforcing a total gun ban for the 2007 election, to establish a "peaceful election environment":

"MANILA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine police said on Thursday that a total gun ban will be implemented in the first half of next year, so as to ensure a non-violent environment nationwide for the 2007 elections.

The ban would take effect on Jan. 14 until June 13, based on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution 7707, Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac, chief of the national police's Firearms and Explosives Division, told reporters on Thursday.

The elections of local officials, lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate is scheduled in May, the official said, adding that the gun ban aims to prevent an outbreak of violence in the elections. "

news.xinhuanet.com...

What is this world coming to? People sign over their rights and give the people in charge all the guns. I do not believe that guns solve any problems, but when one group has all of them, what do they have to fear? The rule of law? good luck with that.

I think it's wrong but at the same point, how in the world do you enforce that? A couple month period where guns are banned? What, house to house searches for them? I went to school in Washington D.C. where all firearms purchased after some year in the 1970's are illegal yet D.C. has one of the highest crime rates in the United States. (Sure Virginia across the river has some of the most lax gun laws in the nation.) Manila has its problems but still I think it's a ridiculous idea that such a ban would ever work.

Although Britain's ban on firearms does not seem to raise to many complaints despite the existence of armed violence there. Who is to say what's the best course of action...

What about the infringement of 2nd amendment rights? David Karesh of Waco was raided on grounds of owning legal weapons to which he had permits for? The Phillipines is not the only nation to crack down on the private ownership of weapons. The people that should be feared aren't the criminals with guns, but the people in charge with guns.

Originally posted by CAConrad0825
What about the infringement of 2nd amendment rights? David Karesh of Waco was raided on grounds of owning legal weapons to which he had permits for? The Philippines is not the only nation to crack down on the private ownership of weapons. The people that should be feared aren't the criminals with guns, but the people in charge with guns.

What about the 2nd amendment? We aren't talking about the U.S. but the Philippines. Sure MacArthur said he'd be back, that doesn't mean their constitution that was written in Manila in 1987 (in the most "present" form) is the constitution of Philadelphia in 1787. It is a different country. I don't agree with the Filipino government on the issue, but trying to say that America's 2nd amendment applies to a country with no legal background of it, is just ignorant.

The reason for the reference is that the gun rights in the US have been clamped down in the same manner as the Phillipines. International law is taking a higher precedent as the US expands its presence in the international community. To not pay attention to the rights of our neighbors is to not keep our eyes open to future infringements. Such infringements are taking place in the US upon other personal rights, why not guns next?

Because the National Rifle Association is one of the most (terrifyingly) powerful lobbying groups in America? Ask an ATF agent what he thinks about the state of gun control in the United States. I know that plays into your argument, but all those in Civil Service that work in the field blame the politicians that you say could potentially restrict your access to firearms, when in fact everything they, they being Civil Servicemen/ women, say states that the laws continue to get looser and less rigid.