22.4.07

NEW GUN LAW IN BELGIUM

In Belgium since June 2006 nobody is allowed to own a gun or a rifle unless he has a special permission but it is extremely difficult to get one, this includes also hunters. They can get a permission but for rifles only. Each gun or rifle is registrated and the owner well known.

For policemen of course it is different as a gun is part of their work equipment. But this has changed too. Since yesterday a policemen is not allowed anymore to take his gun home. He has to leave it in his locker before he leaves.

Of course there have been a lot of pro and cons because sometimes a policemen even private could settle some fights in a subway for example if he would have a gun. We will see what the future will tell us.

The decision to make this new law came finally up when a policeman had shot his wife in a fit of jealousy last year.

With these laws Belgium has become or still is a quite safe country. Of course there are burglaries, car and home jackings but these are all criminal damages and can be replaced. Of course it happens too that people are murdered but never such massacres could occur like in the USA for example. With a knife you can only kill one person at the time, with strangling, beating etc. too. It's therefore impossible to shoot around like a mad cowboy and kill more than 30 people at one time, as it had happened last week in Virginia.

16 comments:

Pamela said...

you can't argue with that.

MaR said...

There are too many potential criminals out there. Don't make guns available to them!
I totally agree with you.
Only Pookie looks cute with a gun!

TopChamp said...

Is that little gun yours or the cat's? Are there different licensing laws for kitties?

P.S. DEFINITELY going for the cat on Tuesday. Whether we can take one home straight away I'm not sure. Hope you have a good party - jealous of your sunshine!

Melli said...

Yes.... more and more and more I am leaning toward stricter gun control laws ... but American's are so AGAINST any government interference in their lives! Some people just can't accept that rules CAN be an OKAY thing!!!

Moobear said...

Never say never my friend, as this is the worst mass killing in the history of the United States. It can happen anywhere, anytime. I just pray it never happens in your country.
A troubled minded person lives somewhere no doubt in all countries.
Hope you have a blessed day my friend.

Claudia

Anonymous said...

As you already know, it's about the same over here in sweden and I too think that this is a very good thing. I'm sure that it saves some lifes and that can never be a bad thing :-)

Rachelle said...

Okay, I made it my personal quest to clear your good name, or, the name of your blog! So I researched and found out why your site says "might be a scam... etc"

It's because of all the graphics on your page! They are from so many different places I guess.

So, let not your heart be troubled my friend, your site is NOT a scam, and none need fear to tread here! We just need enjoy all your delightful pictures and prose!
:))
Slainte~
Rachelle

Spicy said...

What a fun blog you have. I found out I was a 'nerdy' girl.
Sounds like Belgium would be a great place to live. I live in Canada and it seems the criminals can get guns very easily.

Anonymous said...

We are going to have to get a nationalized gun registry...just like sex offenders, etc. That boy should have never even been able to buy a gun legally.

I was a pop. bitch on the quiz below and then the hippy. I'm going to try to find Arthur's pics.

Jana said...

I agree (and being American that might be strange to some of your blog readers) that people shouldn't just be allowed to have guns. Perhaps a handgun if the person feels the need to protect their stuff, but not an AK-47 assult rifle with a clip full of bullets to do so much harm and ruin so many lives. This guy in Virginia was a nutball, he was a known nutball and still was allowed to purchase an assult rifle. Sad---only sad.
Jesus never talked about guns, but talked about love. He did say if someone wants your tunic give him also your cloak.

Anonymous said...

Jana,you have your facts all screwed up. The Virginia Tech killer DID NOT have an AK-47. He had two high capacity handguns. One 9mm and one .22 caliber.

Unknown said...

Different countries have different histories and traditions. Gun ownership in Europe may need to be regulated severely due to the lack of experience most people have with firearms. In the US guns have been an important part of our history and the right to own them is enshrined in our constitution. Criminals and mentally unstable people should not be allowed to own a gun. However, the majority of gun owners are very responsible. I have owned guns all my life and never had a problem. I have an AK-47 and handguns. This does not make me a threat and I am not. Most gun owners are not. Those who misuse a firearm are dealt with by the appropriate laws. Innocent people do get killed by guns but you don't penalize everyone for the actions of a few.

Anonymous said...

You're absolutely right! By removing all firearms, no massacre could POSSIBLY occur! After all, you can ONLY kill ONE person with a knife!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_re_eu/eu_belgium_stabbings_13

Uh huh.

Anonymous said...

Can only kill one person with a knife? If someone had a gun, those folks in the Belgium day-care center might be alive today.

Anonymous said...

I feel badly for the people of Belgium especially after Nordine Amrani just finished killing four people and critically injuring 125. That's ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE people!

If a law-abiding citizen had been able to have a gun, Amrani might not have been able to do so much damage.

Criminals will ALWAYS get guns. ALWAYS. Gun laws ONLY affect law-abiding citizens.

You will NEVER be able to remove firearms unless you remove them from the ENTIRE world - an impossibility. Sorry, some of you are living in a fantasy world.

Gattina said...

This blog is closed since 2007 ! Meanwhile lots of things have changed. If you want to make a comment on the killing of Liège please go to my main blog here where I wrote about it.