An eye for an eye, a bullet for a gun
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An eye for an eye, a bullet for a gun
Bechara Kerbage
American University of Beirut
English 204
Mrs. Abir Ward
November 20,2017
An eye for an eye, a bullet for a gun
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Abstract
This research paper examines the pros and cons of gun control mainly in middle eastern
countries. In fact, each country has its own laws and regulation about guns. Many innocent lives
were taken due to gun violence. The main issue lies in the uncontrolled transportation of
unlicensed guns. “Anti-gun control” claims that owning a gun is for the benefit of the population
and reduces crime rates whereas pro-gun control argues that guns are harmful in the wrong hands
and are main reasons for homicides. The purpose of this paper is to help raise awareness to a
very sensitive topic that can save lives.
Keywords: Gun violence, crime rates, homicide, Self-defense, Firearm-crime
relationships.
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An eye for an eye, a bullet for a gun
Alive and free are two concepts human beings constantly aim for. In our own personal
way, we all hope to stay alive and perhaps gain our freedom one of these days. Death is a scary
concept for some and for others when death knocks on their front door it means that it’s their
time to go. Death shouldn't be caused by others but nowadays anyone carrying a weapon of their
choice is a threat. Human beings are unsure of who to trust and find themselves in continuous
state of terror where a piece of metal dictates their lives. Many believe that we are alive and well,
but that was not the case for a Lebanese mother. She, like the rest of us, never expected to die.
She was shot with a single bullet by her four-year-old son. Although it was accidental, the boy
now has to live his life as a prisoner of his actions. He did kill his mother after all. Carrying a
weapon is a choice we make and it is time we educate others on its risks. An increase in
uncontrolled gun possession and weak law regulations sheds a light on the core of the issue: a
corrupt government Like many countries all over the world, Lebanon and other Middle Eastern
nations are witnessing an increase of homicide rates due to the lack of gun control. Stricter gun
control and licensing are necessary to a safer future, which is why, it is important to help raise
awareness for the matter at hand in order to help open people's eyes to the bigger issue and
perhaps push them to act and do something about gun control, more importantly in the Middle
East.
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, gun control is the “regulation of the
selling, owning, and use of guns." Each country has its own laws and regulations when it comes
to guns. According to a report published in 2013 by the Library of Congress, Lebanon's weapon
and ammunition law dates back to 1959. In Lebanon, laws about guns are divided into several
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categories: laws for weapons, firearms, military equipment, and others. The first category
focuses solely on weapons used for military purposes on military bases or at war. This includes
war on land, sea, and in the air. The second category focuses on weapons that are not for military
use and the third category focuses on explosives and gunpowder. In order to carry a gun in
Lebanon, one must have a license from the Ministry of Defense (Library of Congress, 2013). The
carrier must be at least 21 years old, the legal age in Lebanon, and should not have had any
history of mental illnesses. The person should not have been prohibited by court to own a gun
and shouldn’t be convicted for prior or any offenses. This helps ensure that the person carrying
the gun is not a threat to the rest of the population. To illustrate that point, the 2013 report also
suggests that the Ministry of Interior or National Defense can take away a person's permit at any
time if he or she fails to adhere to the regulations for owning a permit or for public safety
reasons. According to online data center Gun Policy, hosted by Sydney's School of Public
Health, the number of privately owned firearms by civilians, legally or illegally, is around
750,000 in Lebanon. Moreover, Lebanon ranked at 58 in a 2007 comparison of the number of
privately owned guns in 178 countries. Other Middle Eastern nations such as Jordan ranked at
71, Egypt ranked at 37, and Iraq ranked at 13.
The implementation of gun control however has been quite unsuccessful in Lebanon.
With a strong historical gun culture, many are unable to detach themselves from the weapon.
Some believe it is a representation of the country's past and often associate carrying a gun with
strength and pride. Lebanon also lacks effective government control. In a documentary published
in February 2014 by Vice News, where journalist Aris Roussinos tries to uncover or understand
Lebanon's weapon bazaar. Roussinos mostly filmed his fifteen minutes documentary in Tripoli,
one of Lebanon's biggest cities where he discovered that the idea of owning a weapon is
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engraved in the Lebanese people's culture. While interviewing one of Tripoli's gun dealers who
did not want to reveal his true identity, Roussinos noticed that perhaps one of the reasons for the
increasing number of gun owners is their low cost. In fact, the gun dealer said that back in the
day "a box of bullets used to cost $30 (L.L 45,000) and now it costs $15 (L.L 20,000.)."
Being a country where violence is a constant, citizens all over the cities carry weapons to fight
back. Roussinos concludes that Lebanon resembles a giant weapons market.
Stricter gun control laws and licensing are mandatory and necessary to a safer future for
upcoming generations.
While the rest of the world is working on implementing stricter gun control laws, we still
find that in the world today exists a group of “anti-gun control” advocates. They often tend to
believe that possessing a hand gun or any sort of firearm makes them feel safer. They often think
that if they were ever caught in a compromising or dangerous situation, knowing that they have a
gun helps them relax and not fear what's to come. In a commentary by David Lampo, published
in 2000, the author tackles the topic of gun control. He adds that several states in the U.S.A have
witness a decrease in crime rates. This observation is particular to the states where citizens are
allowed to carry with them concealed weapons. Lampo goes on to say that these states saw their
crime rates decrease of approximately 24 percent, while homicide rates have decreased of 19
percent and robbery crime rates decreased of 39 percent. It is clear that there has been a
somewhat significant decrease in crime rates in certain areas but that does not necessarily mean
that these numbers apply seventeen years later. The world evolved and so have its people. Even
though these numbers are specific to the U.S.A, this might also apply to countries in the MiddleEast that would possibly feel the same. These statistical numbers show that carrying dangerous
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weapons and allowing the population to have access to guns can lead to a noticeable decrease in
crime rates. Anti-gun control supporters believe that owning a weapon is a mean to defend
themselves which offers them some type of peace-of-mind knowing they would be able to come
through if they ever have to face a dangerous situation. In the 2014 documentary on Lebanon
(Vice News, 2014), Roussinos noticed, when interviewing one of Tripoli's gun dealers, that
clashed between the country's multiple religious and political groups push people to seek
protection and what better way to ensure safety than with weapons. People carry guns to fight the
enemy and in a country like Lebanon where corruption is taking over the cities, owning a gun is
a must. Fathers protect their families and men protect their cities. In the 2016 journal article
titled "Does Gun Control Reduce Violent Crime?" KlecK, Kovandzic, and Bellows offer readers
an insight into the world of weapons where they try to understand or establish a correlation
between gun possession and crime rates. The authors have noticed that some "critics argue that
gun control laws could increase crime, by disarming pro-spective victims, reducing their ability
to effectively defend themselves, and possibly reducing any deterrent effect that victim gun
possession might have on offenders." This suggest that by eliminating the right of owning a gun,
governments are putting their citizens at risk of losing their lives.
While some might believe that gun control is useless, it is clear however that the lack of
regulations on weapon possession causes an increase of crimes throughout the world, and
definitely in the Middle East. Therefore, future regulations should take place in order to maintain
a harmless environment.
A decrease in the possession of firearms leads to a decrease in crime rates. The constant
access to weapons allows citizens to believe that owning a gun is the norm. This makes killing
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others easier, quicker, and more efficient. Executive Director of the Violence Policy Center, Josh
Sugarmann, believes that we always look for other explanations when the answer is crystal clear:
a prohibition is needed “on the handy killing machines” that are making murder an easy task.
Accepting that unexperienced and untrained people to carry guns puts others at risk and it is the
result of many suicides and unintentional incidents. Moreover, in his 2015 article published in
the Huffington Post, Rober Muggah says that stronger gun laws are synonym with less violence.
In the article, the author talks about how an increase in gun or any firearm ownership might lead
to an increase in crime rates. Muggah said that many studies "consistently show how increases in
firearms ownership are positively associated with increases in homicide and suicide." This piece
of information is alarming considering the fact that in 2005, the annual firearm homicide rate in
Lebanon was 8 and within the span of a year the country witnessed a remarkable increase in the
rate. In 2006, the annual number for homicide by firearm is 31 (Gun Policy). These alarming
numbers do not only concern Lebanon, in 2010 in Jordan, the number of deaths by firearms or
guns was 87. In Egypt, the number of homicides by firearms or guns was 423 in 2010, however,
in 2011 it witnessed a striking rise where the number exceeded 1,830. Muggah illustrates this
idea and adds that "whether on the street or in the home, where handguns and rifles are easily
available they are more likely to be used in a criminal act," (2015). Middle eastern countries
have a rather high rate of homicide resulting from firearms. In the United States, states where
gun ownership rates are rather higher than other states have higher rates of homicides resulting
from guns, but not higher rates of non-gun homicides. Those numbers are significantly important
to show that firearms are triggering more and more killings in several countries and its
underlines that access to gun is harmful and should be dealt with.
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Furthermore, an increase in the number of firearms allows people to believe that it’s
tolerable to use them. It gives them permission to use them as they please and whenever they
please. Lebanon is not a stranger to weapon use. Although it happens all over the world, partying
and clubbing in Lebanon has a negative connotation. Lebanese citizens often associate parties
with violence. Over the past couple of years alone, a significant number of the country's young
adults were victims of assaults right outside a bar, pub, club, or party. These fights mostly take
place over a girl or on the road, leaving the people involved in the problem angry or mad. This
pushes some to use a form of weapon that helps express their frustration. In “Does Gun Control
Reduce Violent Crime?” Kleck, Kovandzic, and Bellows (2016) suggest that if a person owns a
gun or any type of firearm, it might encourage attacks, especially if that person feels like they
might be prone to dangerous situations. The authors add that this could also "facilitate attacks
from a distance or attacks by persons too squeamish to attack with messier weapons like knives
or too timid to attack at close quarters." The authors added that in some occasions, "the sight of a
gun also might trigger attacks by angered persons, due to the learned association between guns
and violence." It is clear that gun possession and violence are interrelated topics, however it is
important to understand who is at the core of the problem. Weapons all over the world are sold
legally or illegally, this suggests that the majority of those who own a gun are not eligible to
have one. Private illegal sales and dealerships of weapons that are not monitored will eventually
allow anyone to get access to a vast supply of firearms, explosives, machine guns, and more
destructive weapons in just minutes. Roussinos, shows that gun trade in Lebanon is a profitable
business. The journalist illustrated the weapon trade in Lebanon while showing viewers
disturbing footage of children below the age of sixteen professionally operating a machine gun.
If kids are able to get their hands-on weapons, what does that mean for their future? They learn
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at a very young age violence. Kleck et al mention the level of danger people are exposed to if a
country does not believe in gun control. This suggests that if a country like Lebanon ignores the
fact that kids are used to carrying weapons instead of toys, then the Lebanese government does
not believe in gun control or is not trying to do anything to help improve it. Nonetheless, as
previously seen in the first section of the research paper that in order to purchase a gun in
Lebanon people do have to obey to certain conditions, but this does not stop the majority from
defying the rules and establishing their own gun possession system. Moreover, Roussinos
mentions that Lebanon's politics are controlled by sectarian affiliations. Each political party
identifies itself with a religion, highlighting the country's diversity. Sectarian armed groups are
the ones sending weapons and granting people in Tripoli access to guns, said one of the dealers
in Roussino's documentary. Weapons are carried openly. Just like tobacco and alcohol, in
Lebanon guns are an addiction. A corrupt and unorganized government is the one to blame.
Political parties are providing their affiliates weapons to help fight the so-called "enemy,"
however when things get rough and corruption takes over, the definition of an enemy is blurred.
Citizens no longer know who to fight so they begin fighting one another. With impressive stocks
of destructive weapons, younger generations are growing up in an environment where guns and
firearms are like an accessory, a bracelet they tie around their arms.
Although it is important to argue that gun control is a must, this research paper remains
incomplete. Relying on accurate facts and quotes is a must for every successful argument, and
even though throughout the paper readers are offered different point of views, it was difficult to
find any previous scholarly information about the region. Therefore, conducting this research
paper prove difficult, because of the lack of scholarly articles about the region on this subject.
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Additionally, data obtained in over ten-years-old making it outdated especially with the influx of
refugees in the country and the subsequent rise in undocumented criminal rates.
Citizens all over the world are living in an environment that has seen dramatic increases
in violent crime over a remarkably short period of time. Gun laws are diverse for different
countries of the world. For instance, countries such as the United Kingdom have stricter
regulations about gun possession than the United States of America, where in the Middle East,
especially in Lebanon we notice that gun control although present on paper, it is practically
nonexistent. Corruption, religious parties, and war in neighboring countries increase gun trade all
over the country. People taking stand against stricter gun control argue that it does not at all
contribute to reduced injuries and accidents. In fact, they see it as a benefit for the population's
safety. Nonetheless, other scholars helped prove that there exists a visible correlation between
the increasing numbers of crimes and the possession of weapons. Citizens are no longer in
control of their lives when facing others who hold a gun. Weapon owners are a threat to the
country's people and constantly put others in danger. It is time to stand up for our right to be
alive and free and simply say "enough."
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References
Alpers, P., Marcus, W. (n.d). Guns in Lebanon - Firearms, gun law and gun control. Retrieved
November 13, 2017, from http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/lebanon
Arthur L. Kellermann, Frederick P. Rivara, Norman B et al. (1993, October 7). Gun Ownership
as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home. The New England Journal of Medicine,
329(15). doi:10.1056/NEJM199310073291506
Kleck, G., Kovandzic, T., & Bellows, J. (2016). Does Gun Control Reduce Violent Crime?
Criminal Justice Review, 41(4), 488-513. doi:10.1177/0734016816670457
Muggah, R. (2015, May 03). Stronger Gun Laws, Less Violence. Retrieved November 13, 2017,
from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-muggah/stronger-gun-laws-less-
violence_b_7199092.html
Saliba,
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https://www.loc.gov/law/help/firearms-control/lebanon.php
Vice News. (2014). Lebanon's Illegal Arms Dealers. YouTube Documentary. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxumsOQMxLE