The Prime Minister said regardless of the outcome of the local government elections, the Opposition will not be able to give citizens easier access to firearms users licences (FULs). He also reiterated his criticism of the Opposition Leader’s promise to introduce stand your ground laws if the UNC forms the next government. He said this law is divisive.
In the latest instalment of the Conversations with Dr Rowley forum, on Saturday at the La Joya Complex in St Joseph, he was asked whether stand your ground laws would address the issue of home invasions.
“What is being proposed is a copycatting of what is happening in America. No local government body could offer stand your ground law, that's a matter for Parliament. It gives a licensed firearms user the power to act without proportionality. Yes we want to be able to give people in this country (the opportunity) to defend themselves, no one is arguing against that.
“We already have that in our country. We have had situations where people have defended themselves and found themselves afoul of the law. You remember a fella that had set up a cutlass with a spring, and a thief who was robbing him on a regular basis went through the window and lost an arm?
"Was that person ever prosecuted? No. You are not likely to find yourself in a position where you are being prosecuted for defending yourself.”
Rowley said there were 14 states in the US which are trying to get rid of stand your ground laws, as they had very bad consequences. He said Act 15 of 2019 provided a penalty of $50,000 and 15 years in jail for using threats or force against people.
“The law is there. If it needs to be reviewed or revised say so, but don’t behave as though it’s a free-for-all and people are allowed to do as they please and there’s no law and you can’t defend yourself.
IT'S ALL A
'NANSI' STORY
"But really what is happening is tapping into a desire that has increased, because as we have to accept, we are facing an upsurge in criminal conduct and this stand your ground, people now seeking to use that as a political magnet to feed into this desire that if I have a gun I can defend myself.
“Yes if you have a gun in the appropriate situation and you have the opportunity then you could and should defend yourself. But that cannot be the national policy where everybody gets a gun and you shoot everybody who threatens you or who you think is threatening you. Because that is what they’re advocating.
“Why is that in a local government election? Not one of the 141 councillors, if they (the UNC) win every seat, could change one paragraph in the law. So it’s all ‘Nansi story led by people who believe they could deceive you and get you to act on their foolishness.”
Rowley said the issue of FULs and firearms was a money-making venture and some advocating for their use are seeing a business opportunity.
“How many of you are prepared to pay $40,000 for an FUL, and another $15,000 to the (firearms) dealer? How many of you are in a position to do that? So who’s going to get the gun and
