Nah! That Couldn't Happen Here

Earlier in my career, I worked in South America, and I still follow news from our southern neighbor.

In doing so, I recently saw the following report:

Brazil’s recently inaugurated leftist President Lula Ignacio Da Silva has initiated a process of taking back guns from citizens after a surge in sales toward the end of Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency.

The Wall Street Journal detailed in a report how Lula already has reversed looser gun restrictions from the Bolsonaro era and plans to force owners to register their firearms or face arrest. Lula gave owners until March 31 to bring their guns to their nearest police station for inspection and registration in a national government database.

In April, Lula will order a presidential decree forcing owners to turn over any firearms in excess of the new three-per-person rule, or face arrest and prosecution, Brazil’s justice minister, Flávio Dino, told the Journal.

“Any gun that is not declared will be considered an illegal weapon…they’ll be committing a crime,” said Dino, adding that a failure to comply could result in two to four years in prison plus an unlimited fine.

As Gun Talk readers know, we in the USA see more and more federal, state and local firearms restrictions, and Pres. Joe Biden’s March 14 executive order demanded “universal registration.” So far, the order does not limit the number of firearms we might own, but could that be on the way too?

According to the Brazilian think tank the Igarapé Institute, the country’s residents bought some 1.6 million guns during Bolsonaro’s term in office, representing more than half of the total three million firearms in national circulation. Sounds a bit like the buying surge the “pandemic” created in the USA, and continues with record firearms sales. Politics drives firearms sales as well.

Are comparisons between Brazil and the USA unfounded? I would say “No,” based on ongoing assaults on our Second-Amendment rights. The Biden administration has made no secret of its desire to disarm Americans, and several international agencies have the same intent.

And can we “trust” governments to protect our firearms rights? If one actually believes that today, he or she must live in an alternate reality or follow the “lamestream media.”

Sadly, the March 27 shootings at The Covenant School in Nashville, TN, have renewed efforts to restrict or ban firearms, including “assault weapons,” whatever they may be. As expected, politics is a key feature.

And back to Brazil, Bearing Arms reported that police are investigating an incident there in which four children were hacked to death by a man with a hatchet at a daycare center. Perhaps we can add hatchets to the list of “assault weapons.” Proof again that people murder people. Weapons do not kill on their own.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., warned March 23 in the U.S. House that the next move by Democrats to regulate guns will be to declare “firearm violence” as a public health emergency, which they’ll use as they used the COVID emergency to limit Americans’ freedom.

As I wrote in my March 10 article “So What is ‘Gun Violence’?,” there is a distinct difference between “gun violence” and “criminal violence.”

Our ability to Stay safe, be prepared depends on us demanding accountability from our governments. Let your elected and appointed officials know your views. And also let Brazil be another lesson for us. ~ Mike

‍

‍

Mike Sampson
Mike now calls Northwestern Arkansas home, but has lived and worked in several states and internationally. He has been an independent contractor and consultant since 2006 specializing in risk management, emergency management and training. In addition to work as a law-enforcement planner and technical writer with the Boise, Idaho, Police Department, he has experience in journalism, crop and animal agriculture, dryland farming for 20 years in western Kansas, plant and animal diseases, pandemic influenza, agroterrorism, bioterrorism, food safety and healthcare marketing.

He has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and has newspaper and agency writing and editing experience. At Washington State University in Pullman, he earned a master’s degree emphasizing adult education and communications.

While living in Lander, WY, Mike provided photographic coverage of the One-Shot Antelope Hunt for three years, and got to meet and accompany folks such as Chuck Yeager, Carroll Shelby, Buzz Aldrin, Dale Robertson and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf on their hunts. He also worked as an outfitter’s guide.

‍