By Siesta-friendly
Idiots’ Discharge
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
RETURN FIRE (Some possibilities to address indiscriminate firing)
Idiots
do not learn, nor do they care, from other people’s experiences. This is why idiots are also known as nitwits
(with wits the size of lice), peabrained (with brains the size of peas),
pinheads (with brains the size of pins), airheads (with not even a brain in
their heads), and so on.
Idiots
with guns are some of the worst because their mental capacity cannot make the
connection between their act of indiscriminately firing dangerous weapons and
the harm their acts can bring
about. As evidenced by the continued
deaths and injuries from stray bullets (especially by young children) – new
year after new year - stray bullets do not make idiots stop and think and
refrain from indiscriminately firing guns to celebrate the coming year.
Unfortunately,
there is no cure for stupidity.
But
while we cannot cure, it doesn’t mean we cannot prevent. Or at least try.
Presently,
indiscriminate firing is punished under Art. 155 of the Revised Penal Code as
follows:
Art. 155. Alarms and scandals. — The penalty
of arresto menor or a fine not exceeding P200 pesos shall be imposed upon:
1. Any person who within any
town or public place, shall discharge any firearm, rocket, firecracker, or other
explosives calculated to cause alarm or danger;
xxx
Imposing
a fine of P200 or the penalty of arresto
menor (i.e., imprisonment for 1 day to 30 days) for discharging a firearm does
seem to indicate any firm desire to stop harmful behavior.
Ready, Aim, File!
There
is a pending bill (House Bill No. 6819) – even citing the 2013 new year’s eve still unsolved death of 7-year old
Stephanie Nicole Ella from a stray bullet
– that seeks to increase the penalty from arresto menor to prision
correccional in its maximum period (i.e., 4 years to 6 years); and if the perpetrator
is a member of the PNP or AFP or a law enforcement officer and the discharge is
not in the performance of official duties, the penalty is reclusion temporal in its maximum period (i.e., 17 years to 20
years). The penalties, of course, will
change if the facts constitute a crime with a higher imposable penalty. And if the indiscriminate firing causes
death, the penalty is reclusion perpetua
(i.e., 30 years).
We
only wonder why this is not yet law.
Rats are most welcome
Apart
from pushing for this bill to become law, we can also choose to exercise our civic
(if not humanitarian) duties by reporting any indiscriminate firing we witness
and by providing any helpful information to prevent indiscriminate firing or in
order to nab the perpetrators.
Gun registration amnesty?
Perhaps
we may be able to put more guns in the registry - we assume there is a
computerized one - by allowing a one-time free registration for all delinquent
gun owners. Then, spent bullets may be
easier to trace.
SOCO
and NBI may need CSI upgrade
Maybe
our law enforcers can also upgrade their techniques and equipment to be able to
check all possible angles and trajectories bullets take to be able to find the
source.
By
themselves, guns don’t kill, bullets don’t kill, humans don’t kill. Combined, they can be lethal. So we have to do all we can to make humans
handle lethal weapons responsibly. And
when they don’t, we must do all we can to make them responsible for the
consequences of their acts.
Were
it only possible that all bullets fired so carelessly be returned to sender.
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