The senseless waiting of it all

By Cheddi Weekes
| Thu, August 02, 2012 - 12:01 AM

()

Democracy can have positives, and it can also have negatives. And, as in the case of the United States, it can be downright senseless.

Just look at the dilemma recently where James Holmes, heavily armed, went to a movie theatre and killed 12 people and injured 58.

Now what else can we expect from a country that has laws allowing a citizen to go to a store and purchase guns and ammunition like he would pizza – or order the same over the Internet?

The United States has a policy where a citizen has a right to bear arms, but, as we say in Barbados, this can lead to bare stupidness.

What amazes me is the frequency of these incidents and no one yet seeming able to put laws in place to tackle it. And this occurring in a nation considered to be the greatest on earth, with all its intellectuals and major achievements.

The shooting could easily have affected anyone of us, as our citizens’ primary choice of travel is to the United States. It could have been a brother, sister, mother or father sitting in that movie theatre on that day.

Sometimes you can spend a significant amount of money trying to obtain a visa just for the opportunity to visit and shop in America. One of the reasons for the scrutiny is the safety and security of Americans in relation to people coming to their country.

Now what about the safety and security of people going to a country where the average citizen can purchase guns and ammunition like pizza? I am sure there are many more James Holmeses just waiting their turn.