Dear Editor,
I read with interest in your daily that a group of developing Caribbean countries including The Bahamas has joined Mexico in filing a court brief against gun manufactures in the United States (US).
These countries wanted a US court to restrict gun manufactures from selling guns willy-nilly to various gun dealers within the US.
They claimed that these guns find their way out of the US and into these smaller Caribbean countries, causing death and associated trauma.
That much is true.
The US practices what is commonly called the free enterprise system where limited government, competition of business, and supply and demand are encouraged and allowed to flourish.
So, the question is, which US court would rule against any gun manufacturer or gun dealer in white America to satisfy a claim made by Mexico and a group of developing Third World countries? What is the probability of that happening?
I will be the first to admit that America is a very litigious society, but such a ruling seems highly unlikely because it would run counter to the well-established principle of free trade and industry in America.
This case seems dead on arrival.
In no way do I wish to trivialize this unfortunate situation, but the moral equivalence to this court brief is like blaming US food distributors for obesity in these countries because the bulk of their food comes from the US or, similarly, blaming US car manufactures for car-related deaths because many of our cars are made in the US.
There is no difference. This seems like a serious leap in logic.
So, the question is: Where does the responsibility of gun manufactures and gun dealers end and where does the responsibility of the affected countries begin? Anyone?
Prime Minister Philip Davis pinpointed part of the solution when he said, “We will focus on strengthening our borders and entry points in an effort to disrupt the entry of firearms.”
Agreed. But we may have to bow to reality and admit that this may prove more than a challenge because of our geography and by extension the many ports of entry scattered throughout our country.
We need all law enforcement agencies working in a coordinated approach coupled with a sophisticated network of human intelligence to reduce, if not eliminate, the flow of guns entering our country.
I carry no water for our big brother to the north, but let me say that, technically, blaming US gun manufactures and gun dealers for gun violence and deaths in smaller countries, including The Bahamas, may be a bridge too far, with the greatest respect.
Sincerely,
— Zephaniah Burrows
