News from Brazil
supplied by Brazil Justice Net
Number 540, October 14, 2005
In this edition of News from Brazil:
Vote Yes to Ban the Private Ownership of Firearms
in the National Referendum on October 23By Joanne Blaney
Every 13 minutes one person is killed by a gun in Brazil. According to UNESCO (2005), Brazil is the country with the highest number of people killed by firearms in the world, even compared with countries at war. A majority of the victims are children and adolescents. In 2003, there were 108 Brazilians killed each day or almost 40,000 for the year. On a daily basis, 53 Brazilians are wounded by firearms, one-third of this number being victims of stray bullets or accidents.
In December 2003, the Brazilian Congress approved a Disarmament Law and called for a Popular Referendum in 2005 to abolish the sale of firearms. The law makes it more difficult to buy a firearm by prohibiting a gun license to "ordinary" citizens, raising the minimum age to buy a gun to age 25, and imposing stricter regulations regarding the sale. The law also provided for a "Campaign to Voluntarily Turn in Firearms" that began in July 2004 and ends in October 2005. In one year, this campaign collected 400,000 firearms and reduced the number of victims hospitalized with gun wounds by 11% in Rio de Janeiro and 7% in São Paulo. In Parana, the number of homicides was reduced by 20% and in the state of São Paulo by 18.5%.
However, those who defend the right to have arms are out in full force with distorted arguments such as:
A common belief is that danger comes from "strangers" or "professional criminals" in assaults, robberies, etc. but in 46% of the homicides in São Paulo, the victim and aggressor knew each other and were relatives, neighbors or friends (study from Nucleo de Violência, University of São Paulo). In contrast to the fear tactics of the gun lobby, statistics indicate that only 5% of deaths by firearms in Brazil are the result of armed robbery. In Rio de Janeiro, one in three crimes with firearms involves an acquaintance or someone close to or related to the victim. A majority of homicides and violent crimes are committed by "good people" without criminal records, who, in a moment of anger, take the life of someone in situations such as arguments at home, in the neighborhood, on buses and highways, or at sports events. The presence of a gun can easily transform a conflict into a tragedy. According to the FBI, in 2001 for every "successful" use of a gun in self-defense, there were 185 deaths of victims who used a gun in self-defense, committed suicide or were accidentally killed.
Firearms are the principal cause of death of young people in Brazil. The mortality rate because of gun violence in Brazil is 22 for every 100,000 habitants. Among young men, the mortality rate is five times greater: 103 for every 100,000 inhabitants. Young people in Brazil between 16 and 18 years of age represent 23% of the electorate for the referendum while those between 25 and 34 years of age represent 23.5% of the electorate. Combined together, their vote is crucial to the passage of the referendum since they represent 46% of the votes.
Three children a day also receive medical help because of wounds from gun violence, stray bullets or accidents. In 2002, the public health system spent almost $60 million on those wounded by guns. This money could have been spent on social/educational programs.
Research studies indicate that small arms contribute to an increase in violence against women. A 2002 study showed that internationally, almost 60% of the homicides of women are committed by their partners, ex-boyfriends, or husbands. A risk for a women to be assassinated is five times greater if her partner has a firearm. In Brazil, 44.4% of female homicides are committed with a firearm, a majority of them by the woman´s husband or partner.
Brazilians who do not trust in the effectiveness of the police force believe that a firearm can help defend them during an assault. However, studies indicate that having a gun at home does not scare criminals and increases the risk to the victim. Statistics from the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Science indicate that a citizen who reacts has a great chance to be wounded or killed. Afterwards, many times, the aggressor steals the firearm. Many assaults to businesses and homes are for the purpose of robbing small arms. According to the Secretary of Public Security in São Paulo, 100,146 firearms were robbed, stolen, or lost between 1993-2000. Many guns bought legally then wind up in the hands of criminals. Banning the sale of guns in the legal market will diminish the number of them in the illegal market thus providing greater security for the population.
Brazil had a strong armaments industry during the 1970s and 1980s because the military dictatorship believed in the importance of military power and that a growing arms industry would stimulate economic development. However, the armaments industry collapsed with the dictatorship and economic and social development did not take place for all. Today, in Brazil, there are six manufacturers of weapons that employ 6,442 workers, 12% of whom work in the production of firearms. A large part of the industry sells weapons, bullet-proof vests, etc. to police departments, armed forces and for export. Firearms and ammunition represent only 0.48% of the production of the Brazilian economy. Thus, banning small arms will not cause bankruptcy to any of these firms nor massive unemployment.
More than three-quarters of the 17 million firearms in Brazil are of Brazilian origin, thus refuting claims that most of the illegal weapons are smuggled from abroad. Taurus, one of the main arms producers, now relies on exports to the US for 70% of its annual sales of $45 million. The sale of guns to civilians by Taurus represents less than 25% of their sales. An illegal firearms market exists and it is estimated that it is responsible for 50% of the firearms in the country. The reduction in legal commerce of arms should cause an increase in prices for the illegal market, making it more difficult to acquire a firearm.
After the implementation of a law prohibiting the sale of firearms in Australia in 1996, the number of homicides by guns fell by 50% in the general population. Among women, there was a 57% reduction of homicides by firearms by 2003 in Australia and a 40% reduction of assassination of women by firearms in Canada as well. A UNESCO study published in 2005 indicates that England, Japan, and Australia, where firearms are prohibited, are the countries in the world where there are fewer deaths from guns. The U.S., a country with some of the most liberal laws related to firearms, is the 8th most violent country in the world.
Opinion Polls indicate that a majority of Brazilians support disarmament. A broad coalition of popular movements, civil society, churches, and schools are supporting the prohibition of private ownership of firearms. The following religious organizations have come out in favor of a ban on handguns: National Council of Christian Churches in Brazil (CONIC) , ecumenical groups, the Lutheran Church, Spiritist movement, and the Bishops´ Conference of the Catholic Church.
Reducing the number of firearms in Brazilian society will not solve the problem of violence but it will certainly help to decrease it. Vote YES on October 23 as your response to the referendum question: Should the sale of firearms and ammunition be prohibited in Brazil?
(Sources: UNESCO, ISER, Sou da Paz, Mapa da Violência)
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