JEDDAH: A recent Ministry of Interior decision allowing Saudis to openly buy handguns and other personal firearms was applauded by some locals and denounced by others.
Ending Prohibition destroyed the bootlegging industry. Now, crime related to alcohol trafficking is nonexistent because the bootleggers could not afford to stay in business. Legalizing alcohol destroyed their profit margin.
And the same can apply to firearms. Restrictions and prohibitions on firearms and ammunition only create a thriving black market, where criminals prosper and become more powerful. We see this everywhere guns are restricted or prohibited.
Whether it's alcohol or firearms, nothing kills a black market faster than legalizing it. While there are still restrictions on alcohol, they are minimum. In most places in the US, all you have to do is show an ID. Guns are no different. Our gun laws, should be reduced to the bare minimum: background check when you buy from an FFL, keep private sales legal. With each additional restriction, you only put more money in the pockets of the criminals who run the black market.
Of course there are naysayers:
Amani Saleh, a 28-year-old assistant director, said she was horrid when local newspapers reported the news. “The society is already suffering from terrorist attacks and now we give them access to weapons?” said Saleh.
If you already have a terrorism problem, guns are the least of your worry. Anyone who can build a bomb can get a gun through illegal means. If anything, armed civilians can help fight terrorism.
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