AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Shooting incident in San Pedro

of course, your right. Next would be to remove all cars and trucks from the planet. I believe they kill more people than guns do. Cars have bad attitudes, never [#%!] a car off!

Never thought I would say this, but I am very happy not to be in San Pedro now. What a sad time for Belize.

It's about drugs and/or personal disagreements - and between individuals known to each other. Nasty to contemplate but not that hard to avoid.

I agree with you Phil, I think it's idiotic to think a place would be safer if everyone had guns. Wake-up all you Archie Bunkers out there.

Wake up and realize if you ban guns the only people that will have them are the criminals. You are left defenseless. There is a little truth to a criminal being wary of his next victim having a gun. Call me Archie Bunker if you like, but a gun free society only benefits criminals. Depending on the police for everything isn't realistic.

As unrealistic as it is to think the police can solve everything I think it is far more unrealistic to think untrained citizens with weapons is a better option.

The Spock approach, sacrifice a few to save the many, or Punish the 99.9% because .1% are idiots?

Having a guns/no guns debate here won't help curb the crime on the island.

It's time for the local PD to be taken over by the island. It is time to pay the local police a living wage.

It's time to get the bad guys with no documentation off of the island and out of the country.

It's time for Belize to invest in its children.

It's time for the community business leaders to invest in the children.

Now for the gun laws. I was just in Palau. It is illegal to carry a gun or be in possession of a bullet. Their sense of community is pretty amazing and there are very nice facilities for the youth of all ages such as a national gym, pool and nice schools and a community college. It's roughly the population size of San Pedro. Here is a nice article from 2007 about Palau.
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trw-palau11jul11-story.html#page=1
Just some food for thought...

My point was that there have to be better answers than arming everyone and making it much more likely you are put you in that situation. Makes more sense to disarm than arm.

Reaper's wisdom is on target and I agree debating gun control is not as productive as other efforts. I don't know if Palau is a good comparison, however. The common component in the violent crime in San Pedro appears to be drugs and related turf battles. Guns or no guns in the hands of law-biding citizens and you will still have this issue.

Reaper is very insightful regarding preventative investment that decreases the likelihood gangs become appealing. However, so long as there is a profit motive well beyond the opportunity provided elsewhere in Belize, the problems will persist.