Harsher laws now

Six days after the New Year, we are still reading about injuries due to stray bullets fired from indiscriminate morons. The latest victim is a five-year-old boy from Teresa, Rizal. A soldier, goodness gracious, decides to empty his pistol during the celebrations. Bullets ricochet off the hard surface where he pointed the gun, with a bullet hitting the boy twice. Fortunately, the boy did not perish, but is now suffering in a hospital. The soldier claims that he did not intend to hit the boy, saying it was an accident and that he wasn't a bad person. I will have to restrain myself from responding to this single sentence. At least he is now in jail, and hopefully, dishonorably discharged from the Army.

I was glad to learn that the identities of the six morons who were seen on video firing guns into the air at the height of New Year have been identified, including the even bigger moron who uploaded it in social media. His friends have him to thank for their inevitable incarceration. I wish we had more morons who video their stupidities, so authorities can easily catch them.

To date, there are sixty-one incidents of indiscriminate firing, at least four by policemen, with forty-three injuries, and at least two deaths. Obviously there are still morons out there who just don't get it. It is time to really make laws governing indiscriminate firing have the biggest teeth ever. Any report of it, or a video or a photo automatically warrants arrest, detention and a speedy trial with conviction. This kind of behavior just cannot be tolerated, especially when it is the children who suffer the most. The laws must be harsh and swift to deter any would be moron from engaging in the celebratory firing of weapons.

As an addendum to that, the PNP has to step up its efforts in having all firearms registered. A good, concise database of all firearms would make tracing a bullet's origin a lot easier for authorities, in the event of deaths and injuries from indiscriminate firing. These morons have to be identified. They cannot be allowed to hide behind anonymity, especially when injury and death have occurred. I understand it is a monumental task, especially with the kind of culture Filipinos have towards guns. Just the same, it has to be done. Since there is no discouraging people like the six morons and the "innocent" soldier, then the law has to come in, and come in hard.

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