Schoolchairs for Guns

Good on you, Colombia for destroying some 14,000 firearms today.

I hesitate to search for a statistic on how many people (on average) could be killed by a single firearm, because this would present several anomalies. Let’s just say that with this firearm destruction, at least 14,000 people might not die from firearm use.

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a body more reputable than I, gathered these statistics, however: “Seventy-seven percent of the firearms scheduled for destruction were illegal. Of those, 60 percent were illicitly manufactured, 31 percent are privately owned and 9 per cent belong to the armed forces." For a country with a high crime rate such as Colombia, this could be considered a significant step in enhancing human security.

The ceremony took place at a National Plant for Metal Work and the metal proceeds will be used to construct schoolchairs and build a monument for Colombian victims of violence and kidnapping.

Happy International Gun Destruction Day!