International holidays - International Gun Destruction Day

Citizens of 175 countries have the right to own machine guns, rifles, pistols, flamethrowers, crossbows and other types of weapons The top 7 by number of units per capita includes the USA, Canada, Yemen, Syria, Montenegro, Finland and Iceland Buying, carrying and storing weapons in these and other countries are basic human freedoms related to security and self-defense Illegal trade and possession of rifles, machine guns, and shotguns leads to violence and increased crime rates The International Day for the Destruction of Weapons, celebrated on July 9, is intended to prevent danger to the lives of civilians The establishment of International Gun Destruction Day on July 9 was initiated by the UN Activities aimed at eradicating the illicit trade in small arms have been carried out in many countries since 2001 According to statistics, only 50% of the global trade in shotguns, rifles and pistols is legal It is difficult to trace the origin and availability of illegally acquired arsenal, especially when the population has 640 million weapons in private ownership Every year, about 30 thousand people die from its use The Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which went into effect in December 1791, guarantees the right of citizens to keep and bear arms Carry license laws vary from state to state The requirements for owners are most favorable in Maine, Louisiana and Alaska; citizens of Wisconsin and Illinois are generally deprived of this right The private arsenal of Americans totals 393 million guns, which is 67 million more than the entire population of the country The list of countries with gun death rates is topped by Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador and Jamaica However, from American media reports, it seems that most of these killings, including the infamous mass school shootings, occur in the United States This explains the active lobbying in America in recent years for the adoption of laws to limit the circulation of weapons and introduce bans on carrying, causing negative reactions among the population In some cases, the country's authorities, on the contrary, meet citizens halfway Thus, the governor of Ohio signed a law in June 2022 under which teachers, principals and other school employees will be able to quickly obtain permission to carry weapons A mandatory condition for issuing a license is completion of training for 700 hours The population of Canada has 99 million weapons in their hands, while the country's army has only 234 thousand The process of obtaining and owning it is quite long and complex, it requires a thorough check of the future owner Gun ownership in Canada and the United States stems from centuries-old cultural and historical traditions Therefore, the authorities’ initiative to dispose of the excess number of “barrels” as part of International Gun Destruction Day does not find approval among either Canadians or Americans The law on the acquisition and storage of weapons in Switzerland is one of the most liberal in the world Almost any citizen of the country who has reached the age of 18 and has no criminal record can buy a shotgun, rifle or pistol To obtain a permit, the future owner must be mentally healthy and not addicted to drugs or alcohol In Switzerland, carrying a weapon is not considered a sign of militarism or aggression It is, along with the payment of taxes, a symbol of civic republican valor, because the state does not have its own army The tightening of legislation on the acquisition and ownership of weapons is negatively perceived by the population of many countries around the world But, apparently, the adoption of restrictions to combat violence and ensure the safety of the population is inevitable This is called for by the International Day of the Destruction of Weapons, which is held annually on July 9