AK possesion could be punishable by hanging (even semi-auto)

[Tejas]

Owning AK-47 Soon to Be a Hanging Offence

Kenneth Ogosia 6 October 2009

Nairobi — Owners of illegal guns and police officers who rent their firearms to criminals could soon face the death penalty.

Law enforcement agencies are pushing for tighter gun control and have proposed a raft of tough measures to be discussed by the Cabinet soon.

These include an amendment to the Firearms Act, the law governing the legal ownership of guns.

According to the latest proposals contained in the National Policy on Small Arms and Light Weapons, no one will be allowed to own an AK-47 rifle, a G3 or "any automatic or semi-automatic self-loading military assault rifle of any other calibre".



http://allafrica.com/stories/200910061025.html


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oh my!

[hobbit709]

1. Their country, their laws

[Tejas]

12. Try telling that to certain Canadian posters who have nightmares about

gun laws here in the US.

[MrModerate]

2. Well, it's hard to argue against *some* penalty for "police officers . . .

who rent their firearms to criminals . . ."

A piquant reminder that as bad as things sometimes seem in the US, there are places -- lots of 'em -- that are much, much worse.

[Sherman A1]

3. Well,

The punishment seems a bit excessive, just for ownership, nevertheless this is an internal matter for this country. It does not appear that they are outlawing all guns just automatic or semi automatic assault rifles(which frankly really only have one purpose), so I don't see this as a huge issue.

[PavePusher]

5. And what is that purpose, oh great and wise one? n/t

[Sherman A1]

6. Would that be

Killing other people? Perchance?

[benEzra]

7. That wouldn't be true of semiautos...

given that the most popular civilian target rifles in this country are semiautomatic, as are the target pistols used at the Olympics.

Banning "automatic and semiautomatic firearms" is like banning "tanks and passenger cars". It conflates military and nonmilitary hardware.

[Blu_Statr]

8. Is it "gun-control" or "people control"?

Are the people using guns engaging in terrorism, poaching, murder & mayhem? Or are they trying to protect themselves against same?

[Sherman A1]

9. Your argument is probably correct, but

it's not this country of which we are speaking and they have every right to make and enforce their own laws. So if they ban both tanks and passenger cars, that is their choice.

[benEzra]

10. True. Hanging for possession, though, is IMO at least as bad as hanging for theft or adultery...

and while making laws is certainly their responsibility and not ours, we certainly are free here to criticize the rationality of it.

[Sherman A1]

11. Which I mentioned in response #3

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Ropes don't kill people..

[Endangered Specie]

13. Good luck hanging someone with an AK...