Sunday, December 23, 2012

Orlando's Anti-Gun Campaign


Orlando on his protest bicycle on La Ciclovia with placards blaming the U.S. for gun killings.
Orlando, who carries out a daily campain for Cuba and against the U.S. and Colombian governments, has a new cause: Gun control.

I greatly admire Orlando's willingness to take stands on issues, altho I disagree with his unquestioning admiration of Cuba, the Americas' last dictatorship. But I heartily applaud his condemnation of an armed society like that of the U.S. His sign today claims that "65% of the world's murders are committed with weapons made in the United States." Orlando's sign also refers to the recent massacre of 20 schoolchildren and seven adults in Newtown, Connecticut, carried out by a man with an semiautomatic rifle appropriate for a battlefield but absurd for hunting or home defense.

I'm not sure about Orlando's statistics. But the U.S. does produce a huge number of weapons, and it's plain that lots of weapons from the U.S. (including ones first imported to the U.S.) get smuggled across its borders into Latin America, including Mexico and Colombia, where they escalate murder and mayhem.


I don't pollute the environment, do you?
The U.S.'s deadly gun policies are the world's business because of its blocking the United Nation's arms treaty - altho that may change now. The U.S.'s National Rifle Association has ordered its puppet legislators to oppose the U.N. treaty even tho it would have absolutely no impact on domestic gun rights. But the NRA long ago abandoned its origins as a defender of hunters and now defends the interests of hugely wealthy gun manufacturers, which want carte blanche to hawk deadly, powerful and expensive firepower all over the globe.
In the wake of the massacres at Newtown and so many other U.S. locales, Bogotá Mayor Gustavo Petro's decision to suspend gun carry rights looks better and better. That's not necesarrily because of the lack of school massacres in Bogotá, but because the city's homicide rate has dropped. As horrible as they are, these mass killings constitute only a small percentage of gun murders. Most gun victims are killed one or two at a time, in gang disputes, suicides, by drunken, jealous husbands and in robberies gone awry.
Orlando's anti-gun cause is just, altho his defense of Cuba's dictatorship, which has banned guns, does the gun control cause no favors. But those who warn that 'guns are the key to our liberties,' should look at the world's many, many free and democratic nations, including Australia, the U.K. and Japan, which restrict gun possession. Guns do not guarantte liberty. Citizen activism, including Orlando's, is the foundation of liberty.

 By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

15 comments:

Stuart Oswald said...

His support of Cuba devalues his argument against guns.

Miguel said...

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for your comment, but why is that? Because Cuba's a dictatorship which prohibits gun possession?

That's irrelevent to the problem with gun killings in other countries, unless you believe that guns are all that's standing between democracy and dictatorship. But the many nations with strict gun laws and vigorous democracies demonstrate that that's not true.

Best,

Mike

Ally Brown said...

People are allowed to be right on some things and wrong on others. His support for Cuba has no impact whatsoever on his argument against guns, which is stated exactly the same by plenty of other people (whose opinions on Cuba are unknown).

Miguel said...

I totally agree with you Ally. On the other hand, tho, I'd imagine that Orlando's gun opinions may be less based on an analysis of the origins of gun violence than just another opportunity to criticize the U.S.

Mike

mauricio forero l said...

Men, I love this guy, I just love him. Miguel, can you get his address or phone number, I have to get in contact with him. This guy is telling it the way it is, but i have to agree with you when it comes to Cuba, at least in some respects. I'm gonna tell you Miguel, if Noam Chomsky could meet him, he would be as much as impressed.

With love...

Mauricio Forero.

Miguel said...

HI Mauricio,

I'll ask Orlando for his contacts next time I run into him. I'm sure he'll be glad to know he's got international admirers.

Mike

Stuart Oswald said...

The point being that, had his dear leaders in Cuba had an armed population they wouldn't be at the top of the power chain right now. The contradictory argument of Orlando is, that his friend Che committed the greatest massacre of innocent people over anyone single person in the US. Also in Cuba children are actually taught at school to fire arms. And thirdly for the point that you yourself raise as well with it having more to do with his anti US views.

The intellectual side of the argument falls on that of guns. It's one of the reasons Hitler rejected invading Switzerland. People have the right to defend themselves and their property. Surrendering your right to protection leaves you helpless to the protection of the state/elite/whomever. That's the reason why good people are hung on calling 999 or 911 begging for the powers above (a policeman with a gun) to help them whilst criminals can do as they please.

Of course once you surrender your right to protection, it's a lot easier for marxists/fascists to control you, steel your property and murder you.

A little fact for you all is that Glasgow is the murder capital of Europe and there's full on gun control there!! ;) Use your mind and rise above the popular uneducated cries. We generally live in security now, but people generally thought that before every great evil arises.

mauricio forero l said...

Just, don't forget, I know you are a busy man, but if you can get at least his address I would be a happy Colombiano.


M.F.
M.F. means Mauricio Forero, not Mother Fucker like some people assume.

Stuart Oswald said...

Such a shame to see people idolising scum like this. He may as well be a Hitler supporter.

Miguel said...

Hi Stuart,

Che and Fidel have done a lot of ugly things, including many murders, as I understand. But they're a far, far cry from Hitler.
,
And don't forget that, in order to take power in Cuba, Fidel had to defeat the Cuban army. Also, the US Mafia was big in Cuba. So, there were lots and lots of arms there.
,
I don't believe that Hitler didn't invade Switzerland because of its armed citizens. I understand that he didn't invade because so many Nazis had their money in Swiss banks, and after they were defeated they could spirit away the wealth they'd stolen. An armed population would only be a factor where guerrilla warfare was a threat, and I don't see that happening in Switzerland.
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But this discussion misses the point, since the issue in the U.S. isn't banning private guns, but controlling massacre machines such as assault rifles, which wouldn't do much against a tank but work great to put bullets thru a classroom full of kids.
,
Mike

Stuart Oswald said...

The teachers were helpless to defend the children they were entrusted to keep safe. Waiting for the big state to come a save didn't help either.

It's been well documented by Hitler's war staff as one of the reason not to invade Switzerland. The fact that money was in the country's banks makes no deference on an invasion.

The persons who murder (gun or no gun) care not for any regulation. Disarm the population if the state disarms itself too along with respecting peoples rights and property too. And that can go for every other country in the world. The Palestinians first (This point should show the double standards of Orlando's lot as he seems content with marxists possessing them.).

Che is every bit comparable to Hitler. Both mad murderers (Che actually murdered with his own hands). Orlando and his dirty bike should have been heckled and shamed by yourself and others around for the fascist person he is.

Stuart Oswald said...

"the US Mafia was big in Cuba".. That doesn't seem like such a bad thing now that there's Fidel and his own mafia controlling peoples lives in every which way.

Miguel said...

Hi Stuart,

I wasn't saying that the Mafia was better or worse than the Castro regime, just pointing out that they had lots of weapons - or access to them in Cuba - when the Castros seized power. But it didn't make any difference.
, ,
As for the school shooting, I undertand that the Columbine school DID have armed guards, but they couldn't stop the killing. If the Newtown school had had an armed guard, I suspect that Lanza would still have murdered many kids before the guard arrived at the scene - and that then Lanza, who had body armor and high-powered weapons, might have then shot the guard. If the two had gotten into a shoot-out, kids would likely have been killed by the crossfire.
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So, an armed guard in schools is no solution at all.
,
And what about the churches, malls, day-care centers, movie theatres, and on and on - hire armed guards for them, too? Who's going to finance all of this so that the gun companies can continue selling assault weapons? And, welcome to life in an armed camp, with an armed guard watching you from every corner.

Mike

Johannes Hansson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stuart Oswald said...

Just on another point. I'm hosting this recent BBC Documentary on Cuba. Feel free to visit this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m4xezsq2jvnlv0c/BBC.This.World.2012.Cuba.with.Simon.Reeve.PDTV.XviD.AC3.MVGroup.org.avi you can stream the beginning but you can freely download the whole program to watch on your computer (click the download button on the top right of the page).

Seems this time there's a real people revolution that's only turning back what the last murderous one inflicted upon good people. People like Orlando are fast being shown up as the bigoted oppressive ones from there previously cool façade. Viva la Revolution. Enjoy..