Our new ministers should turn in the arms they are given
The Minister of Defense giving arms as presents to each of the ministers at the latest meeting of the cabinet disappointed and afflicted all the people and segments, the NGOs that try to fight with personal armament, and the victims of personal armament.
We expect our governors to be sensitive and form a role model in this matter where every young person out of 10 carry drilling and cutting tools, every young person out of 20 carry guns and an average of 3000 people die of gunfire in our country. It is our disappointment and sadness to witness an action just opposing this determination.
Here before the public, we seek for the answers to these questions: on which basis does a Minister of Defense of a country give the other ministers guns as a gift? How the so called arms were obtained and made “gifts”? How are they planning to prevent this action of giving arms as gifts to firm the usage of guns and be a negative model for the public? Is the person to treat with gunfire going to be responsible for the deaths caused by gunfire which are much more than simply numbers on papers?
We sadly see that these death gifts are the indicators of the interest of a minister to gives these as gifts, and it is also shared with the rest of the cabinet who received these gifts. In this case, instead of keeping the arms and setting a bad example, the ministers should urgently return them. By this action, we believe that the dangerous application that took place at the latest cabinet meeting would be fixed and the responsibilities would be taken about the matter.
Guns are a tool of death, basically having the only function of killing and injuring. Many of our citizens lose their lives and many other suffer for life caused by uncontrolled use of guns. Maintaining peace is the responsibility of the security officers only. Arms do not maintain peace, neither are they an indicator of fame, or title. Owning an arm is actually a thing to be ashamed of as having the potential of “disturbing the right to life”. If you own a gun, sooner or later one day you will fire it. Every bullet in every arm is potential killers just like their owners.
We, as an NGO fighting personal unarming for years, esteem a duty to awaken all segments in this potentially dangerous matter.
Nazire DEDEMAN
UMUT FOUNDATION
Founder and President
>> The letter to Mr. Mehmet Vecdi Gonül (Minister for Defence)
M. Mehmet Vecdi GÖNÜL
T.C. The Minister of Defense
T.C. The Ministry of Defense / Ankara
August 6th 2007, Monday
Mr. Mehmet Vecdi Gönül,
Many segments that have been the victims of personal armament and the people fighting against it for years have been deeply saddened by your presenting arms as gifts to ministers at your latest cabinet meeting (August 6th, 2007 Sabah Newspaper)
You are the Minister of Defense in a country where the peace hasn’t been fully ensured, every young person out of 10 carries drilling and cutting tools, every young person in 20 carries gunfire and an average of 3000 people die of gunfire. It is expected for you before all to be aware of the dangers in this subject. Such an action cannot be “taken wrong” at any time period, because it already is totally wrong. You should have taken this misunderstanding into consideration not only during the elections of the president of the republic, but everywhere.
On which basis can the Minister of Defense of this country give arms as gifts to the other ministers? It is an arm to be known as making even the most amateurs to be able to hit the target? Where did you obtain these arms from to present as “gifts”? Are you going to be responsible for the deaths and injuries caused by gunfire in such an arm loving country, which are much more than numbers on newspapers? Forasmuch as your present of a gun to the other ministers is unfortunately a model to promote the love for arms in our country. Besides, this shows your sympathy and interest in arms to be shared with the prime minister and other ministers. Otherwise those aware of the dangers should have returned these gifts back to you. We expect the ministers and the prime minister who received this gift to return them. This way they may correct the action that took place at your latest meeting and provide good role models to our public.
Mr. Gönül,
Our Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had already presented his sensitivity on this matter. Let us remind you too; guns are a tool of death, basically having the only function of killing and injuring. Many of our citizens lose their lives and many others suffer because of uncontrolled use of guns. Maintaining peace is the responsibility of the security officers only. Arms do not maintain peace, neither are they an indicator of fame or title. Owning an arm is actually a thing to be ashamed of as having the potential of “disturbing the right to life”. If you own a gun, sooner or later one day you will fire it. Every bullet in every arm is a potential killer, just like their owners.
We, as an NGO fighting personal armament for years, alert you in this matter. Our wish is that you’re immediately being aware of this and do whatever is concerned in correction.
Yours Sincerely,
Nazire DEDEMAN
Founder President
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