The March Of Silent Shoes
September 28, 2008
Taksim Square
Nazire Dedeman
Founder President of Umut Foundation
Speech Text
Dear friends,
In our country, where the respect for the right to life is unfortunately not on the same level as civilized societies, Individual armament stands for years as a problem threatening our existence
Today, after traffic accidents, individual armament is the problem that kills the most in Turkey. The deaths because of individual armament are on the second place, after the traffic accidents where in average five thousand people die on the spot each year. Undoubtedly, the characteristic of these two problem isnt identical. The car has the function of facilitating transportation and if it is driven carefully, the probability of having an accident disappears. However, the arm hasnt got any function except of killing. If a gun is present somewhere, it will surely go off one day. The existence of the arms is a threat to our right to life and our relatives right to life.
The most important step concerning this problem, which we are trying to attract attention for about sixteen years, is undoubtedly that we gave a name to the fact that firearms are not controlled and to the war that continues quietly and unobtrusively between armed citizens.
If three thousand people are killed with firearms each year in Turkey, then it means there is a problem!
If in average seven hundred people are killed accidently each year; if arms put a damper on weddings, associations, happiness, then it means there is a serious problem!
It mothers, fathers, siblings, spouses, beloveds, friends are doomed to nameless pains and deprivations, then it means there is a problem!
If our children are introduced to death and deprivation in the prime of their lives, then it means there is a problem!
We named this problem years ago: Individual Armament
We are determined to find a solution and to make the citizens demanding a solution by joining their forces.
For this reason, beyond our daily efforts, every year on September 28th Individual Disarmament Day, we are trying to attract attention to this problem, to remind this problem to the society and to argue it with all part of the society. My hope about the future is more optimistic now that I saw you are aware of this problem
Thank you
Dear sensitive citizens;
Individual armament is not a simple problem and, unfortunately, finding a solution in a short time is not possible. The problem is serious and multidimensional.
Before anything else; the place of individual armament in our social mentality is indistinct and complex
Children are keeping arms, which are given as a gift during their circumcision feast; which they hold it as a toy in games; which they have been introduced in television series and computer games; which they gave the meaning of bravery, youthfulness and fearlessness, in a very important place in their lives
Mothers and fathers transfer A real man cannot live without an arm mentality to the next generation (to their children) and, at the same time, they expose a distorted gender mentality by saying: A male child plays with toy guns; a female child plays with dolls. While mothers teach the gender roles to their children, they are playing the lead role in this wrongness.
While the fact that men holding guns is given the meaning of bravery, courage and fearfulness and of being competent to protect the family by women, they are unfortunately unaware of the high risk that one day those guns will be targeted to them and their children!
Those who open fire in the air to show their excitement in weddings, associations and other celebrations insist on not seeing that this act, which they accept as the most reputable moment of the tradition, is fatal. In fact the bullets do not ask for direction and may target a human body. The result: dead people, deeply grieved mothers, fathers, beloveds, spouses, children
Those who feed this wrong perception, the politicians who open celebration fire with guns and all the popular persons who show publicly their guns as a source of pride in televisions and public space, shouldnt be forgotten. Those thoughtless and selfish acts constitute an important part in lives lost on the dark scene of individual armament.
The other part of the problem is closely related to the lack of law in our country. The law concerning blank firing guns has been changed by the efforts of various part of the society and by Umut Foundation which is a non-governmental organization devoted to solve this problem. This was an important step. However, the law numbered 6136 concerning Firearms is still waiting to be discussed and re-arranged.
A countrys laws are the reflection of that country mentality and lifestyle. Thus, those who arrange and implement the laws should get rid of the cultural dilemmas captivity related to individual armament.
We are waiting wishfully to the days where disarmed deputies, politicians and jurists will show up to the social scene. The responsibility of the authorities who are in charge is heavy and it is their duty to fulfill the requirement of their responsibilities to the society.
Dear friends,
I am in front of you firstly as a mother, then as a woman and a sensitive citizen
I committed myself to struggle against this problem which I met fifteen years ago as a mother. As a part of my duty, I remind and warn everybody: this problem belongs to all of us
As citizens who know, implement and demand their rights and responsibilities, it is our duty to protect our children and to hand down a society and a world where peace culture dominates.
We will put shoes on the red carpet on behalf of all citizens who are victims of individual armament and all the children we have lost because of individual armament like Gökhan Kaygusuz, Umut Önal, Gamze Salman, Oğuzhan Kavurmacı, Alistar Grimason, Hatice Bulut The silence of their shoes marching shall make us think one more time!
Our children dies
Ignoring and acting insensitive is unrecoverable...
For future full of hope