Heed Mayor Sam’s Formula

By Al S. Mendoza

THE war rages on.

The shotgun issue seems to have blown out of proportion.

The observation about ladies as kapitans not being able to handle the shotgun properly is valid.

In truth and in fact, arming our lady-kapitans with shotguns could reap more regrets than rewards.

By nature, ladies are gun-haters.

Ladies associate guns with brute force, if not limitless power. Generally, men can kill with a gun but not women.

Unless pushed against the wall and with no recourse but to shoot, a woman won’t fire a gun; she treats the gun like the devil’s toy.

In short, guns are a male’s domain. They are the ultimate symbol of machismo.

I have yet to see a shotgun-toting lady anywhere in the world.

Generally, only a policewoman from among women can expertly handle a gun. And that’s because she’s had training.

Men do not usually need formal education to fire a gun. Guts, courage and machismo are enough.

Not women.

Guns protect. Women are to be protected more than protectors.

Give your regular woman on the street a gun and, most likely, she’ll shudder in fear.

Give your regular man on the street a gun and, most likely, he’ll feel instant ecstasy.

I’m sure that among our nearly 1,400 kapitans in Pangasinan, a number of them are women.

You will be lucky, though, if there’s five, six, of them willing and excited to have a shotgun.

Now, giving them something they are reluctant to accept, nay use, what comes next to mind?

Someone else other than the lady-kapitan may, will, use it.

Wouldn’t that be courting disaster?

Abuse of the use of the shotgun wouldn’t be far-fetched?

I’m sure Guv Spines meant well when he armed each kapitan with a shotgun.

He can always say he did it in the name of peace.

But not all noble intentions produce noble results.

As I see things right now, the shotgun thing has blasted more beliefs than biases.

Some don’t believe anymore in the wisdom of achieving peace through peaceful means. The shotgun has barreled its way into the consciousness of non-violence advocates.

It has divided more than united our kabaleyans.

I guess we should start seriously considering the formula used by Mayor Sam Rosario of Binmaley, Pangasinan, in dismantling the illegal fish pens in his turf only a while back.

“I talked with them and next pleaded with them to help our town progress the peaceful and legally correct way,” Sam said.

One by one, the illegal fish pens disappeared.

In no time, the eyesores of Binmaley’s beautiful river were gone.

Communication–that’s the key.

Maybe, Guv Spines should take heed of Mayor Sam’s formula and start talking with the anti-shotgun bloc?

Nothing’s more powerful than talking it out.

Toughing it out has long been a dead approach. Deadwood.

(Readers may reach columnist at also147@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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