PH GUN POLICY BETTER — The bloodbath that happened in Las Vegas, Nevada where a lone gun man opened fire at a crowd of people attending a pop concert, killing 58 of them and wounding 500 others, sent shock waves all over the world.

The incident was one of America’s saddest moments in history, the saddest being the simultaneous attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon where hundreds of innocent people were killed, injured and were missing.

One would have a short memory if one can not recall a similar incident that happened in the Philippines in June this year when a lone gunman managed to sneak inside Resorts World Manila with an automatic assault weapon and once inside the casino, set few gambling tables on fire that killed and suffocated 36 people.

It was also headlined all over the world and thank God, it was not the doing of terrorists who have already made their presence felt in Mindanao.

The two incidents drew some parallelism as both the perpetrators were inveterate gamblers who lost their fortunes and future to non-stopped gambling.

There you are, the end result of gambling is deep frustration and desperation can lead to wanton killing as what happened in Las Vegas and Manila.

If someone loses all his money and has nothing more left for him, his wife and kids, the two incidents prove that it can lead one to commit violence. It could have been worse if the gunmen were influenced by drugs. It would have been “heller” than hell!

Though the incident in Las Vegas is still being investigated by the police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it’s obvious there were lapses in security in that place. How could the man bring in a cache of automatic weapons and ammunition in his hotel room without being detected with all the CCTV cameras installed on all floors or be questioned at the very least?

It is hard to believe that one man can outwit the security arrangement put in place in that hotel or even in the whole of Las Vegas.

News reports also cited the unrestricted policy of the U.S. on gun ownership may also be partly blamed for the Las Vegas carnage. Terrible!

At least in the the Philippines, gun ownership is regulated. If someone here dreams of owning a gun, the applicant’s psychological state will be tested, his purpose is justifiable, of course, has the capacity to buy a gun.

He must also go through several stringent clearances, from the courts, police and NBI.

The endless search warrant operations by the police served to known gun holders and the many loose firearms seized in those searches prove we do not want to follow America’s liberal policy on gun ownership. – Leonardo Micua

 

MAKING THE HEROES SUFFER. While I was riding a jeepney from a mall in Lucao, Dagupan City, two teachers were talking loudly about their sad experience during the World Teachers’ Day celebration at the NRSCC in Lingayen last Oct. 4.

The two lady-teachers obviously do not know each other as both asked where they teach. One teaches in Sta. Barbara while the other in Lingayen, I overheard.

One of them, who sat beside me, said their superiors and other concerned politicians failed to realize the possibility of heat stroke, especially to senior teachers, in such a celebration.

I overheard from their conversation that last year, two teachers died because of stroke at the height of their Teachers’ Day celebration.

Ay grabe naman, I murmured.

The other one commented, “Mainit na nga sa mga classroom natin, mas super pa dun sa venue at nakabilad pa tayo sa araw.”

I know the place, mainit nga talaga dun sa grandstand.

“Kasi ang dami natin,” the other one batted in, as she noted the big number of teachers of Pangasinan 1 Division who were all gathered in that venue.

They both commented that the celebration should have been divided into clusters so the risk of suffering a stroke would be minimal.

“After all, yung purpose nilang to foster camaraderie, hindi naman nasusunod yun kasi hindi ka na rin lilipat sa ibang grupo dahil sa init at mag i-stay ka na lang sa upuan mo,” one said.

Karamihan dun, hindi naman talaga nag-enjoy, nag-comply lang, she added.

Both have a common suggestion: Why not give them their special day, a free day to go where they want to, free to decide how to spend it with their families or anyone they choose to. or better still, give them instead the cash intended for the expenses for such celebration.

Sounds logical, right?

Kung mga batang estudyante, okay lang maski magpa araw sila o mainitan sila. Pero pag matanda nang teachers, naku naman, please, huwag na.

Oh, by the way, if I may ask, did Division Superintendent Ma. Celia Junio-Fernandez feel the heat of the scorching sun that day like the rest of the teachers?

The two teachers also wonder if their guest, Gov. Amado Espino III, felt the inconvenience suffered by most of the teachers? There were 12,000 teachers gathered in that event.

Kawawa naman sila. “My Teacher, My Hero,” sabi natin, di ba? -Eva Visperas

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