In some countries the right to bear arms is regarded as an inalienable right. In the United States as an example it is regarded as a Second Amendment Right. Barbados despite rising crime ‘relatively speaking’ is still regarded as a country where to tote around a gun on the hip or ankle is considered unusual . For example, during the last general election in Barbados there was no serious case of violence reported if we exclude Don Marshall’s tiff The same cannot be said for Jamaica and a few others in the region!
Having established that Barbados is a relatively peaceful place to reside. Some Barbadians for one reason or the other will apply to the Commissioner of Police for the right to carry a firearm. It is difficult to establish what is the criteria to be issued a firearm in Barbados, except to state that the process appears to be a fairly arbitrary one, with the final decision resting with the Commissioner of Police. Citizens do have the right to appeal the decision should they be declined to the Attorney General of Barbados.
Based on the little we know of the process to get a gun license in Barbados it appears to lack transparency. We know of farmers who suffer praedial larceny every night in Barbados who it is easy to believe would be eligible to bear a firearm. Yet we hear stories of them being declined.
The foregoing therefore begs the question why would someone like Dr. Alfred Sparman be able to procure a gun license given his background. A simple Google will list his encounter with US law regarding a domestic abuse matter. Doesn’t this qualify him as a felon? BU would be very interested to know the name of the psychologist who sighed off on Sparman’s psychiatric evaluation to support his gun license application. Is he a member of the lodge? Perhaps he is chummy with a well positioned politician?
The fact that Sparman given all of his woes is walking around Barbados with a 9mm is worrying to BU.
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