Foota Hype Says Gun Amnesty Will Fail, Gov’t Should Instead “Arm All Law Abiding Citizens”

Foota Hype has doubled down on his stance that all upstanding Jamaicans, irrespective of their socio-economic status, ought to be given the opportunity to own licensed firearms, this after Security Minister Dr Horace Chang revealed a few days ago, there had been no submissions since the November 5 gun amnesty.

A two-week gun amnesty took effect on Saturday, November 5, following the approval of the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) (Firearms Amnesty) Order 2022 by the Senate, a day prior.   The amnesty is slated to end at midnight on Saturday, November 19.  However, according to Foota, all this will be in vain.

“Lol amnesty been around longtime on certain dates of the year that’s never been the solution and never will. The only solution is to arm all legal law abiding citizen that will take away power from both gunmen and corrupt cops and most of all politicians who win seats by enforcing stronghold areas that they same one flood with illegal guns,” Foota noted on a post of a new item which saw Dr Chang urging persons with illegal weapons to hand them over.

The selector, who has been calling over the last several weeks for all law-abiding citizens of Jamaica to be allowed to obtain licensed firearms, in order to “level the playing field”, was countered by a commenter who noted that allowing the general population to be armed could worsen the situation, as some persons may not be able to properly engage criminals if preyed upon.

“I hear many ppl suggest this but I often wonder if things might end up worse than how it is. I guess there’s one way to find out. Gun man a lick down King Alarm man an Tek dem strap.  Imagine some soft man weh nuh even care bout that life. Easy target for criminals. It’s much more deeper than that. Even with massive gun training. But that’s just my theory still. I could be wrong,” the commenter noted.

However, the Dark Knight producer was undeterred.

“Picture the odds if everybody have legal gun and u don’t have ur whole mindset would u would actually feel left out and want to do everything right to obtain 1 legally think bout that,” he argued.

Unlike in the US, there is no “right to bear arms” in Jamaica.   In fact, Jamaicans applying for firearm licences are required to show that they “have a clear need to be armed before being approved”. 

In addition, in 2018, Chief Executive Officer of the Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA), Shane Dalling, had made it clear that Jamaica’s high crime rate was no longer enough reason for seeking to get a gun. 

In continuing the debate, the commenter insisted that while Foota may indeed have a valid point, it did not matter to hardened criminals whether their ‘preys’ are legally armed or not, citing cities in the United States with supposedly liberal gun laws as examples.

“Mmh u have a point. But remember 87s Nuh care about legally when they have them stocking illegally. I’m still not convinced it would shake up things. Look at places like Chicago and even New York. Nuff ppl strap…yet still man still a get rob or dash weh cuz of criminal minds. I think the problem is more a cultural one. Our culture needs a shake up. From the music we listen, how we resolve conflicts, how we socialize etc Giving everybody gun won’t help with the current mindset that we have,” he pointed out.

The Cassava Piece native, however, pointed out that the reason criminals in Jamaica were carrying out dastardly acts with impunity was because they knew the majority of their compatriots are unarmed. 

“Those states aren’t gun states plus 87’s don’t care and are fearless because they know 90% of Jamaica is sitting ducks with no way to defend themselves.  U only calculating the negative.  Calculate this, how much license gun holder save themselves from attack and how much license gun holder hold gunman till police reach,” he noted.

As for the Gun Amnesty, according to the Government of Jamaica, it is the final opportunity for those who hold or are in possession of illegal firearms or ammunition “to avoid significant sentences” and is also an important milestone in Jamaica’s fight against illegal gun, which gives the country a fresh start in the war against illegal firearms.

Under the new Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, 2022, which is now in effect, breaches will result in penalties ranging from a mandatory 15 years to life imprisonment.

The conditions for the surrender of firearms or ammunition are that these may be “handed over to a sub-officer or senior sub-officer on duty at any police station; any designated officer at a Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA) location; or to an Attorney-at-Law on behalf of an individual seeking the amnesty, for delivery to the nearest police station”.

Once the gun amnesty expires, the full force of the law is expected to be applied to anyone found in possession of an illegal firearm or ammunition.

Over the last 25 years, Jamaica recorded, on average, 1,270 murders each year, the vast majority of which were committed by people with illegal firearms.   Illegal firearms are also said to be the weapon of choice for murders and other acts of crime and armed violence in Jamaica.

Since 2018, the Security Forces have taken more than 3,200 illegal firearms from the streets and in excess of 53,000 rounds of ammunition. Each year, they have seized upwards of 625 firearms.   Data from the Ministry of National Security shows that as at October 31, 2022, a total of 652 firearms had been seized.