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Why can’t I enter with my firearm on me?

Jan 09, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
I write in relation to a self-imposed mandate that is arbitrarily being applied by various Government and other agencies, including the GPL, GRA, GT&T, NIS, etc. I refer to the refusal of permitting licensed firearm holders entry into these entities. It is an established fact that stringent criterion must be satisfied before a firearm license is granted, whereupon, the licensee is required to always be in possession of his/her firearm and license except, when in the courts or in the office of senior Government functionaries. No condition is stipulated on the license hence, no authority is endorsed to supersede the conditions of the said license and to deny a licensed firearm holder entry with his/her firearm, is an act of constitutional infringement.
A simple solution would be for a person to produce his/her firearm license when requested to do so before being permitted entry into any agency with such authority. This would be similar to a police rank requesting the driver of a vehicle to produce his/her driver’s license which would be a legal directive. However, it would be a legal impropriety for a driver to be instructed that his/her license is not authorized for use in specific parts of the country. Entities with restrictions for entry with a firearm should employ a security based system where a licensed firearm holder can have his/her firearm lodged at the point of entry and retrieved at his/her point of exit, as is being applied at “The Princess Hotel”.
The commercial banks where financial transactions are paramount do not advance this insensitive rule. Licensed firearm holders are now faced with the daunting risk of having to leave their firearms at home or in their vehicles when it is necessary to conduct business in the agencies referred to. I have been advised by a brilliant legal exponent to challenge this ill-conceived practice in the courts of law as the very foundation of its genesis would be unable to withstand legal scrutiny.
Which bandit with felonious intentions would subject him/herself to a physical examination for a firearm? How many robberies, attempted robberies or gun-related crimes have been thwarted by this time wasting imposition? I have had the misfortune of being disrespected by security guards where the performance of this exercise can be quite demeaning. Further, the negative attitude in the performance of this specific duty is at times reflected in the lax display by some security personnel whose distractions, including gossiping and the use of cellphones, are occasionally evident. I trust that the contents of this missive will inspire appropriate action and my suggestion in para two will be considered for urgent implementation.
Maurice Rajkumar

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