In other news, Sara Brady is reported to be suffering severe gas attacks.
This is very good news. First, for the Brazilian people. They were hit with every 'we know best' hammer the 'elites' could use, and in the end said 'Hell no'. And 64 to 36 counts as Hell no. To quote a guy who wrote to Instapundit on this:
"Hi Glenn, I live in Brazil and believe me, you don't know the half of it. The level of propaganda from the pro-ban side, which included the current government, the Church, the Globo television network (think CBS, ABC and NBC combined) and the arts/intelligentsia crowd was beyond the pale and clearly directed at the less fortunate. In other words, it was presented as a class vote. The margin of victory indicates that Brazilians of all classes voted against this ridiculous referendum. It is a sure sign of the steady but certain maturing of democracy in this country. "
Think about that; just about every group that keeps helping push for bans/taxes/restictions here- discounting the President and our current government- was yelling at them, and they listened to both sides and said 'No'. I like this quote from Dave Kopel's post at the Volokh Conspiracy:
“Their whole campaign (against the ban) was imported from the United States. They just translated a lot of material from the NRA. Now, a lot of Brazilians are insisting on their right to bear arms, they don’t even have a pseudo right to bear arms. It’s not in their Constitution,” said Jessica Galeria, an American who researches gun violence with the Viva Rio think tank.
Don't you just love that? "Oh, God, they actually believe they have a right to arms! And their government hasn't given them permission to think such a thing! And the eeeeviill NRA had a hand in it! Aaaaaahhhh!" May they strain their throats with their screaming. As Kopel points out, their constitution specifically states:
"the home is the inviolable asylum of the individual, and no one may enter it without the dweller's consent, save in the case of "flagrante delicto" or disaster, or to give help, or, during the day, by court order;"
and if you have the right to protect your home from invasion, you have, implied at least, the right to the means to protect your home. There's more in the post, so go read it.
And the Reuters AlertNet article is just full of good stuff.
""We didn't lose because Brazilians like guns. We lost because people don't have confidence in the government or the police," said Denis Mizne of anti-violence group Sou da Paz." Gee, you think maybe? They think the police are corrupt and/or incompetent and want means to protect themselves? Whoda thunk it?
"Many voters had expressed concern before the vote that a ban would leave them defenseless against heavily armed criminals. Public confidence is low in a police force widely seen as inefficient, abusive and corrupt." Yep.
" "This referendum ... is not going to end violence," said Assis Augusto Pires, 60, who voted against the ban in Sao Paulo's wealthy Jardim Paulistano district, where high walls, electrified fences and private guards protect residents." Wow, even people who can afford private heat want arms! Hear that, Sen. Kennedy(Dr.MA)?
"Spotlighting the issue, a young girl was wounded by a stray bullet as police clashed with drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro's Dende slum on Saturday night, police said." Gee, some of the strictest gun-control laws around and the gangs still have guns? Sound familiar, D.C.?
And this one: " The ban failed in all 26 states and the federal district of Brasilia. Rural areas rejected it overwhelmingly. "This region is very isolated. If you don't have a gun here you don't have protection," said Igor Dedea, a logger in the rainforest state of Para." So it failed everywhere, and in rural areas 'overwhelmingly'.
Brazil is like a lot of countries; the government has made it as difficult as it can for a common citazen(at least they don't openly call them 'peasants') to own a gun, and is constantly trying to make it worse. And in Brazil's case, they're next door to Venezuela which has the weenie Chavez as president(think that may have something to do with some of their troubles?), with Chavez trying to export the wonders of castro throughout South America. But this gives me hope. The people of Brazil got both sides and voted to keep their ability to own arms for whatever reasons they choose. They took note that with current laws the bad guys aren't even slowed down in getting weapons, and decided that "Trust us, this will make you safe" from the government didn't cut it.
Now, let's see, a referendum to put a right to arms in their constitution... Probably won't happen, but it's a nice thought, isn't it?
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