Newspaper headlines read “What if Oscar didn’t have a gun?”

If we look at crime and vice in our once beautiful cities and neighbourhoods we cringe. But when you look at it and see the impact it has on our lives and the lives of our children, it truly is cringe worthy. Our houses aren’t safe so, in order to make them safer we upgrade them with the latest electric fences, we buy a CCTV security system and have a private armed security force on hand in case we push a panic button.

Sadly, that turns our homes into secure prisons, complete with electric fences and CCTV security. But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying our lives should it? Not when you take into consideration that your home and your livelihood is well protected. You can even go one step further by arming yourself and your wife.

Recent gun news

There’s a very negative stigma regarding firearms in our country. It’s a stigma that could carry detrimental effects if we hope to turn South Africa into a crime-free country. At least into a country where violent criminals will think twice before invading a house knowing that the owner of that house, or his wife for that matter will take swift justice in the defence of his or her children.

When we see how cowardly criminals actually are and how untrained they are in regards to guns, that could lift some of this bad stigma. When that criminal tries to break into your house, as a mother, you have every right to protect yourself and your offspring. Also, when criminals break into houses, they do it when they think the owner is not around and a woman armed with a gun is the last thing they’ll expect.

Yes, the Firearm Control Act of 2000 makes it difficult to obtain a gun. All the tests you’d have to complete, the paperwork you have to fill in and the licence feed you would have to pay and that doesn’t include the costs of a firearm, which can cost you anything from five to seven thousand rands. Also, after you purchased your firearm, you would have to get training for it.

And, as a woman, that training will give you a distinct advantage. The criminal that tries to rob you is inherently a coward. He certainly won’t stand up to a mother bear protecting her cubs and, when that mother bear is armed, that certainly levels the playing field a bit. So, yes, our country is certainly a dangerous place but with a few armed angels, it could be a great country again. With a few armed angels it could become liveable again.