Presentation to the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Education
By Rev David J Newby
Regional Chairperson Gun Free South Africa
Western Cape
Tuesday 4 April 2000

Introduction
We live in an increasingly violent society. This is not surprising given our violent past in which institutionalised violence was met with violent resistance and in which a spiral of violence was allowed to develop. [Ed note: What is surprising is that the government has no intention of addressing this problem using known tested crime fighting methods. The scene is being set with a graphical description of the "problem" and building fear of it] We are also living in a period of transition in which tensions between the 'haves" and the "have nots" are heightening all the time. Throw into this context the 4 million legally owned firearms and the 500 000 illegal firearms and you have a powder keg waiting to explode. [Ed note: In propaganda terms this is unwarranted extrapolation since there is no evidence to indicate the truth of the statement or prediction. There is however much evidence indicating that there is no relationship. That the opposite (inverse) relationship between firearms ownership and crime exists. An armed society is a polite society. Having set the scene and problem the cause (target) of the propaganda is revealed] To date we have not witnessed an explosion of massive proportions but rather a low intensity war claiming 33 lives per day. Britain was rocked by Dunblain in which more than 20 lives were lost in one incident and it led to the banning of guns in that country. [Ed note: The rate of violent firearms crime in England has been steadily rising since the introduction of gun control legislation in England. The British people are becoming outraged by an incompetent and foolish government that followed the dictates and propaganda of gun control. It is an invitation to follow the example of Britain] More people are killed by guns in 3 days in our country than are killed in an entire year in Great Britain but because we have few "Dunblain" incidents and mainly sporadic acts of gun violence we remain more tolerant of guns and gun violence. [Ed note: in propaganda terms this is a logical fallacy. Cats have four legs, dogs have four legs, therefore all dogs are cats. There is no evidence of a relationship between firearms ownership and crime. It is also demonisation of the propaganda target within an emotional appeal]

The cost to the youth of our country of this "low intensity war" is incalculable. Of the 24 875 people who were murdered in 1998, 49.4% were killed with firearms. 819 of those killed with guns were under the age of 8. Stated differently - each year guns kill enough children to empty an entire school. Our schools have become battlegrounds in this low intensity war as gangs, learners and educators battle it out, not with sports equipment as is normal in schools around the world, but rather with weapons of war in the passages, the classrooms and the staffrooms of the schools. [Ed note: This in propaganda terms is an emotional appeal, logical fallacy and logical sleight of hand. The terminology uses words designed to demonise the propaganda target and appeal to the emotional sense. Battlegrounds, low intensity war, weapons of war are deliberately chosen labels to raise the emotional intensity. The facts presented are carefully chosen. There is no mention that almost 100% of those murders were committed with an illegal firearm]

Economists may be able to give us a rough estimate of the billions this low intensity war is costing us as a nation but no one will be able to place a price on the costs to the psyche of the nation and the children and youth in particular. [Ed note: Nobody has yet placed a cost on the lives lost due to the introduction of gun control, which in this case would seem to be more important. It is an appeal to authority and logical sleight of hand] I am aware that gun violence is not the only form of violence. Gun violence is however the fastest growing form of violence in our country and recognised worldwide as one of the most important challenges facing us in the new millenium. [Ed note: In propaganda terms this is unwarranted extrapolation. It is also and emotional appeal. "Gun violence" is a label or euphemism invented to aid the propaganda. The challenge is to identify the real causes of violence and not waste time on what is known but ignored] Gun Free South Africa does not apologise therefore for being a single issue campaign. We have a particular focus. We recognise that there are other forms of violence and that they need to be addressed. [Ed note: Nor will Gun Free South Africa apologise for the additional lives lost and suffering it will knowingly cause] We however have chosen to focus on the most lethal, fastest growing and most pervasive form of violence in our society. [Ed note: In propaganda terms this is demonisation of the propaganda target using fear and labels] We work closely with those involved in conflict resolution and alternatives to violence as well as those who seek to care for those who have been traumatised by violence. Without their efforts our work would be impossible but similarly if we were to lose our focus their work would be unmanageable. [Ed note: Gun Free South Africa has via it many tentacles and organisations taken over those organisations and subverted the original purpose to that of its own] It is for this reason that we build creative relationships with people and organisations representing all sections of society not least people such as yourselves who have such a strategic role to play in shaping the future of our nation. [Ed note: What more needs to be said but understand the real meaning of "creative relationship". This is band wagoning] I would therefore like to look briefly at the growth of gun violence in our society, the effects on youth and finally at some suggestions about what can be done to transform our society and bring an end to the low intensity war facing us. [Ed note: An appeal to emotion combined with band wagoning]

1. The growth of Gun Violence

According to a United Nations survey of 69 countries, South Africa has one of the highest firearm-related homicide rates in the world over 100 000 people. In fact we are second only to Columbia. The survey reveals South Africa has a rate of 26.63 homicides per 100 000 people as opposed to Brazil with 25.78, the USA with 6.24 and Australia with 0.36. [Ed note: This is an appeal to authority as well as a logical fallacy. It ignores the evidence that there is no relationship between firearms ownership and crime but attempts to establish a link with an appeal to authority and false logic. It sets the scene for the propaganda target revealed again in the next paragraph]

Police figures reveal guns are increasingly the weapon of choice in committing murders. In 1994 42% of all murders were committed with firearms. This grew each year to a figure of 49% in 1998). They also reveal that the handgun accounts for 57.4% of murders and close to 80% of attempted murders with guns. [Ed note: One could draw the conclusion that there are a huge amount of criminals that are not being caught, processed and incarcerated. There certainly is enough police powers and legislation on the books for this to happen. It is an appeal to authority and an attempt to establish a link with false logic] These statistics dispel the myth that it is the AK47s and other military style weapons that are the problem (they in fact account for no more than 3% of murders and attempted murders with guns). Equally disturbing is the fact that robberies with firearms increased from 5 l 004 cases in 1996 to 74 854 in 1998 (this represents 84.8% of all serious robberies in 1998) [Ed note: Is it possible that the chance that a criminal will be caught and brought to justice is less than 25% has any influence on this sad state of affairs? That the government has no interest in applying workable measures to fight crime? What better friend could a criminal wish for than organisations willing to promote the criminal environment. It is an appeal to authority and an attempt to establish a link with false logic]

There is a very obvious link between the number of guns in society and the incidence of gun violence. [Ed note: Together with the above statement this in propaganda terms is a logical sleight of hand. The propaganda has attempted to establish an unproven link or relationship using emotion appeals and band wagoning. Everyone knows that the propaganda is true] In the last few years we have witnessed an alarming increase in the number of firearm licences issued. The Central Firearms registry reports that between 18 000 and 20 000 new applications are received each month. With close to 200 000 licences being approved each year we can see that our country is moving rapidly to becoming an armed camp. [Ed note: The propaganda is establishing a link between licenced firearms and crime, where none exists. When it is known that the contribution of licenced firearm owners to crime is less than 0.05% or more than 60 times better than South Africa's average crime rate. It is a logical fallacy, an appeal to authority and fear, warning to the consequences of not following the propaganda] Of even greater concern is the number of legal firearms that fall into the hands of criminals. 30 220 guns were lost by or stolen from legal gun owners during 1998. Of this number 1 775 were stolen from the police with the remaining 28 000 being stolen from licensed gun owners. [Ed note: The propaganda is attempting to establish a link between owners and crime placing the responsibility of crime on firearms owners. A logical sleight of hand. All prostitutes wear lipstick, therefor lipstick causes prostitution. Are the owners of stolen motor vehicles responsible for bank robberies? The figures quoted are incorrect and known by GFSA to be incorrect. The state is the largest contributor to the criminal arms pool] A disturbing trend is that in 1996 only 891 firearms were stolen by force whereas in 1998 this figure had risen to 5045. Clearly criminals are targeting legal gun owners as the easiest route to obtaining a weapon. As more guns are purchased, the pool available to criminals is increased and the potential for full scale gun battles on our streets becomes more likely. [Ed note: In propaganda terms an emotional appeal to fear. Here the propaganda warns of the consequences of not following the propaganda. It is also a logical fallacy to blame the victim of a crime for the crime. A link is being established between crime and licenced firearm owners.]

It is not my intention to reduce the debate to one of statistics but there are certain cold facts which reveal that we are in a state of crisis and that strong and decisive action is needed. There are some who would have us believe that there is no crisis; that it is people who kill and not guns that kill. The harsh reality is that people with guns (and there are increasing numbers of them) do kill. A person with a gun is just a finger squeeze away from killing or seriously injuring another human being. Right now there are 2 to 3 million legal and illegal gunowners just a finger squeeze away from adding to the already horrific body count. [Ed note: More conclusive proof of the propagandist nature and target of Gun Free South Africa's propaganda campaign could not be asked for. This in propaganda terms is both logical sleight of hand and an emotional appeal to fear. Life is being breathed into demonised metal. By example: This advocate of gun control is but a match-strike away from burning witches at the stake]

2. Youth and gun violence

There is no doubt that violence is part and parcel of young people's lives. Those who live in affluent areas behind high walls will watch thousands of murders on TV each year. They will kill and maim hundreds of computer generated victims over the same period. Youth in the townships will all know someone who was killed by a gun and many will live in fear of being the next victim. In both contexts the gun is seen as a status symbol and something worth having. [Ed note: In propaganda terms this is demonisation of the propaganda target, guns. It is also an appeal to fear using a logical fallacy] The toy gun industry further serves to deepen this mindset. In more extreme cases children younger than 12 actually have access to firearms (some with the consent of their parents). Further confirmation of this growing gun culture amongst our young people is the statistic released by the minister of Safety and Security in August 1998 that 2 723 sixteen year olds had been issued with firearm licences between 1995 and mid l998. [Ed note: This in propaganda terms is unwarranted extrapolation, a logical sleight of hand and an appeal to fear. Those licenced met South African legislative requirements (acknowledged as among the most restrictive in the world.) There is no evidence of any relationship between these issued licence holders and crime no matter what the age. See above 0.05% of crime]

It is tragic however that our young people are not only bearers of this gun culture but increasingly it's victims. As I have mentioned the equivalent of an entire school is wiped out by guns each year. I dare say that if an entire school was wiped out by gunmen on one day, drastic action would be taken (it only took a classful for Britain to act). Somehow we tolerate this horror because it is spread over an entire year but it is no less horrifying arid should prompt us into tough action. [Ed note: This is an emotional appeal to fear warning of the consequences of not following the propaganda. It avoids the evidence available that gun control laws have totally failed in all cases to prevent such acts. "Gun culture" an example of the many invented labels ]

At present there is no register of school gun violence but a cursory reading of the newspapers over the past year tells a terrible story:

• February 1999 - shootings in Ntulini Primary in Durban

- Simunye High School in Delft

• March - a student teacher killed whilst marking exams

• April - student shot at Cedar High in Mitchell's Plain

• May - teacher shot and killed a student over bus, fare in Kwazulu Natal

• June - a teacher shot in Soweto

• July - a teacher shoots 3 other teachers in Soweto

• September - student shoots another student at Thandokulu in Mowbray

- teacher shoots learner in Northern Province

• November - schoolboy shoots himself and 2 others in Soweto

And so it goes on

[Ed note: This is an emotional appeal warning of the consequences of not following the propaganda and a logical fallacy]

3. What can be done?

[Now a solution is offered to the propaganda, get rid of the target]

Sometimes we in Gun Free South Africa are regarded as utopian - as pursuing an impossible dream. Ours is not an impossible dream. It is a long term vision. We have a choice. We can look at the spiralling gun violence and resign ourselves to it or we can embrace the vision of something better and take the first necessary steps towards it. For my money the ideal of a Gun Free South Africa is far more noble and attainable than that of those who believe that you can arm a country with our violent history to the teeth and believe that it will live at peace with itself. [Ed note: This is an appeal to authority; the nobility of the propaganda cause and an appeal to fear of the consequences of not following the propaganda. It also contains a logical falacy and sleight of hand]

I would like to offer a few thoughts in the hope that they may serve as a catalyst for meaningful and creative action.

• We need a changed mindset

Central to the problem at present is a mindset which perceives the gun as cool", 'macho" and a status symbol. We need to find ways to reinforce that the gun is a sign of weakness and failure. It is the most visible sign of our inability as a society to resolve our problems in a wholesome and life giving way. The gun is a symbol of fear not of strength. It is a constant reminder at my side that I am not safe and that I live in a world in which there are only two choices: kill or be killed. This is not living. This is existing on the edge. Our youth need role models musicians, sportspeople, actors and politicians to convey this message more powerfully than the prophets of doom and purveyors of death. [Ed note: In propaganda terms this is band wagoning. Calling on others to climb aboard and follow the propaganda, while demonising firearms owners. There are a number of logical fallacies and labels in an emotional appeal]

• We need a change of heart

Apartheid brutalised us all. Ideology was valued more than life itself. We did vicious things to each other in the name of causes and policies and in the process we did serious damage to the soul of the nation. Our hearts have become hardened to the sight of blood and death. We have grown accustomed to violence as a way of life. [ Ed note: An emotional appeal is being built by conjuring up pictures in the mind and emotional response to what is to follow]

Having said this it is also true that the struggle against apartheid humanised many. Oppressed people showed enormous resourcefulness and courage in the face of great brutality and cruelty. Communities organised themselves to resist evil even when they were faced with well-trained and well armed forces. It was this indominatable humanity that captured the imagination of the world and turned Soweto into a household name. And so there is a battle being waged in our land. It is a battle between the legacy of brutality born in apartheid and the legacy of humanity born in the struggle against apartheid. It is the battle for the soul of the nation wherein we must choose to either destroy each other or liberate each other. We must choose between relating behind our high walls and stocking our armouries or joining hands with the huge majority of peace loving, law abiding citizens and bringing an end to the scourges of crime and poverty. This requires a change of heart. Now is always the best time for a change of heart. [Ed note: In propaganda terms this is band wagoning, calling on others to join and follow as well as an appeal to authority]

Large ships are turned by small rudders. Passionate, committed people can make a massive difference in society. [Ed note: This aptly also describes most of the tyrants of history who used the same propaganda methods]

· A change of behaviour

In Gun Free South Africa we have no illusions about the fact that we have a long hard road ahead. At times this seems daunting but we have learned to take heart from small victories because we know that each victory moves us another step closer to our ultimate goal of a Gun Free South Africa. Five years ago when we started GFSA we recognised that things would have to get a whole lot worse before people would begin to see the need for change. We have reached that point now and there is a very real sense in which we stand at a hinge of history; where the choices we make now will impact us massively in the future. We can choose to allow citizens to arm themselves to the teeth as the only viable means to combat crime or we can take decisive steps to deal with crime and gun violence. Here are a few practical suggestions on how we can make a contribution to building a safe and secure nation. [Ed note: Lies are the stock in trade of propaganda. If gun control worked to reduce crime there should be after all its applications and many thousands of laws a long list of successes. That gun control can not draw upon the example of a single success is testament enough to the total failure and falsehood of the ideological promise of gun control. That things had 'to get worse' means that the basis of the propaganda, a fear of crime had to be instilled for the propaganda to work on and use to its own ends.]

Reclaim space as a gun free space

One of the most exciting aspects of the new Firearms Control Bill is the introduction of Gun Free Zones. This Portfolio Committee has every reason to embrace this initiative enthusiastically and creatively. This country is going to be won back mind by mind, heart by heart and square metre by square metre. Every office block, every hospital, every library, every clinic, every municipal office, every school, every place of worship, every playground, every sports arena and every home which declares itself a gun free zone is a victory on the road to a safe and secure nation. [Ed note: This is band wagoning and an emotional appeal. Note also that Washington DC has a total ban on hand guns. The zoo is a gun free zone. This did not prevent gangsters from shooting at each other. It probably encouraged it.] But what difference will it make? It will make all the difference for the people who use the space. It will send out the message that guns are not welcome and begin to change the mindset society has about guns. Everytime someone borrows a book, pays a bill, visits a clinic, attends a sport event ... there will be the reminder that guns are an intrusion on normal life. [Ed note: An emotional appeal that warns of the consequences of not following the propaganda and to follow the band]

Importantly for this committee; every child who enters a school will be reminded that guns are a sign of failure and do not belong in an environment which is conducive to a culture of learning. Every school has the potential to become a sanctuary within a community rather than a battlefield. [Ed note: In all propaganda subjecting and converting the youth is a priority]

I would earnestly request this committee to call for submissions on how this proposal of schools as Gun Free Zones can be effectively implemented throughout the country. [Mr. Newby is not very conversant with current legislation or wishes to introduce his own ideological brand]

Support tighter gun control

Right now a new Firearms Control Bill is before the Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security. In drafting this Bill, government is respecting the wishes of the more than 30 million South Africans who do not have guns and who insist that they be protected from those who do have them. Owning a gun in this country is not a constitutional right but rather a concession granted to those who can demonstrate that they have need of such a lethal weapon. [Ed note: The firearms and ammunition Act 75 of 1969 indicates differently and this is a right enjoyed by citizens who meet the requirements of legislation. The suggestion that 30 Million insist they be protected by GFSA ideology is band wagoning and a outright lie.] Law abiding peaceful South Africans insist that when such a concession is granted, the state exercises all of the discretion at its disposal to ensure that that weapon is never used to inflict harm on those self same law abiding citizens. [Ed note: From statistics released by Safety and Security licenced firearm owners are responsible for 0.05% of violent crime, insignificant in anybody's terms. This is an appeal to authority, band wagoning and a logical fallacy] Honourable members are no doubt aware that far reaching measures are envisaged to control legal firearms and to strengthen the state’s hand in dealing with illegal firearms. These measures include stricter screening of firearm licence applicants, regular renewal of firearm licences, competency testing and restrictions on the number of weapons people may own and the amount of ammunition they may have in their possession. This will have the effect of reducing the number of firearms in circulation and ensuring that they are subject to tighter control. [Ed note: There is a guaranteed result of this control as exampled by every application. An increase of violent crime that can not be refuted. This is band wagoning, an appeal that warns of the consequences of not following the propaganda and logical fallacy] Although there is no guarantee that guns will not find their into schools, we must welcome stricter controls as a step in the right direction. There is an inescapable logic that the fewer guns in circulation the less gun violence there will be. [Ed note: a logical fallacy that is without evidence and an appeal to fear.]

Of particular concern to this committee is the issue of the age at which someone may obtain a firearm licence. The Bill proposes that the age be raised from 16 years to 18 years. In our grassroots work in schools we have found many expressing the view that the age limit should be increased to 25 to effectively ensure that no learner is ever licensed to own a firearm. It would be of great value to the debate if this committee could express its mind on the matter from the perspective of the needs of our places of learning. [Ed note: A logical fallacy; There is no evidence to support the contention that crime is committed by 16 year old firearms licence holders. Therefor legislation can not prevent what is patently not occurring. Legislation will not change criminal activity]

By modelling a gun free lifestyle

There is no doubt that young people learn most from the example set by significant others. Many youth leaders around the country have recognised that guns are a major issue with young people and have had the courage to speak out and warn of the dangers of guns. They have chosen to adopt a gun free lifestyle and actively promote alternatives to guns. Parents have stopped buying their children toy guns and are being more careful about the programmes their children watch on TV. We must never underestimate the power we have to influence for good. [Ed note: band wagoning and an appeal to emotion warning of the consequences of not following the propaganda]

Conclusion

I am grateful for the opportunity to address you today. We in Gun Free welcome opportunities for cooperation and dialogue especially when they lead to concrete steps to achieve progress towards a safe and secure nation where ordinary citizens no longer feel the need to arm themselves. It is our hope that this will be such a step and that our young people will one day look back and thank us for the courage we showed in pursuing the road that leads to freedom and life rather than death and destruction. [Ed note: band wagoning and an appeal to emotion warning of the danger of not following the propaganda]

[In a presentation such as this there are so many examples of techniques of propaganda that to highlight each and every application would mean a comment after every second or third word. Mr Newby has left no stone unturned in his effort to persuade the government officials he addressed]