In our last segment, we showed you the launch of the PUP's Social Justice Agenda, an idyllic vision where every citizen enjoys equal rights and protection under the laws. But, in the real world, 30 plus years of independence has taught us that's usually just a fantasy: justice is mostly reserved for those who have strings or who can afford a good attorney.
One law, which has recently come under scrutiny for uneven application, is the gun law where remand is automatic for all gun charges.
As we've showed you, grassroots activists have been up in arms about the case where Reynaldo Verde, a senior tax collector, escaped criminal charges. That's after the police officers determined that the unlicensed Glock 380 pistol, which was found in his house, had been planted there. Today, the media asked the Leader of the Opposition about the gun law in that context. He said that from the time the law was being proposed, the opposition foresaw situations like this:
Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of Opposition
"Well anyone who looks at the record will know that at the time they introduced that gun law, the People's United Party, in the national assembly, opposed that particular section of the law, and in fact, made some very strong statements. We made recommendations for improving that law. We remain consistent with that position. We consistently said to the Government that we believe that that law is being applied unfairly. We understand that there are dangerous people on the streets, and we need to deal with them, and we need to get guns out of the hands of dangerous people. But, we do not need at the same time to use those laws to penalize law abiding citizens who are trying to protect themselves, their families, and their businesses. A lot of that is happening; a lot of innocent people are being caught up in this web that has been thrown."
And that issue remains on the front-burner as tomorrow morning activist Russell Roberts and COLA will have a joint press conference.
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