Në një referendum të zhvilluar këtë javë në Brazil u hodh poshtë një propozim për ndalimin e shitjes së armëve. Vitin e kaluar në vend pati tridhjetë e gjashtë mijë vdekje si rezultat i përdorimit të armëve, që është më shumë se në çdo vend tjetër. Steve Kingstone njofton:

Dëgjo lajmin

Brazilians went to the polls to answer a simple question: should the sale of guns and ammunition be banned? They were urged to vote 'yes' by the government, the Catholic church and the United Nations. But instead, by close to two to one, they voted 'no'. Which means gun shops will remain open and, as now, anyone over twenty-five will be able to buy a firearm, subject to background checks.

The result may come as a surprise to outsiders, given the horrific scale of gun violence in Brazil but the 'no' campaign convinced voters that the proposed ban would have no effect on hardened criminals on the grounds that criminals don't buy guns legally in shops.

The referendum was also portrayed in terms of civil rights. The 'no' campaign acknowledged that not every Brazilian would want to buy a gun. But it said that in a crime-ridden society, citizens should have the right to choose how to defend themselves and their families. Organisers of the failed 'yes' campaign admit they were out-manoeuvred. Given the overwhelming opposition to a gun ban, it may be many years before politicians feel able to revisit this issue.

Steve Kingstone, BBC, Sao Paulo

Dëgjo fjalët

went to the polls
votuan

banned
ndaluar

a firearm
armë zjarri

outsiders
të huajt

hardened criminals
kriminelë të regjur

on the grounds that
për arsye (se), për shkak të

acknowledged
pranoi

a crime-ridden society
shoqëri e mbarsur me krime

they were out-manoeuvred
pjesa tjetër veproi, manovroi më mirë në zgjedhje

to revisit this issue
rishqyrtoj këtë çështje