Guns in Taiwan

Generally speaking, Taiwan is a safe country with strict gun control regulations. There is no legal private gun ownership. By way of contrast, Taiwanese think America is more dangerous. They are right (the intentional homicide rate is about 0.82 per 100,000 in Taiwan compared to about 5.35  in the USA from the wiki I quickly perused).

But earlier this week I heard a story from a young man which challenges this perspective. He told me that one of his friends carries three guns, two of them loaded, with him in his car at all times. He said he feels very safe whenever he rides with this friend!

When I related this story to my Saturday English class, one of my students topped it. A few years ago, she was caught in traffic directly behind a criminal caught in a standoff with two policemen. First, he pulled out his pistol. Then when the police produced their pistols, he quickly exchanged his for a machine gun, which sent the terrified policemen scurrying for shelter. Finally he put away his machine gun and brandished a hand grenade, beckoning with his hand for the scared policemen to draw near. Apparently no shots were ever fired. Neither was he apprehended at that time. But what a story! Was it just posturing? Who knows.

These gun-related stories remind of a huge story back in 1997 around time I came on island. Chen Chin-hsing , who was from the area where I am now living, had been on the run for months. People all over the island seemed scared out of their wits beyond all credible reason. The South African couple linked here and here later wrote a book about their moving experience and their ability to forgive in Jesus' name.