Civil NGO Accuses the State of Promotion of Gun Culture

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The Civil – Centre for Freedom from Skopje condemned, in a statement of August 7, 2012, the promotion of gun culture by the Ministry of Defense at the events organized to mark the 20th anniversary and the Day of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia last weekend.

To mark the Day of the ARM, August 18, the Ministry of Defense and the Army of the Republic of Macedonia organized an exhibition of armaments and equipment of the armed forces at the armed forces sports centre in Skopje’s City Park, on August 5-6, 2012.

Children handling heavy weaponry at the Armed Forces exhibition in Skopje

„During the exhibition last week, the arms from the ARM arsenal was made accessible to children and youth. We believe that the very idea to exhibit arms is questionable, at best, while to let children and young people handle it in such an event is scandalous and unacceptable”, says the Civil Centre for Freedom.

Civil adds that such a behavior by the Ministry and the armed forces, at a time when Macedonia promotes gun control and overcoming of prevalent gun culture, demonstrates that all such efforts rarely venture beyond mere declarations.

“We believe that there are many other ways to promote the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, to bring it closer to all age groups in the country, and if there are ways that are unacceptable, the events of last weekend were exactly that. We appeal to the Ministry of Defense and all relevant and competent institutions of the state to refrain from such practices, for the good of the future generations”, Civil adds.

The organization also appealed to the parents to keep their children away from guns and, should relevant institutions forget their duties and obligations, to not take their children to such events in the future. (Source: Civil Centre for Freedom)