Some years ago I was involved in a matter of a middle-aged woman who had both arms chopped off by her husband.

I wasn’t the investigating officer, but I was very active in the matter, partially because I felt that the victim deserved justice.

This violence occurred not because she attempted to steal his family’s generational holdings or move a man into his father’s home; not that even loathsome acts like that would justify his actions.

I understand provocation, but I still can’t identify with this man’s anger, evil and disregard for a fellow human’s suffering.

Now, this man, this husband, this father was driven to this degree of violence because of a phone call. Driven by nothing but jealousy and ego, even more bewildering.

Well, he was arrested and his son got an opportunity to visit him and see his surroundings.

So a day after this visit I got a message from the victim to come and see her in hospital. I went and I don’t think I am a skilful enough writer to properly explain my shock when the lady greeted me with the following words: “Mr McKay, mi talk to mi son today and him tell mi say him visit him father a the jail. I can’t believe you put me husband in a dutty place like that.”

I have told you this story to demonstrate that if you, like me, have never been abused in a domestic environment, then we simply can’t identify with the way the victim or the offender thinks.

Why? Because we have never been in a situation where someone we love physically hurts us.

Also, we can’t identify with brutalising people we love.

Therefore, based on all the above, I think that the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) needs to have direct access to the data at the domestic violence centres now established at police divisions islandwide.

Ok now, let me say why.

I always maintain that there is no statistical data or mathematical computation that could create a percentile for crimes committed by licensed firearm holders in the island of Jamaica.

Why? Because they rarely, rarely, rarely commit crimes.

It’s not a typo, I typed it three times because it deserves to be said three times.

However, when a licensed firearm holder decides to get criminally violent it has been known to be directed at his family.

Is it a large percentage of firearm holders? No, certainly not, but when they do, death is just a simple squeeze of a trigger away.

Therefore, the standard of the investigation has to be really high. This should involve all it now does. It also should involve this new resource.

Okay, I realise it’s often a person’s private business. I get it. So reasonable people will have access to the complainant’s report and use this to assess the applicant.

It doesn’t mean it’s an automatic rejection. It may be assessed and found to have been nothing. It won’t go public.

There are more than 100 domestic murders committed a year in this island. They are normally innocent people.

This, compared to the almost 1,000 gang-related murders, may seem inconsequential, but the former group largely didn’t do anything to bring this fate upon themselves, whereas the latter literally dug their own hole.

The question is, will more gun ownership increase the domestic murder tally? The answer is not if the investigation is deeper and maybe not if the data base is accessible to the determining authority.

Also, murder doesn’t usually happen the first time that violence occurs. There are building blocks to brutality.

It often starts with verbal abuse, physical restraining of victims, a push, then the hitting.

This can graduate to killing even though it doesn’t often, but rarely is killing the first violent step.

Now, my close friend, who like myself is an avid supporter of licensed gun ownership, always says “weapons are not limited to guns”.

True, you can kill with a knife, but it requires more than just the squeeze of a trigger. And multiple victims, though quite possible, is a lot less probable.

We don’t even have to discuss how much more deadly a gun is than a knife.

Balance is important. We have to arm our society because we are at war. However, we must ensure that we put those arms in the hands of people who will protect the public and their families, and not become another predator.

I don’t support establishing a need, but I believe that the investigation into the character that is given a gun permit should be as thorough as possible.

Now, I will end as I begun. The victim in the noted matter came to court and released the animal that had maimed her and I fear he will one day kill her.

He has no conviction for a domestic offence committed in Jamaica. His criminal record will show he has no convictions at all. He appears on no gang register.

It is possible though, not likely, that he could find his way around the system if he applies for a gun.

Is it not better that we take this one additional step so that him or men like him are limited in their ability to destroy?