I often see mass shootings on television taking place in the United States. I see the outpouring of emotion, the knee-jerk promises by politicians, and proclamations of law enforcement.

I see it. I understand it. And, in some ways, I agree with it. But being a pragmatist, the harsh reality is I see things in logical colours. I cannot be a dreamer.

Firearm ownership in the United States is a cultural norm for the majority of the country. There is no ceiling for ownership because there is no ceiling for freedom, and the constitution is very clear that they have the right to bear arms.

There is no wiggle room. Mass ownership of firearms comes with the downside that mass shootings are possible and, in fact, very easy.

So I accept that nothing will ever change there, and dream of a day when it will be legal for someone like me who visits to be able to bear arms and be one of the good guys with a gun who are there to stop the bad guy with a gun.

The recent incident at Big Wall has so many variables. It’s like a statistics question on an exam paper:

Was this a no-weapon event?

Is there a legal designation for a no-weapon event?

Was this venue so designated?

Was the infrastructure put in place to ensure that no weapons could enter?

Did this ban include members of the entertainment community? If it did, was there a system that could actually work to ensure that VIPs or entertainers go through the same search process as patrons?

When there is a FIFA event or an International Olympic Committee (IOC) event, the ban on weapons is imposed by them. They can’t search anyone, but they can end the event. They can also ensure that no other event under their designation can be held in the future in the noted country.

When a party promoter puts on an event, many times security companies provide an armoured truck to keep guns for the licensed public attending the event. Failing to put this in place may result in turning away patrons who could potentially buy millions of dollars of alcohol.

I have actually seen a few young men run up a bill at a club one night for over $2 million. They were literally buying for half the club. Unfortunately, I was in the other half that didn’t get a free drink.

So, using the armoured truck is somewhat necessary if you are going to ban firearms from your event. This is not cheap. The rental of the truck alone is about $250,000. This does not count the police officers who you have to hire through the Jamaica Constabulary Force to man that armoured truck.

Then you almost certainly, under this new Gun Bill, will be forced to involve the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA). This doesn’t mean they’re going to be available to supply people to assist.

Then, in case you didn’t know, more than half the promoters who put on an event lose money. And that is a very liberal estimate.

You see, we live with a gun culture. Not only in respect of licensed guns, but also prohibited guns.

Once you have established yourself in life, and have covered house, car, wife, and family, the next priority is often having a legal gun. You are not complete if this does not occur. This is our culture.

Therefore, many of the individuals with disposable income are licensed firearm holders who likely don’t live in front of the venue and are not willing to commute back and forth from a party unarmed.

There is also the harsh reality that you will encounter individuals in entertainment venues who could put you at risk for virtually nothing, especially when alcohol is involved. So the obvious line of argument is that, if you think you may have to use a gun at an entertainment event to save your life, then you should stay home and don’t go to that event. This is sensible. Young men rarely are.

I remember a few decades ago I was at a party on the north coast when I had a run-in with a group of men at the event. I was outnumbered and I was armed, but I simply could not dream of pulling a gun to defend myself in the middle of a crowded venue.

I remember thinking to myself how stupid I would feel when I have to explain to Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes why I put myself in a position to commit a mass shooting at an event simply so that I could leap and prance like a “leggo beast” to the latest tune.

Then there is the chaos that often characterises entry into an event where performers are involved.

In my youth, in search of a night’s pay, I worked at many dances involving primarily dancehall performers in the capacity of a security representative. Needless to say there were several challenges that arose in controlling entry to the event by patrons who rarely wanted to pay, and never wanted to be searched.

I remember transitioning to the artiste’s entry gate and expecting an easier experience. Well was I wrong! The artistes who are performing are given a number of free passes to give their friends. This they do and arrive with 40 or more other people who have no passes.

They walk in front of the artiste, so while you are processing them the artiste is at the back of the line and his entourage are literally pushing down the gate because you are preventing the artiste from gaining entry.

There seems to be a handbook available for purchase that artistes can buy to ensure that more of their friends gain entry than passes issued to them. This creates a dangerous environment for the security personnel and also puts the promoter in danger of the artiste getting upset and deciding not to perform. So, for the skin of the promoter, and to save the event, security personnel are forced to usher in the entourage without actually searching them or seeing their passes.

That is how the guns get in. This hooliganism extends to the stage.

Jamaica must be the only place in which individuals who have no musical talent or intention to perform find themselves on the stage where the artiste is performing. The security normally is blamed for allowing anyone other than the performer on stage.

Well, I had the distinct displeasure of working a stage many years ago where a popular artiste arrived at the stage with the entourage in front of him. As I said, there’s a handbook. I stopped the entourage, so by default the artiste could not come on stage. He subsequently kissed his teeth and walked off. He refused to go on stage until the promoter begged him to do so. So he returned with his entourage of about two dozen and they all ended up on stage.

So back to Big Wall.

Unless the culture of the performers change, then preventing guns from entering venues will remain a dream. Nothing will change, unless they change.

Did Big Wall drop the baton?

Well, if they advertised it as a no-weapon event and guns ended up in there then they did.

Who was wrong?

Who committed a crime?

Who were the ones defending themselves?

That is for the courts to determine.

What I will say is this: The licensed firearm holder should not have been in an event that was advertised as a no-gun event with his firearm. If he was involved in assaulting someone as part of a mob, whether he used a firearm or not, he is wrong.

Anyone who carried an unlicensed gun into that venue is wrong. And whether they had a reason to use it or not, I really don’t care. It should not have been there. And they should not have been in possession of it.

It is likely that someone will be convicted because this is a Gun Court matter, not a jury matter. So that antiquated, ridiculous system that we still hang onto, like our Commonwealth status, will not create a platform for corruption or lack of knowledge to yield a “no-result”.

What is certain is that the FLA will revoke that firearm permit and will never re-issue a permit to that particular holder. Trust me, they don’t play.

I have carried a licensed firearm for almost 40 years. I value it because I know that it alone gives me a chance in surviving an attack that is very likely in this country. I accept it is a privilege; a privilege that can be taken away from me because of a lie told, false witness, or a corrupt Government.

Those are things I cannot really control. What I can control and what you can control is where we go to have fun. You cannot put innocent people’s lives and health at risk because you want to dance.If the event is so risky that you need to be armed then stay home.

I regret and feel the pain of everyone who was hurt at this event, but the person who had nothing to do with the aggrieved parties and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time is the person for whom my heart really bleeds.

The damage this has done to the entertainment industry is far greater than the contribution of the people involved to the melee. This industry is what brings tourism to this country, it is what makes Jamaica unique. Billions are spent by individuals travelling from overseas to participate in Carnival and other major events. To mitigate the damage done we have to take steps to inform the public what measures will be legally forced onto the promoters.

We have to force cultural change in the entertainment industry. Decisions at these entry gates must be enforced by police officers, not promoters. This can be done, trust me.

I can think of a few police superintendents, such as Troyville Haughton and Cammendo Thoms, who, if they decide that everyone entering an event, to include the superstar of the day, is going to be searched then it will happen. But the decision-maker cannot be the promoter. He has too much on the line, so his decisions are based on profit. The police officer’s decision will be based on public safety and the law. And that is what really matters!

Feedback: drjasonamckay@gmail.com

Gunfire in a public space threatens everyone’s safety.