In the United States, gun ownership was considered such an important right that the founders included it in the Bill of Rights right behind freedom of speech, dissent and religion. The founders of the United States knew that gun ownership (voluntary ownership) was a natural right equal to the other above mentioned rights. They also knew that human nature has the potential for mischief. To guard against mischief – thievery, foreign invasion, and usurpation of rights, citizens needed a means to defend themselves. Voila, the right to not only keep, but also bear arms was born.

Present day Zimbabwe is a perfect example of what the founders of the United States had in mind when they devised the second amendment right to own guns. Let’s face it, Zimbabwe is suffering from mischief at the hands of Robert Mugabe and is in dire need of a revolution. Contrary to what Thabo Mbeki, the president of South Africa, has recently said about there not being a crisis in Zimbabwe, the country is in a horrendous condition. Shelves are empty in stores; inflation is at a phenomenal 100,000 percent; and people are resorting to eating giraffes for sustenance. In spite of this grotesque situation, Mugabe will be able to steal yet another election and continue the genocide against his people that he and his henchmen commenced about a decade ago. The country needs a revolt, but chances are slim and none that it will happen from within. Why? Because the average Zimbawean does not possess the means to make it happen. They are not allowed to own guns.

The last time an effective revolt could have taken place in Zimbabwe was 1999. That was the year before the Mugabe regime began seizing commercial farms and redistributing them to his cronies and military backers. The economic consequence of this policy has been devastating, but that is not the point of this article. The point is that as the government was confiscating farms it was also canceling gun licenses and seizing firearms to ensure a smooth functioning of the land redistribution scheme. Then in 2005 another round of gun take ways took place. According to one anonymous government source at the time, “The ban is targeted at all automatic weapons which the government fears could pose a security threat in the country should the civil strife in Zimbabwe turn violent”. All smart dictators know that when you take away guns from the citizenry you take away one of the few resources they have to guarantee their rights. In addition to Zimbabwe, look at China, Iran, Burma, Cuba, and North Korea for proof.

Unfortunately, the time for average Zimbabweans to learn this lesson is past. Their guns and therefore the means to end crimes committed against them by their own government are lost. This lesson, however, should not be lost on those that still possess the right to defend themselves against mischief both foreign and domestic. Because, in the words of George Washington: “A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.”

Kenn Jacobine teaches History and English for the American International School of Lusaka, Zambia. Send him email at lovesliberty@gmail.com.