Weapons don’t choose sides. They serve the crazy in the head of the holder.

Some time ago I guided a Palestinian through Antwerp. Close to the Central Station his surprised face directed my attention to the armed military men wandering around in the quarter. More recently I showed Antwerp to an American. And again I was asked about the presence of the military.

If there are two peoples who are used to see heavy weapons on the street and on a daily basis – then these. I myself saw in Palestine the settlers who swing there automated guns over their shoulders with an air of nonchalance. I saw the very young Israeli soldiers with M16s that looked more solid than they boys and girls carrying them. With the American I conducted a conversation about the reason for the omnipresence of weapons among civilians. He explained to me that this goes back to the right of civilians to protect themselves against a regime that tends to get authoritarian. Along with that he explained the fact that the heavily armed policemen are being mistrusted by everybody, because of their brutal, racist and random use of violence. Deadly violence in too many cases.

And then there is you, mayor of Antwerp. You feel the need to say something (this is often the case). That the police in Antwerp needs to operate with war weapons. .300 Whisper to be precise. Bullets that are 7cm long. These are assault weapons. In a city. Full with civilians, with children. Of course there is no permission from the minister of interior. This permission is legally required before arming the police in this fashion (art. 10 Royal Decree on the Law on Extraordinary Armament). But you seem to hold the opinion that you are above the law. And you are right.

And you are right. You do not need rules, all you need is money: 80.000 euro for the weapons and 85.000 euro for ammunition (http://solidair.org/artikels/antwerpen-koopt-oorlogswapens-aan-zonder-machtiging-van-de-minister). So then you simply ask your city council to approve this extraordinary armament. And, now it comes, this city council agrees with you (three parties voted against). So you now ignore the balance of powers (maybe the reasoning goes like this: “Separation of powers? Nah. I speak loud and scatter around Latin clichés, that makes the legislative and executive power unite in me”). And nobody is able or willing to stop you. This is one clear example of how democracy is the least of bad state forms (Plato). Still bad though. Without attentive guards the whole democratic apparatus turns into the opposite of its purpose.

So, then. Antwerp is turning into the city where citizens have to mistrust their mayor and his council. So maybe we will follow the example of the American civilians then? Let’s arm ourselves in case the government turns authoritarian. And with the current display of annihilation of legal principles, this is not a far-from-my-bed scenario. It moreover looks like the government is one step ahead of the civilians – they already have war weapons now. For assault and killing, from a distance over 900 meter. So quickly let us now apprehend to take distance from and to disgust the police (yes, in a faraway past we handed over our right to use force to them, but never mind). Because really, in Antwerp, shooting with 7 cm bullets? How many terrorists are going to be killed by this? And how many children? How many women and men? Weapons don’t choose sides. They serve the crazy in the head of the holder.

Yesterday a girl of 17 years young was shot in Hebron. She was passing a checkpoint, and after being shot down she bled to death. I know her father.

Bart De Wever please open your eyes. See what happens when more weapons are present. I will help you: more weapons do not equal more peace. And also: “in what world are you living”? Please don’t infect our world with it.