Japanese Views on Guns
Maybe they are right. Maybe America is too dangerous to live in. In November, I went to visit my relatives in Japan. Out of all the relatives that I came in contact with one stands out in my mind. Twelve-year-old Ken-chan is a cousin of mine, although this was the first time we met. You see the last time I visited Japan I was 12 myself, and he wasn’t even born yet. After a fun-filled day of kicking a soccer ball around, playing cards and eating immense meals with Ken (which he personally served to me with his chopsticks), I asked him to come visit me in California this summer. The first words out of his mouth were: “No, I will be shot there!” I told him that he’d be fine, but he didn’t believe me.
Now after the killings of Takuma Ito and Go Matsura I am not so sure that Ken-chan is too far off. One night in Japan I was traveling on the train at 10 p.m. and noticed a boy, probably 8, on the train by himself. Now I know this will probably never occur in the United States, but I guess I can dream. I don’t know what can be done to solve the gun problem we have here, but I know that Mr. Winchester was terribly frightened when he saw what his rifle could do.
DAVID KASAMA
Los Angeles
I came to Southern California six years ago. I hoped I would enjoy the sunny weather and life here. But I’ve lived here with fear of violence since Day One.
When I purchased a new car I got an alarm in it. And I bought an anti-theft device the next year. And the third year I got a cellular phone in my car. I thought this was good enough to protect me from violence, robbery, murder, etc., etc.
After learning about the two Japanese students who were senselessly killed in a pretty safe neighborhood, what do I buy next to protect me from this kind of violence? Guns? No way! Japanese are very sensitive, peaceful, educated and intelligent people. We don’t buy guns to protect ourselves. I really don’t know what to do next.
When Yoshihiro Hattori was killed in Louisiana in 1992, the Japanese collected signatures to ban guns in the U.S. But some American told us to back off and don’t interfere in other countries. But please listen to others. Learn from others, especially Japan where a woman can go for a walk to the park at night alone, where children are safe to play in a park alone, where I can walk home alone from a station at night. And most of all, where there is strong gun control. And learn from a Japanese who loves America.
Don’t you want to walk on streets without the fear of being shot, raped or mugged? Don’t you want your children to live safely? You still have hope, Los Angeles. I still believe in you.
I pray for Tak and Go to sleep peacefully in heaven.
YUKO TANIGUCHI
Los Angeles