(AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
At least 38 unarmed protesters in Myanmar were shot and killed by the military on Wednesday, as CNN declared that the country is now a “war zone.” I’d argue that a war actually involves two sides shooting at each other. What we’re witnessing in Myanmar at the moment is a massacre, because civilians aren’t shooting back. In fact, in Myanmar they’re not even allowed to possess a firearm.
On paper, Myanmar law recognizes the right to own a firearm; kind of like how New Jersey recognizes the right to carry a gun in self-defense. In practice, legal gun ownership in Myanmar and the ability to carry a firearm in New Jersey are restricted to a chosen few, with government officials doling out permission to just a handful of individuals.