“What goes up must come down” may not be an immutable law of physics, but it does hold true often enough to be relied on most of the time. Which is why it is difficult to grasp the continuing problem of “happy fire” – the practice celebrating by firing guns into the air when every year someone is killed by one of those bullets that go down – in parts of the Middle East, primarily in Jordan. Earlier this month, an 18-year-old student was killed by happy fire meant to celebrate university entrance exam scores. His passing score did not do him much good. The practice of firing guns at official functions such as weddings is a tradition that has been followed for hundreds of years, since the times when isolated tribes used the gunfire to announce tribal events. The sound of gunfire traveled further and faster than any other mode of communication at their disposal. Populations have grown, however, and population density in Jordan has increased dramatically. Certainly, it does not require much imagination to envision the potential danger that can result from firing bullets into the air. These are not rocket-propelled capsules heading to the space station and beyond. These are bullets that may travel a kilometer or so and then drop back to earth at speeds high enough to cause lethal damage. This statement is not up for discussion. And it does not presuppose acceptance at KAUST for an individual to understand it. Old traditions die hard but when these old traditions are causing serious harm to individuals, it is obligatory that society rein in the behavior. Individuals must open their eyes to the world that they live in and develop new traditions to replace those that no longer have a place in modern society. When the writing is on the wall – bullets kill no matter the direction in which they are fired
