Why not give Jin the gun?

[Gadjoproject]

After working for Sun's mafia-boss father, I'm sure Jin knows how to handle a gun...

Plus, Jack knows that Sawyer missed when aiming for the Marshall's heart so he's obviously not *that* good of a shot.

[Pippin1984]

Sawyer shot a polar bear! Maybe its just people has a problem shooting, though the man he thought was Sawyer got a lot of good shots into him.

[Lostaboutlost]

Well, I doubt that anyone else knows that Jin worked for the Mafia, and I don't think he's about to go tell them (or Sun).

[cinderellabop]

In Jin's flashback, we did not see him using a gun. He used his fists.

[annaislynn]

Jin does not even speak english. It would be hard for him to warn somebody, or even understand what "supposed" threat
may be saying.

[obsessedlostfan]

Because technically speaking no one knows a damn thing about JIN,on the island,outside of the fact he was/is SUN's domineering husband,the castaways' fisherman,and had a feud with MICHAEL,which has been resolved,to JACK,it would be in the rafters' best interest to arm SAWYER (sign of respect),who at least to the survivors' knows how to shoot,and use the gun.

[anarane saralonde]

Technically speaking, with the exception of Kate (from her latest centric episode) nobody on the island knows much about each other either. We've been shown a very small handful of examples where the characters divulged little of their pasts - Hurley revealed to Charlie that he won the lottery but Charlie assumed he was making a joke and walked off in disgust. Sawyer figured out it was Jack's surgeon father he was with at the bar in Australia and finally disclosed (to Jack) Christian's unconditional love for his son. Some of the islanders know Charlie was in a popular rock band but I remember someone (I can't remember which castaway) not ever hearing of his band before. Locke told Boone what he did for a living but Boone's not with us anymore. A large percentage of our castaways are still clueless as to their fellow castaways' former lives.

it would be in the rafters' best interest to arm SAWYER (sign of respect)

I'm not sure if this statement was meant before or after the rafters set sail but "Sawyer should be handed a gun out of respect?" - Granted, we've been shown his redemption in the last few episodes but hasn't Jin done the same also? He's nowhere near the same isolated and hostile character he portrayed earlier on. I saw a genuinely caring man during the birth scene of "Turniphead." You don't have to understand English to recognize emotionally driven moments. Jin knew Charlie was worried and scared for Claire. He didn't need someone to translate those emotions for him.

In going with Gadjoproject's opening post, Jin most likely does have the knowledge of handling a gun. True, we've only been shown Jin using his fists previously but it's difficult to imagine him using only his fists to "enforce" his father-in-law's agenda. He may prefer using his fists as opposed to using a firearm but I'm sure he was expected to carry and use one, especially in that "line of work."


"This is my sandbox, I'm not allowed to go in the deep end." - Ralph Wiggum

[5MinuteMjr]

Looking at it objectively, assuming that the character Jack knows only what he has been told, Sawyer in many ways is the only choice for the gun.
What I mean is that clearly Walt cannot have the gun, Michael and Jin would be far too busy with the job of actually sailing the boat. Michael, while being very adept with building has only a passing knowledge of sailing, leaving Jin with the lion's share. With that neither Jin nor Michael would have time for the gun or as it has shown an inclination to use the gun. Add to this the "personal link" between Jack and Sawyer and there is clearly only one choice for Jack to make.
We, on the other hand have more knowledge then Jack does and would probably give the Gun to Jin.

[azteclady]

Well, I am not sure I can assume Jin knows how to use the gun.

From ... In Translation: His father-in-law assumed at some point that Jin knew how to be an enforecer. Then, when it became obviuos that Jin didn't have a clue, Sun's father sent along the guy in white, with the admonition to Jin to "pay attention to see how it's done." Jin then proceeded to save the guy's life by beating him up.

We don't know how much time ellapsed between the events in the flashback and the crash. Apparently the assumption has been that at some point Jin did become his f-i-l's enforcer and thus learned to handle guns. Personally, I ask whether we can infer this at all. Without more information, I think we can't.

Going back to the question that started the thread: why not give Jin the gun?

In Jack's shoes it wouldn't occur to me to give Jin a gun. Why? Because as far as the audience knows Jack doesn't know much about Jin. All he does know is that Jin attacked Michael over the watch. That Jin was suspected of burning the raft (and who's to say Jack believes Locke about it being 'the others' who burned the raft? After all, Locke was lying, since he knew it was Walt who did it). That Jin's wife hid her knowledge of English from Jin. If Jack has talked to Michael about Jin, then Jack also knows that Sun said once that Jin is 'dangerous.' But above all, because Jin doesn't speak English.

How do you explain to Jin why are you handing him the gun if he doesn't speak English and he's not in speaking terms with his wife - who could conceivably translate for you? Or, if you do get him to listen to Sun, how does he communicate with the rest of the people in the raft, should the use of the weapon become necessary?

The majority of the people on the raft speak English - one of them should get the gun.

[anarane saralonde]

Az & 5MinuteMjr -
I need to clarify something regarding my defense of Jin. While I understand the valid points you both are making, I didn't intend for it to be a pro-rally for Jin being able to carry a gun. My reason for writing the post in the first place was to point out my disagreement with obsessedlostfan's claim that "noone knows a damn thing about JIN, on the island" as a basis for not being given a gun because none of our castaways knows much (and in some cases nothing) about each other's pasts and former lives. To me, that is a weak argument at best. I also disagreed about the statement of arming SAWYER as a "sign of respect." I wasn't sure what this poster meant by that and could only assume it meant that Sawyer had redeemed himself (and knew how to fire a gun) and therefore based on that reasoning, was entitled to carry a firearm. I wanted to point out Jin had done the same thing as well when he "made up" with Michael by joining forces to build the second raft and comforts Claire when she's frightened and about to have the baby. It's true, we don't know how much time had elapsed between the events in his first flashback and the crash but we can't assume that he didn't succumb to his father in law's methods of enforcement either. Like you said Az, we just don't know but irregardless, I wanted to address obsessedlostfan's post.


"This is my sandbox, I'm not allowed to go in the deep end." - Ralph Wiggum