The typical peace of Oslo was recently shattered by one of my favorite wedding traditions: the Chechens’ enthusiasm for turning vehicular processions into demolition derbies, as participants jockey for the exalted slot just behind the bride and groom’s car. (More examples here.) Lives are occasionally lost in such a manner, which is why various governments have long tried to regulate the Chechens’ approach to celebrating their kinfolks’ nuptials. But as this account demonstrates, elites would be wise to acknowledge that they must meet the Chechens halfway:
Not long ago the President of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, ordered shooting at weddings to be restricted: “In these cases the weapons should be confiscated, and those found responsible should be fired from their jobs, if they work in law-enforcement agencies. But if I completely forbid shooting at weddings, it would be wrong. I am not against our traditions, but it is necessary to restrict the shooting. Two or three times, not by means of heavy machine guns, are enough.
Of course, this approach can only work in a society without stringent liability laws. Because those who suffer when those bullets come down have no legal recourse in Chechnya.
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