JMac Wrote:
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> It's a really sad state of affairs that stems from
> a deeply-seated cultural and ideological malaise
> in this country that, coupled with powerful
> lobbying/economic interests beholden only to
> themselves, has metastasized into a heartwrenching
> social phenomenon we will never be rid of. Sure,
> shootings happen in other places too, but the
> frequency and ferocity of the American case dwarfs
> any other nation exponentially -- it is very
> particular to us.
>
> The Australian response is an admirable case study
> of how to do it, but alas, the US - for all its
> unique heritage and immeasurable contributions to
> its citizens and immigrants and the world at large
> - is more backward than most other developed
> nations in several key respects.
>
> Prayers will be offered, we will grieve, debate it
> back & forth as we have before, and move on with
> nothing improved in any substantial manner. Rinse
> & repeat. It's enough to boil one's blood, but
> there's also a sense of utter helplessness and
> resignation by now.
>
> Some bemoan "politicizing the tragedy", but for
> all our sadness - and my heart does go out to all
> the lives unfathomably left unfinished and all the
> families that have been irrevocably, needlessly
> shattered - there is no better time to bring this
> issue again than now.
>
> Kevgret's analogy regarding cars is not only
> poorly reasoned, it is abysmally stupid...I won't
> bother tearing it apart because anyone with two
> lone brain cells to rub together should be able to
> see why.

Very much agree with this set of viewpoints. Car are not designed to kill though they can be lethal if used as a weapon or there is an accident. Guns have but one reason for being made - OK maybe two at a stretch; to defend (mmmhhh I guess - is this the same sort of thing as having WMDs but on a smaller scale???) and to kill, be that animal (which I can just about live with but personally see no point in killing animals for sport - unless you live off them like many natives do)or person. The person bit I get if you are in the armed forces/police etc etc - but in this day and age surely a ban would end the need for people to defend themselves with them - if no one had them at all. Too simplistic for sure but there can be no need ever for auto rifles by any day to day person.

The problem with the US (and I am sure there are many, many more like there is in every nation) is that they base much of their modern day living on a set of rights that was drawn up hundreds of years ago. I am no expert but there are maybe only a few countries on the globe that allow the right to bare arms and I think the US is the only one with little or no restrictions.

The UK only changed their rules in the early part of the 20th Century - maybe 100 years ago as I think did a lot of countries that had allowed people to bare arms. The US needs to get in line with the times...it isn't the wild west anymore. The UK you aren't even allowed to carry certain knives in public or you get nicked.

Anyway, thoughts are with the victims and their families and to all that were involved in this nightmare. Truly a sad, sad day - it brings back memories of Dunblane here in Scotland - awful.