Shooting in USA

[mamachina]

After watching and listening to the news last night and again thismorning I am still in shock over the shooting at the school - what will all those children who were involved be going through, and their parents. Christmas this year ruined for so many families. My heart goes out to them all, and my prayers. I know no one there will see this, but David's and my heart goes to them, and all condolences and prayers.

[cyprusishome]

I will second that. This will ruing Christmas for many years to come for those involved.

So many children dying yet again at the hands of a person with a gun, when are these stupid americans going to learn.

[carolhm]

So sad

[TRNCVaughan]

I will second that. This will ruing Christmas for many years to come for those involved.

So many children dying yet again at the hands of a person with a gun, when are these stupid americans going to learn.

Per head of population, Canadians have more guns than Americans. Shootings in Canada are very rare. This isn't about guns, it's about people.

[sylv]

Not sure where you get your figures from Vaughan. There are 300 million guns in US. With a sister in law who has lived in Canada for the past 45 years, I think she would disagree with you. I never saw guns for sale in supermarkets when visiting her, but I did see them in Wallmart in the US where you can buy a gun but not alcohol. Something wrong somewhere!! A sad and unspeakable act on the part of the gunman which has destroyed so many lives in seconds.

[magalan]

I agree with Vaughan - guns do not fire themselves. You should read Balance of Power, a novel by Richard North Patterson. The storyline of guns and accessibility to them makes spookily appropriate reading following the tragic events in New town.

[Groucho]

Maybe the Canadians have a better vetting system for who should be allowed to own firearms their number and nature of the weapon/s. i.e. it's one thing to have a single shotgun properly licensed, stored and ownership vetted for mental state and entirely another just anyone to be allowed to stock-pile automatic military-style machine guns. And yet it goes on.
In my opinion the main reason for denying anyone permission to own more than a BB gun would be that they are not hunters and yet they want guns....
I certainly wouldn't allow a single man with no affiliation to well regulated gun clubs and no friends to have one - history demonstrates that it's often these 'loners' that are waiting to make their mark...
and surely computer systems could be better used to pin-point unnatural gun-buying profiles... but the establishment seem more interested in using computers to track down file-sharers rather than killers. Hey ho it's a funny old world (in America)

[flowerfairy]

I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then someone suggested that teachers should be armed to prevent
this sort of thing.
Do they really think that because they are teachers they won't crack up?

[mamachina]

As an ex-teacher I would have been horrified to be asked to carry a gun in school! In fact I would refuse and if that meant no job, ok. But then, Ive always said if push came to shove I would have done anything to protect my children - and I suppose this also means children in ones care at school. But what a sad world we are living in if even contemplating giving teachers guns has to be mooted. It will then go to shop assistants, doormen and so on and so on, til everyone has a gun with permission to use it on anyone who seems a threat. Overkill - excuse the pun.

[cyprusishome]

Who makes the laws, people!! Who carries the guns, people!

There are about 80 people killed every day in the USA, not Canada, with firearms. So it is PEOPLE who are responsible that is agreed on. But why are those people allowed to carry military arms without need for licence as this latest young person did. In his state you are allowed to buy such weapons without any certification.

Anyone who thinks the right to bear arms is perfectly acceptable needs their bumps feeling!!

[Philoz]

Not sure how accurate this is-
n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_of_guns_per_capita_by_country
Surprising to see Cyprus so high, though I assume it is the south.
Switzerland is an odd one, but every male over 18 is a reservist and therefore given a gun, odd really given the Swiss do the sensible thing and bottle out of every war going!

[Groucho]

Not sure how accurate this is-
n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_of_guns_per_capita_by_country
Surprising to see Cyprus so high, though I assume it is the south.
Switzerland is an odd one, but every male over 18 is a reservist and therefore given a gun, odd really given the Swiss do the sensible thing and bottle out of every war going!

Oh no, I think you'll find it's in the North too... A Turk without a gun feels like a man with no manhood so I'm told. But they are mostly for hunting of course. We do have the odd tragic shooting here but that's usually within the circle of the person either (crime related or emotional) rather than this sort of notoriety-seeking mass-murder of complete strangers

[DAVPAT]

How can the gunman benefit from notoriety?he shot himself.

[BLUE BUTTERFLY]

Who makes the laws, people!! Who carries the guns, people!

There are about 80 people killed every day in the USA, not Canada, with firearms. So it is PEOPLE who are responsible that is agreed on. But why are those people allowed to carry military arms without need for licence as this latest young person did. In his state you are allowed to buy such weapons without any certification.

[Anyone who thinks the right to bear arms is perfectly acceptable needs their bumps feeling!!]

I agree, so why was it that recently there was a big hue and cry regarding an imprisoned ex SAS 'hero' who had a stash of guns, live ammo and armour piercing bullets in his home.

He was freed after a successful petition.

I wonder how many people who are now crying about the shooting of these children, signed the petition.

[flowerfairy]

I've just seen a post of face book.
Kinder eggs are banned in USA, as they pose a danger to small children.......................

[magalan]

Did anyone see the speech made by a VP of the National Rifle Assn yesterday?

He deserves an Oscar for his acting ability............

[cyprusishome]

What a moron he is. I try to quote what he said - the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.........All schoolteachers must be armed!!!!

Another shooting today, 3 dead and 3 wounded and the culprit shot dead by police.

It seems that the amendment that gives the right to bear arms is almost impossible to repeal however it would be easy to bring in "by laws" that would prevent ownership of assault weapons etc plus the sale and use of military size bullet clips. But idiots like the above will fight it all the way.

Suppose as it does not concern us should be quiet however it is this gung ho attitude that gets every body elses troops killed in fights that do not concern us. It is time to send USA off into space and we may get some peace.

[BLUE BUTTERFLY]

Totally agree cyprusishome

War loving, gun toting cowboys the lot of them.