USA

[gillsfan1066]

Posh , so am I to assume you do not consider Russia to be a civilized country? A country where 50% of the nations economy is connected to organised crime and the number 5 country in the charts of gun related deaths, population about a 1/3 of the USA?
Where did this lunatic get the guns to kill these poor children ? Probably from an unlocked gun cabinet, or a locked one with the key laying on the top in his mothers house. Why did his mother have them, probably to protect herself from her idiot son ? Feel like a mouse on a wheel ?
I agree 100% , assault weapons should be banned as of midnight tonight, and anyone found with one after 12 noon Christmas morning should be strung up and left to die.
A couple of years ago Congress woman Gabriella Gifford's was shot in the head and six other people died in Tuscon Arizona. A politician one of their own own, and what have the politicians done .yeah you guessed it NUTTING, not a dam thing.
Ok enough from me on this subject, get the bad guys with guns off the streets and I will turn my 17 and couple of hundred rounds in tomorrow morning.

[CadburyMan]

Seems to me that it is not just a US problem but it comes to the surface more in the US regularly than elsewhere.

1066 says he, and most of the other law abiding citizens, keep guns to protect themselves from the bad guys but in my mind this is only perpetuating the situation. From what we see in the media the US has been brought up on a gun culture and it is high time the authorities challenged this but I suspect it is far too late.

After each "incident" successive Presidents wheel themselves out and spout the same rhetoric but nothing changes probably because nobody really wants it to change until there is another outbreak but this time it is in their own backyard

[Garawa]

It matters not a jot whether the guns were legally held or not. The fact there are so many in the country makes them so readily available to those not meant to hold one, its that what must change. And I can't believe that I appear to have read that nothing should be done because the whole country will be rife with gangsters not being gunned down by members of the public! Sounds like we should legalise rape and heroin on that basis if murdering people helps to keep the violent criminals off the streets. I only know one person who holds a gun (shotgun) and I don't see any of the towns I visit rampant with thugs and never see a police officer to put them off either. Is that not a definition of "civilised"?

As for the numbers of course America will have more given its size. But we are not talking about a white on black drive-by or an intruder here are we? We are talking about some psycho picking up a potentially legally held gun and shooting dead everyone he can see. This was one of several in US history that killed many many people and I can only think of one in our history which "only" took 18 lives. You would have to do a lot of asking about to attempt something similar here but in America you only need to go upstairs! That's the difference.

It seems it has gone too far. Banning guns would simply create a black market of immense proportions, the demand would be there and so would the supply so nothing would get resolved. As said before, mandatory sentences for carrying one would be the only way to curb the insanity and make the only legal guns ones that can only fire 2 rounds giving chance to apprehend whilst attempting to reload. After all why and who (especially a teacher) needs a weapon capable of killing an army in one go? And what is happening to the other guns whilst she is killing hundreds of people, doesn't sound like a right to protect myself and that right ultimately cost her her life.

[sotongill]

Bette Midler ( as well as now championing gun control ) , has come up with a compromise via Twitter ;

That the right to bear arms should be acknowledged within the context that it was written up - that you are allowed to have muskets . Nothing else , just muskets .

[gillsfan1066]

Ok thats it then, the voice of the nation Bette Midler has spoken. Who knew she was even still alive? Bit like saying Lulu is speaking out via twitter on the humanitarian situation in Syria. I assume this is the same Bette Midler who lives in a private estate in Beverly Hills and a triplex in NYC, the same Bette Midler who rides around in the back of a locked limo and has armed security minders at her shows.

[CadburyMan]

What's the old saying - "if you live by the sword then you die by the sword". You only have to swap swords for guns and you have America or so it seems.

As I suggested earlier in this thread it is probably far too late to influence this culture and things will never change. But in 6 months (hopefully not) there will be another incident somewhere, not necessarily in the US, and we will be having the same discussion; politicians will roll out the same rhetoric and nothing will change.

[brb]

No matter how much I listen or read about the gun debate. I have to ask one question, I heard that the US gun rights lobby went on the offensive by suggesting putting an armed guard in every school.

Surely that statement in itself is an admittance of a failing in the gun laws?

[gillsfan1066]

Most of Chicago's Public Schools have got police (armed) in and around every school, also got a metal detector when you go in the doors and back packs have to be made of net so nothing can be hidden in it. Kids as young as 12 turn up with guns and they are not for show and tell, it's because they have been recruited by gangs and think nothing of carrying a piece and sadly using it.
There are many gangs here in the States where a new member has to stab an innocent person to gain admission, but I am preaching to the choir you have those problems in England as well.
I think that also a lot of English people do not realise that 20% the population of the USA do not live in Cities. Imagine you live in Cobham, get bussed to school in Rainham and the two police officers in your area look after a "beat" that stretches from Sittingbourne to Gravesend and to Tonbridge, can easily take 45 minutes for a police officer to turn up in the case of an emergency.
I think something is going to happen, the outrage is so great here and Obama is in his last term in office so he has nothing to loose. I think tougher gun laws will be in place by the spring, maybe making it very difficult to get Assault Weapons and the like.
Most of these are sold by a few rogue gun sellers, I think the Govt. will go after them in the beginning. It may not be much but it is a start. Of course what happens to the 400 billion of the dam things that are on the streets I do not know?

[Poshgill]

It is actually illegal to own a dildo in Texas.

That probably explains why dildo related crime in Texas is very low.

[Snackboyslim]

Lol Posh,
'Armed with a weapon'....

They allow guns, as sensibally, they licence them for the safety of others.... But with dildo's, they know they'll be cumminig back for more again and again.

With such potential hAnus crimes, the powers that be would know that the vibrations would be felt worldwide, they couldn't possibly have that staining their reputation now could they??

Makes perfect sence to some... It clearly works well.

God bless the US of A.