Ash786

I take your point Trixie...but what people are saying is that the debate has NOT been had in the US about gun control. How many more massacres will it take before politicians, law makers etc get their heads out of their arse's and change the law?

Politicians dare not challenge the NRA for fear of losing elections and that is a scary situation when a body that endorses deadly weapons has so much influence. Something needs to be done and done NOW before this happens again...sadly i think nothing will be done

Beaverstate

Your'e wrong. The debate has been done many times, just not with the results you desire.

britexpat76

Is that not because everyone in Switzerland is an Army reservist?

Trixie_b

yup - wot he said

mikewot

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...s-of-guns.html

al dente

Has it? I'd be really interested to read them. Can you post a link?

Though I see from the NewYorker that they appear to be light on reality.

Trixie_b

1975 saw the creation of the NRA - the politically lobbyist for the protection of the 2nd amendment rights.

http://www.nrahq.org/history.asp

Debates and political maneuvering happen everyday, but not necessarily in the public eye.
They wouldn't need a specific lobbying arm if this wasn't a hot political topic.

I'm not saying that it isn't a reason to strive for change, but America would split in 2 before some people gave up their rights to gun ownership. I look forward to avoiding the united states of texas

Beaverstate

Google wikipedia "Gun politics in the U.S." for a "brief" overview of the ongoing debate. I have spent 54 years here and the debate is never ending. As I said before it is still a debate, like the results or not.

mathematist

I was told by an American colleague that the National Rifle Association, NRA, are amongst the biggest donors for the various political parties.

However, the comparisons between the number of deaths in the countries needs to be in proportion to the population, for the USA, popn of around 300 million or so...

Either way, this will be forgoten in a couple of weeks max with 30 lives shattered to pick up the pieces and until another story takes over.

I wish that the number of weddings, schools, farmers blown to bits by Uncle Sam received similar attention in order for policies to be changed but I doubt it. That's just collateral damage...

Surely ALL schools need armed guards now, rural or inner city.

Trixie_b

It's all political and biased. Go and check out fox news and see if you can find ANYTHING to do with gun control on their pages. read their news coverage of this horrible tragedy and gun control isn't even mentioned.

Beaverstate

I am done with this subject which has complicated answers and questions that have no easy answers. All schools need armed guards? Do you have any idea of the number of public schools in the US? What about private schools? Malls, subway stations etc...

mentalist

Roughly 30 shot dead every day. Really? I honestly find this statistic hard to believe. Any idea of the number in South Africa? My initial thought on gun control in the USA is that it will never happen. Better to have either an armed guard present at all schools or a gun available (in a suitably locked cupboard) for emergency use by a person trained to use it. If the PE teacher (for example) had been able to get hold of a gun, the crazed intruder might have been shot dead before killing more than a few individuals. Just my thoughts as I know perfectly well that the US population will never vote for gun control. They regard such incidents as a calculated risk.

Irishbeekeeper

I have been sad since I heard this news last night! I think last time I lost so much faith in humanity in one go was when Beslan happened! The Repubs in the states think they are working for their country but to the outside observer its plain obvious that every thing they stand for is just plain wrong.

Shooting a roomful of kids..what can one say..words fail me..its not just guns, though gun control would definitely help...its the breakdown of community, the whole glorification of individualism and violence and the culture of not caring about other people

Boomhauer

The Swiss don't have the amount of gang violence the US has, but thats only 1 difference; population size, poverty, historically disadvantaged communities, lack of medical care, very very diverse society, gap between rich and poor, general quality of live etc..

Boomhauer

Armed guards is asking for trouble as there will be enough cases of armed guards who let the power get to their head resulting in an innocent kid being dead or seriously injured. Couple this with suspicion and antagonistic relationship between the Police and Black & Hispanic communities, and you are asking for profiling abuse and trouble.