America massacre

jeni the first I heard of it was on the News at 10 and I was the same, I can not begin to imagine what the parents are going through.

Quite!

Is there any way we can express our shock , horror and sympathy to all concerned?

It seems that no lessons have been learnt from previous tragedies. It is unthinkable for this to happen in a primary school and just before Christmas too.

When, oh when, will US politicians be brave enough to stand up to the gun lobby and change that ridiculous "second amendment"? What need the right to bear arms in a civilised society?

Harrigan at least, here in Scotland, something WAS done about gun control, in the wake of the Dunblane Tragedy, but I don't know what it would take to shift opinion sufficiently in the USA

The same in Australia Granny23 I was living in England when the Dunblane Tragedy happened and had only just arrived back in Australia when the Port Arthur shootings occurred. Gun control was brought in not long after, not that the UK or Australia ever had the same amount of guns per person. Apparently in the US for every hundred people there are 90 guns.

There is a new petition for gun control on Avaaz.

Thank you for the link Faye. I have forwarded it to my mailing list people.
When there seems to be nothing we can do it is a small relief to find something that just might help.

Heartbreaking.

Obama is hinting that something needs to be done about the gun laws "regardless of politics" - let us hope he has the courage to follow through with this.

Every time something like this happens in the USA they say that the "red line" has been crossed and something will change. But nothing does. Most of the children were kindergarten kids their poor families and the whole community are devistated.
The Americans are very strict and old fashioned in their treatment of the mentally ill but to always say that the person must be mentally ill is perhaps missing the point that some are just bad.
Everyone must send loving thoughts to all the bereaved and the survivors.

Try as he might I think Obama is going to have enormous trouble getting the Americans change their mind set about gun control. Even in the wake of this latest shooting. It's in their Constitution the 'right to bear arms' clause, without thinking when this bill was drawn up to help the Americans fight their cause in the Revolution.
Unless you are a hunter, I can't think of any reason to own masses of guns. Most of the guns owned by the common man are for killing people not animals, some are really powerful - the type used by an army. So why do they need them in their own home?
After they have finished mourning for these poor little children and their teachers, they will carry on using and buying guns.

I'm not sure that gun control would have stopped this tragedy from happening - there was security in place at the school and that should have stopped it if only it had been adhered to.

Gun control here hasn't stopped bad things happening. I'm completely against guns of any sort but I think there are other issues that need looking at more closely - the parents themselves knew they had a problem son.

What I don't understand is why these killers always choose schools as their target, its cowardly and picking on the week, I wonder what would happen if they tried attacking a prison, maybe killing a few Murderer's ...... OR would he get killed first, no words to explain my disgust....

I don't understand the 'mentally ill' arguement as, surely if some people are mentally ill and not accountable for their actions there shouldn't be a system in place wherby they can easily gain access to guns of this kind?

I'm shocked every time this happens but apparently nothing shocks the Americans enough to make them stand up to the pro gun people. Guns are everywhere in America and easily accessible to anyone be they sane or otherwise.. nothing will change yet again and more innocents will die in the future.

President Obama has four more years in power. He's not going to get re elected after that anyway so, whatever he does isn't going to change the outcome of that election [ok I suppose it makes it more likely that a Republican president will be elected]. If he has any balls he will do something about the gun laws in his country and his name will go down in history as the man who stopped these massacres [and there will be another, and another]. Maybe we should all write to him and say so; in fact I am going to do just that. The power of the pen and all that.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families , also the town itself and the people who must be trying hard to make sense of this terrible business .

I cannot begin to imagine how they must be feeling , it is all so terrible .

Bad enough he shot his Mum but to then go to the school and mow down innocent children ?

My friend had a terrible job trying to get any help for her mentally ill daughter in the states. And her OH is a retired lawyer.
Obama has not got the legislature behind him, so he will have a hell of a job. Vested interests and huge campaign budgets rule the roost.
The pro-gun americans i have talked to cannot grasp the notion that the biggest threat is that a family member will use a gun against another family member. They are convinced they need guns to protect them from burglars etc. And that in an emergency they will be able to use them to defend themselves.

crimson you have spurred me on, and I have just written to President Obama online. It's easy to do. I just googled 'write to Obama.' You can tick a box for a reply.

crimson my thoughts exactly and when I will follow your example too. My only worry is if he does take on such a controversial reform of gun laws is that some trigger-happy survivalist will shoot him.

email sent and reply requested. I've worried about Obama being shot for the past 4 years so hope he's well protected on that score. They need to see that the eyes of the world are watching them in horror; maybe some sort of national pride will spur them on if nothing else.

I heard a spokesman for the gun lobby say this morning that gun control would not have stopped this terrible tragedy! So they are already lining up to defend their right to bear arms.

I also heard the gun belonged to the Mother and was purchased legally, but as she was a teacher why would she need a gun?

I believe a gun and ammunition need to be locked away but how many Americans actually comply.

This is so awful but I fear will happen again and again

Just bumping Faye's petition for those who missed it overnight.

'There is a new petition for gun control on Avaaz'.

I can't get the link to blue but it is on this thread at 02:31:54