Shocked by the news from Colorado

Who knows Blossoming so much going wrong in the world. Tragic for all the families who have had loved ones killed senselessly. I can't begin to comprehend this happening yet again.

Complete lack of gun control in the USA. Disgraceful. Isn't it up to the President ?

As far as I know, the right to bear arms is in the US Constitution and the gun lobby is extremely powerful. Therefore it wouldn't be as straightforward as the president giving an executive order. I've often wondered at the proliferation of guns in USA. It seems ludicrous to me that there doesn't appear to be checks on who buys weapons. Or if there are checks, they're not effective.

I’m never ever shocked by events like this.

There have been seven mass shootings in the USA in the last seven days, I feel a bit like you suziewoozie I assume there is an ambiguous number of deaths that tips it into being ‘newsworthy’ here.

I’m the odd one out again then. I felt like crying watching the police chief talking about the deaths. So sad and senseless. The fact that it’s te latest in a long line doesn’t make it any better for me, it makes it worse. I’m not able to shrug it off as others seem to be doing.

Goodnight.

It is awful. I don’t know what can be done. If Obama couldn’t get the laws tightened, then will it ever be possible? So sad.

They say all the right things every time and then nothing changes and then it’s the next time and they say all the right things - repeat on loop.

Blossoming

I’m the odd one out again then. I felt like crying watching the police chief talking about the deaths. So sad and senseless. The fact that it’s te latest in a long line doesn’t make it any better for me, it makes it worse. I’m not able to shrug it off as others seem to be doing.

Goodnight.

You're not the odd one out. I'm sure everyone on here is shocked. It's just that we've seen it all so many times and as Grandmabatty says, the gun lobby is powerful.

Obama could not do anything about it because the Republicans held the power. But Trump managed to make many executive orders so maybe Biden could do that too and close down the NRA. But, if he did the gun owners would be rioting in the streets.

I'm reminded of an American couple who moved to France just before lockdown. They said that their friends asked what they were doing about guns and these friends were gobsmacked when told that we in Europe didn't have guns, apart from the hunters.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms. This was set in stone in 1791 and subsequent generations of Americans have taken this on board without questioning its suitability in a modern world. Hence the very strong gun lobby who believe in it absolutely as their God-given right. I'd like to say to these people 'hey, maybe the world was a different place in 1791 and a gun was needed for protection back then. But in the 21st century, when most people live in cities, maybe it's not such a good idea for people to carry a lethal weapon in city streets. You don't actually need them any more.'

Agree with all the above. Thank Goodness we don't use guns to the same extent in the UK.

The suspects troubled background - I'm guessing - coming out of Syria. The taunts he endured at school..

It set me wondering do asylum seekers have better access to mental health & well-being care.

The Line of Duty tv series seems to glorify and glamorise gun culture. We say we don't have guns in this country whilst arming the police more and more and gun crime is on the rise.
After the Dunblane massacre, automatic weapons were banned here and it is illegal to own a handgun.
I wish the US would follow our lead and not the other way around.

EllanVannin

Complete lack of gun control in the USA. Disgraceful. Isn't it up to the President ?

No, it isn’t up to the president. That’s part of the problem. But only part of it.

What shocks me more about reports like this from the US is that I don’t feel shocked any more when I hear them. Just sad that it seems to be an insoluble problem ☹️

This explains the role of the NRA over the decades in rendering the chance of any meaningful gun control at zilch. If Sandy Hook couldn’t do it, nothing will
US gun control: What is the NRA and why is it so powerful? www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35261394

I'm saddened but not shocked - in fact I don't even spend time reading about these events as they're so common in the US.

In addition to Sandy Hook there was the mass shooting in Las Vegas a few years ago, where one man was able to kill 60 people and wound hundreds! He couldn't have done that without automatic weapons.

It’s sad to say that I’ve become desensitised to these shootings.

We say we don't have guns in this country whilst arming the police more and more and gun crime is on the rise.

We have fewer armed police now than we had in 2012, 6500+ as opposed to 6700+. There was a significant decrease in the intervening years due to cuts made to all police numbers, which were reversed to some extent to 2019.

There was actually a 2% decrease in numbers from March 2019 to March 2020.

While the NRA continues to fund presidential campaigns etc nothing is going to change.
They hold powerful sway in America.
I agree Suziewoozie if Sandy Hook didn't bring about change then nothing will.

Not shocked just saddened.

Shockingly, I’m no longer shocked when these events occur. It upsets me that I’ve become immune to such tragedies.

I’m not even sure where I stand on gun ownership anymore. If I lived in a rural outback in America, would I feel safer to know I had a rifle in a cupboard? Probably. If bad hombres happened by it would be too long because of geography to call the cops. And there is an element in my thinking that if you come onto my property without an invitation you leave your rights at my gate. Probably wrong but I know I’d be scared.

For a while now, it appears that the majority of Americans favour background checks, but that can’t even get through at federal level. I think some states might have them but when there’s so many guns in circulation, I doubt that stops anyone getting hold of a gun who wants one.

In Walmart (off of the tourist route in Florida) several years ago the Gun/ammunition counter was situated next to the toy section, no prizes for guessing which was the busiest?