I agree with Cameron that US firearm legislation is a domestic issue that should not be of great concern to those living outside of the US.
Nevertheless, a lot of tourists visit the US and a lot of international students go to US universities. So there is some interest that the US remains a safe country to visit and go to school to.
As far as I know, international students were among those killed / wounded at VT.
Sure, the rest of the world could just decide to not visit the US ever again, but I don't think that's an option.
No one here wants to take away your right to own a gun. But I think we all agree that more could and should be done to help prevent those massacres, which seem to happen more often in the US than in any other western country.
And one major reason for that is obviously that guns are very easy to get in the US. The more guns are in circulation, the more likely they are to be used in a "bad" way.
Responsible gun ownership is an interesting concept, but is it realistic ?
Sure, you handle your guns safely, and you are absolutely positive that you'll never point them at an innocent person. But isn't that what most people believe when they purchase a gun legally ?
The fact of the matter is, even now law-abiding citizens can commit crimes. If that wasn't the case, we'd have no crime at all. After all, no one is born a criminal.
But if no one can be trusted, why even give them a chance to buy a firearm legally ?
The US approach seems to be: "we trust no one, not our government, not our fellow citizens. Hell, my neighbour could snap any minute, and he has a loaded weapon in his house. I better get one too."
If more guns in the hand of law-abiding citizens ( boy, I hate that term, there is no such thing ) meant less people dieing from guns, maybe I'd agree. But it doesn't. More people die in the US from guns than in any other western nation. Responsible gun ownership ? Please....
You obviously can not handle your guns responsibly.
Bottom Line: gun control needs to be tighter. No ordinary citizen should have a gun. My 2c.
But I'll be realistic. As has been pointed out by others, guns are a part of US culture. They played a huge part in the way your nation was conceived, thus you hold your right to bear arms dearly. That won't change, massacres or not.
But one thing should also be said. Gun control is legislation, thus a choice. You invented it, you can un-invent it. If you want to, that is. But if you don't, you'll have to live with the fact that even "law-abiding" citizens kill from time to time.
Gun control is only part of the problem, I know. Most of the people who commit these horrible acts have either major psychological issues, or are under intense emotional pressure. Most are on the losing end of the food chain, loners, socially isolated. And if the pressue is strong enough, they break down, and snap.
Violence is a common result in such instances. Some will only harm themselves, others will want to get back at the society that supposedly left them behind.
I am certain that more can be done to help those people and prevent violent outburst before they happen.
Nevertheless, a lot of tourists visit the US and a lot of international students go to US universities. So there is some interest that the US remains a safe country to visit and go to school to.
As far as I know, international students were among those killed / wounded at VT.
Sure, the rest of the world could just decide to not visit the US ever again, but I don't think that's an option.
No one here wants to take away your right to own a gun. But I think we all agree that more could and should be done to help prevent those massacres, which seem to happen more often in the US than in any other western country.
And one major reason for that is obviously that guns are very easy to get in the US. The more guns are in circulation, the more likely they are to be used in a "bad" way.
Responsible gun ownership is an interesting concept, but is it realistic ?
Sure, you handle your guns safely, and you are absolutely positive that you'll never point them at an innocent person. But isn't that what most people believe when they purchase a gun legally ?
The fact of the matter is, even now law-abiding citizens can commit crimes. If that wasn't the case, we'd have no crime at all. After all, no one is born a criminal.
But if no one can be trusted, why even give them a chance to buy a firearm legally ?
The US approach seems to be: "we trust no one, not our government, not our fellow citizens. Hell, my neighbour could snap any minute, and he has a loaded weapon in his house. I better get one too."
If more guns in the hand of law-abiding citizens ( boy, I hate that term, there is no such thing ) meant less people dieing from guns, maybe I'd agree. But it doesn't. More people die in the US from guns than in any other western nation. Responsible gun ownership ? Please....
You obviously can not handle your guns responsibly.
Bottom Line: gun control needs to be tighter. No ordinary citizen should have a gun. My 2c.
But I'll be realistic. As has been pointed out by others, guns are a part of US culture. They played a huge part in the way your nation was conceived, thus you hold your right to bear arms dearly. That won't change, massacres or not.
But one thing should also be said. Gun control is legislation, thus a choice. You invented it, you can un-invent it. If you want to, that is. But if you don't, you'll have to live with the fact that even "law-abiding" citizens kill from time to time.
Gun control is only part of the problem, I know. Most of the people who commit these horrible acts have either major psychological issues, or are under intense emotional pressure. Most are on the losing end of the food chain, loners, socially isolated. And if the pressue is strong enough, they break down, and snap.
Violence is a common result in such instances. Some will only harm themselves, others will want to get back at the society that supposedly left them behind.
I am certain that more can be done to help those people and prevent violent outburst before they happen.