Another mass shooting in the USA

[roving-eye]

Florida shooting: At least 17 dead in high school attack.

At least 17 people are dead after a 19-year-old man opened fire at a high school campus in Parkland, Florida.

The suspect was Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the school who had been expelled. He escaped with fleeing students but is now in police custody.

As the attack unfolded students were forced to hide as police swooped in on the building.

It is the deadliest school shooting since 26 people were killed at Connecticut school Sandy Hook in 2012.

It is the sixth school shooting incident this year so far that has either wounded or killed students.

What we know about the suspect
Harrowing accounts of school shooting
Celebrities call for 'policy and change'
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters Mr Cruz killed three people outside the school, before entering the building and killing another 12.

Two people later died after being taken to hospital.

[carliol]

Lots of Americans like hunting deer etc. with guns, but do they need these pump action, or whatever they are called, weapons which seem to be used in these cases. Surely they should only be allowed for the armed forces.

[said]

Lots of Americans like hunting deer etc. with guns, but do they need these pump action, or whatever they are called, weapons which seem to be used in these cases. Surely they should only be allowed for the armed forces.

Our government has acceded to several American foods, American news, American habits and American marketing ideas being introduced in the UK - which has caused a far lower standard in the UK. It should be the other way round, the USA should take British standards and introduce these into the US. Before discussion on gun laws, first and foremost the USA should bring strict discipline into the schools. At present there is very little discipline and the students find it easy to bully other students at will. When they leave the facility, and enter into employment they maintain the same behaviour. Guns are not the problem. The UK, Norway, Canada, Australia, etc., all allow people to own guns - none of these countries have the same level of problems as the US because the laws governing gun ownership are far more strict - and in comparison to US schools, the schools in these other countries are also far more strict. The USA also encouraged the use of prescribed drugs which has expanded the problem alongside that of illegal drug use. Before the USA interferes in other countries affairs, it needs to seriously address its own problems.

[carliol]

Well I would agree that more discipline is needed in schools, but I am not sure whether our British ones are a role model in this respect. China and Japan might be more relevant..

I hate guns, but it seems that Americans as a whole love them. Kids are given them as presents for birthdays etc. But surely assault rifles and the like should not be available. If they must have guns let them be simple single shot ones. That was my main point. It would be good to have an American point of view on this.

[Steed]

The only thing that surprises me when we see another of these tragedies unfold on the news, is that police chiefs and politicians act shocked.

What possible legitimate reason is there for people to own automatic and semiautomatic weapons and be allowed to build up armouries that should set alarm bells ringing.

Statistics vary from source to source but there have been 1.5M gun deaths (including suicides) in the last 50 years in the USA, approximately 40% of Americans own or live in a household that owns a firearm.
It is thought that there are more guns than people in the USA.

I think it’s a case of “you reap what you sow” and the damage has already been done and even if they changed legislation tomorrow it’s too late, there are millions of weapons out there both legally and illegally owned.

[rolling-thunder]

The problem with banning guns in the US is the sheer number of illegally held firearms. There is at one illegal firearm per US citizen at least. By disarming the populous all that happens is you disarm the responsable gun owner leaving all the guns in criminal hands. What i'm trying to say is it's to late to ban guns. It might be an idea to teach about the worth of human life, a firearm is a detatched method of killing, it's too easy.

[said]

The problem with banning guns in the US is the sheer number of illegally held firearms. There is at one illegal firearm per US citizen at least. By disarming the populous all that happens is you disarm the responsable gun owner leaving all the guns in criminal hands. What i'm trying to say is it's to late to ban guns. It might be an idea to teach about the worth of human life, a firearm is a detatched method of killing, it's too easy.

The US has blindly attempted to maintain present day PC, without considering the affect that such legislation has on any individual country. The US wanted to show that it too, has policies for open borders - the only problem there being that the US borders a few countries where corruption and arms deals are freely practised.

[seivad]

The US has blindly attempted to maintain present day PC, without considering the affect that such legislation has on any individual country.

The USA is the one of the least PC Western countries I can think of. And, since the election of the orang utan posing as the President, whatever legislation existed is being eroded at the federal level.

Like many people on here you forget, or don't know, that a lot of legislation is at state level, not federal. You can't refer to the US as a homogenous lump. Laws, and the people, differ considerably from state to state. The same applies in Canada. We have federal and provincial legislation.

The US wanted to show that it too, has policies for open borders - the only problem there being that the US borders a few countries where corruption and arms deals are freely practised.

You need to bone up on your geography. The US has 2 land borders, one with Canada and one with Mexico. Are you saying that arms deals and corruption are freely practiced in Canada?

Open border policy, since when? The opposite has occurred at the Cdn/US border. Many years ago we could cross without showing any ID, or just a driver's licence. That's no longer the case.

There has never been an open border policy with Mexico.

[said]

The USA is the one of the least PC Western countries I can think of. And, since the election of the orang utan posing as the President, whatever legislation existed is being eroded at the federal level.

Like many people on here you forget, or don't know, that a lot of legislation is at state level, not federal. You can't refer to the US as a homogenous lump. Laws, and the people, differ considerably from state to state. The same applies in Canada. We have federal and provincial legislation.

You need to bone up on your geography. The US has 2 land borders, one with Canada and one with Mexico. Are you saying that arms deals and corruption are freely practiced in Canada?

Open border policy, since when? The opposite has occurred at the Cdn/US border. Many years ago we could cross without showing any ID, or just a driver's licence. That's no longer the case.

There has never been an open border policy with Mexico.

To be quite honest, I have little interest in the USA - I guess it shows. I had only read one account and this appears to be flawed. I was going by the reports of outcry from the American public a couple of years ago in which there were many protests about the number of Mexicans coming across the borders, taking up jobs and housing. As far as Trump - does it matter who is chosen to be a puppet? I have travelled to both the USA and Canada a number of times - the areas I have been to have been different, but I would not like to live in either of those countries permanently.

[seivad]

To be quite honest, I have little interest in the USA - I guess it shows.

Perhaps you'd be further ahead not commenting on something you know nothing about then.

I had only read one account and this appears to be flawed. I was going by the reports of outcry from the American public a couple of years ago in which there were many protests about the number of Mexicans coming across the borders, taking up jobs and housing.

Yes... illegal immigrants. The ones that the 1% hire to clean their houses, tend their gardens and pools, look after their children All the jobs that the legal population don't want to do, especially at the wages they pay them.

Housing, what housing? You think there's social housing for these immigrants? Ha! You want a house, you rent from a private landlord or buy one.

As far as Trump - does it matter who is chosen to be a puppet?

Of course it matters. The credibility of the US has been on a rapid decline since this eejit entered the oval office. By the time he leaves office I dread to think what state the country will be in. It will take years to recover. The Republican party, who have put party over country by enabling his behaviour, will be lucky to ever be in power again. What a bunch of sycophantic toads. Trump is no more a Republican than I am. The White House and elected representatives are the puppets, not Trump.

[Desert Region]

And, since the election of the orang utan posing as the President [...]

Enjoyed that .

And believe me, not a lot of people know that he is a so very, very, very, incredibly adolescent braggart.

[Nick2]

To be quite honest, I have little interest in the USA - I guess it shows. I have travelled to both the USA and Canada a number of times - the areas I have been to have been different, but I would not like to live in either of those countries permanently.

You can't even get on with your next door neighbour so, where would you like to live? The middle of Rannoch Moor is vacant I believe!

[grassroots]

On average 78 people in the US are shot dead "Daily". Yet trump refuses to do anything about it , of course he was partly financed during his campaign by the US RA .

[Steed]

On average 78 people in the US are shot dead "Daily". Yet trump refuses to do anything about it , of course he was partly financed during his campaign by the US RA .

As I said in post #5 it’s far too late to hope legislation will change things, there are far more guns in circulation in America than there are people.
Many held legally but it’s thought even more are held illegally, the constitutional right to “keep and bear arms” in many states really seems to have backfired.
People holding weapons will not want to give them up, and as people die their “collection” get passed on.
Virtually anyone (convicted criminals and those with serious mental health issues excepted) can legally purchase anything from a small hand gun to full automatic rifles that some foreign armies would be envious of.

If the laws had been tighter then they probably wouldn’t be in the situation that they find themselves in.

[The PNP]

As with so many things, it's the way the product is used/mis-used that is the problem.....
A gun kept at home and stored safely out of reach of the kids is harming no-one.