shootings in the usa

[John Pruden]

i think as a sign of respect for the poor kids they should all lay next to each other and some sort of monument built for them to remind the gun lobby that the Indian wars are over although one of the most powerful forces in america common sense should prevail and be stood up to. i will wait for the next shooting at a school.jp

[Captain Kong]

Hi John They are now afraid that there may be a copycat shooting somewhere.
I think every school and college will have to have armed Security guards and airport type scanners for everyone entering. Too many Nut cases in the States.
They may have to demolish the school, not many parents would want their children attending there now.
Brian.

[Neville Roberts]

there are a 100.000 people killed by guns every year in the USA , I was just reading the sunday paper and the add section has an add ,with the gander mountain outdoor shop in it you see all kinds of guns for sale from small handguns too assault rifles with 30 round magazines , from about $200 , to $1,500 .I used to belong to the NRA ,a gun lobbying group, that is very powerfull in washington ,as I have a collection of guns . mainly black powder mussel loaders .here in Florida they just passed a law of stand your ground . if you are attacked you may kill your assailant with your gun , so the sale of guns here has gone mad ,with to carry concealed permits.its mainly the republican right that promotes gun ownership ,as an american right to bear arms . if an anarchist group get powerfull enough god help us here. I, off to get another 2,000 rounds of ammo just in case . EEEEK.

[John Pruden]

although to be fair to some gun owners some places in the states and Canada the local wildlife is a danger bears mountain lions alligators etc but in the big cities that's the cops job. there is argument for both sides if you are peace loving but carry a gun someone may have stopped this madness by dropping the shooter but any case it will happen again.jp

[Rodney Mills]

Neither I, my wife, or 43% of the United States are "cowboys",nor are, 100% of the 47% of the Americans who favor the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the right to bear arms. Neither they or us favor ownership of automatic weapons ( percentages courtesy of A.B.C. tv./Washington post poll of approx. 2 weeks ago).

It is my opinion the "our founding fathers" did not mean automatic rifles with banana clips, that when connected together allow the shooter 50 or more shots. This is not a personal protective devise, nor, is it a hunters weapon. Sadly the Supreme Court by a 5 to 4 decision disagreed with my wife and me. (My wife is a native born "cowgirl".)

I do not hunt, I do not want to hunt, I loved Bambi. The taste of game to me is awful, BUT I do not begrudge my fellow Americans the privilege to hunt. Automatic weapons as stated should not be allowed to civilians, under any circumstances.

Unlike most countries the United States is not over populated, and three quarters of its land is habitable. We have plenty of forests, mountains, lakes, rivers and streams, that are well stocked with game and fish (see below, photos taken from my dining room window deer, fox and gator, me with an eight lb. bass caught 15 feet from my bed and a bunch of bunnies). Even I would not be a lover of Bambi, if I ran into him one dark evening and did 5-10 thousand dollars damage to my car. Rural areas are overrun with deer and other wildlife. Hunting deer and other species are legal within certain parameters.

Fly fishing to me is a passion. I love to fish and I love the taste of fish, thus I kill fish. I have to have a fishing licence to fish. I also drive a car and I have to pass a test and be licenced before I can operate a vehicle. True I don't have to pass a test to fish, but then I have not heard of too many people being killed with a fishing rod. If I had my way we should be tested and licenced in order to hunt or own a gun, just the same as we are for the PRIVILEGE of driving, and there's the rub. The Constitution and it's amendments do not give Americans the RIGHT to fish,hunt or operate a vehicle it's a PRIVILEGE, get caught drinking and driving or breaking the rules laid down by the Dept. of Game and Fisheries and your privilege is rightfully taken away. One can squabble over the wording of the 2nd Amendment, that the founding fathers meant it for a Militia only, but as previously stated, the Supreme Court of the United States charged with considering all new laws with its constitutionality, interprets it as a RIGHT to bear arms... So, until such times as our Constitution is amended, that's it.

To those who have never been to the U.S. and are unaware of our land mass We are the same size as Australia except we have 95% habitable land, that's heaps. England can fit into the State of Wyoming five times...Alaska and Texas are even larger. The U.S.A. is roughly the size of Europe, and I would guess the population count is approximately the same. So when you compare "cowboy cultures"please consider population and land mass. Newtown, Conn. is 1,000 miles from South Carolina where I live and almost 3,500 miles from San Diego, Calif., the same as from John o' Groats to North Africa, and our population is 320 million. Get it? Play a game with math., divide your respective countries population into my country and multiply the result of your tragedy by that factor..

Worldwide "Cowboys"

Newtown Conn. 28 killed
Aurora, Colorado 12 killed
Afghan Villagers 16 killed
Tucson, Ariz. 6 killed
Manchester, Conn. 18 killed
Ft. Hood, Tex. 13 killed
Binghampton, N.Y. 11 killed
Blacksburg, Virg. 32 killed
Columbine, Col. 13 killed
Killeen, Tex. 24 killed
San Ysidro, Calif. 21 Killed
Austin, Tex. 16 killed


Oslo, Norw. 77 killed
Zug, Switz. 14 killed
Cumbria. Eng. 12 killed
Dunblain, Scot. 17 killed

Port Arthur, Aust. 35 killed (could be an error by the w.w.w.)
Melbourne (?) Aust. killed (Postal workers((?)))

Others (God help Us Ugh!)

France. 43 killed 2 incidents
Spain and Croatia. 9 killed each
New Zealand 13 killed 1 incident
Canada 81 killed 3 incidents

Additional school incidents:

Germany. 78 killed 3 incidents
Finland. 30 killed 2 incidents
.
Israel 25 killed 1 incident (non Arab, indigenous perpetrator)

South Korea murder suicide by fire 198 killed.

I'm not bothering to include the Balkans and other parts of Europe. I'm just posting the obvious tragedies. Before you start in, this reply is not meant to treat the acts of these, in the main, young white men nut-jobs of Northern European descent, as a football game score card, it's meant to bring to your attention that if Americans live in a fantasy world of Hollywood's making (read cowboys) then so do yours and other countries...so don't throw stones.

I was in Australia when the gun laws were changed, each time visiting Oz, we spent a couple of months on our friends farm in Childers, Queensland. You should have heard the whinging when the locals had to give up there handguns because "the poofters in Canberra and bloody Sydney say so...bugger em!" that was the majority opinion, not just the farm but all my friends, mainly in Queensland (yeah! I know, Ockers and Rodney Rotten red necks live in the deep north, been there done that mate).

I would be curious if a plebiscite were held in your respective countries what would the vote be for ownership of guns? This is purely out of curiosity as I don't want or need a gun.

Please do not respond if you "FEEL" your opinions are different from mine, I'm glad to have a debate, but I'm not into touchy feelly yuppie sounding crap...I deal in facts not faith.

My wife and I are way beyond sad, because, like my fellow countrymen, I'm bloody grief stricken over the loss of these children, the anguish of the parents, and the memories that will never be erased from the minds of the survivors.

I bike ride every morning, and I noticed that in a spontaneous act, my "cowboy" neighbors are flying their flags at half mast and many are taking down their Christmas decorations. I arrived home from my ride to find my wife sobbing uncontrollably, I held her tight until she composed herself. She had just heard on the t.v. news that a six year old girl had "played dead" under a pile of her classmates bodies. When the gunman killed himself she crawled from under the heap of bodies, and covered in blood, ran out into the school hall shouting "look mummy, I'm alive"!

I'm getting a strong sense of Americans being treated like some joke or F......g "cowboys". Well I and others on this and other M.N. sites, are Americans by choice and proud to have served in the British Merchant Marine. Additionally, I'm proud to have a badge so stating I served in the M.N., and another as a Veteran of the Armed forces (by permission of H.M.).

As I remember, way back in Oz, some of the ships crew were laughing there ass off at the "wharfies(?) in Oz throwing a fit when they shouted down, "Hey! What's that around your ankle?...Oh! it's a ball and chain", yuck, yuck. Because my accent is so screwed up, A mix of English, American, Canadian and Australian, Ozzie's thought at first I was a Canadian, then once I told them I was an American, accepted me as a septic-tank (Yank). Typical conversation by a native born Oz. "Oh sh..! here comes Fred, still he's not too bad for a pom, gabs a lot though". And there was a heck of a lot worse too and either country would be hurt to hear what the other side said to me a "neutral foreigner", as I am hurt at the cracks against the U.S. today. This is not just this one post, this is also about snide comments made on other posts too.

Lastly, do I hear a thank God? The people of the United States are the ONLY country on earth that unconditionally likes both Brits and Ozzies and the antics of the Royals, Sorry Canada, but you send us all the bad weather (just kidding) and I never heard cracks from kiwis in four visits there. My middle son lived in Auckland for eight years.
.
Now either one of your countries gets into trouble...Who will be first to help you out?...would it be the French or the Germans, how about the Italians? No mates! it will be those fat, childish cowboys.

I base my observations on living under a Constitutional Monarchy, an absolute Monarchy, A Dominion parliamentary system, a Commonwealth parliamentary system and a Representative Democratic Republic, also I have visited over 80 countries for long to reasonably lengthy periods, not to the first bar outside the dock gates.

So stop "yank" bashing and remember, members of "Friends" are this side of the pond too and have feelings, or inform me that membership is limited to the three Anglo countries of the commonwealth and the U.K., and I will leave for more hospitable pastures.

Rodney D.R. Mills (Who has not spat his dummy out yet).

P.s I owned property for 17 years, and lived in it for eight in Weston, Connecticut, 15 miles from Newtown, Ct. My house was on the Newtown Turnpike.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Personally I don't believe that the US will ever take 'The Right to bear arms' out of their Constitution.
Here in Canada we had gun registration.
Guess what. The ones who registered were the hunters, farmers etc. Don't think any of the bad guys bothered!
It does not work. The villains and anyone else can find someone willing to get them a gun, just like drugs.
We live in the country and I have firearms. I wont give them up. As John Purden mentioned. Here in Canada we have bears, cougar and other assorted wild life, including the two leg variety.
While I am not about to go on a shooting spree, I would not hesitate using a weapon to defend my family.
Some time ago we were in Yuma.
Sign on the bar door said. Check your firearms in before service.
Episode of 'All in the family' some years ago has stuck with me as and example of Yankee mentality[apologies to my American friends.]
Archie telling meat head how he would stop skyjacking.
His solution was to arm ALL of the passengers.
It was funny back then but now it, or something like it, could become a distinct possibility.
Sadly that tragedy in Connecticut will in all likelihood not be the last.
Too many nut cases and copy cats around.
Difficult time for all. Especially at this Christmas season.Cant even imagine the grief.
Bless them all.
Den.

[John Pruden]

we in the UK are having shootings every single day it dos not even make the news anymore thankfully the people that are getting shot has most probably shot someone else but i think thees dopes don't realise the power of a bullet it can pass through up to four people depending on calibre its the innocent that are caught up in the shootings it should be up to the legal system to keep the gunmen in for a long time i am waiting for the time an old veteran who is about to be mugged to pull a gun it will happen here. the young seem to forget that a lot of old people who are fed up being frightened to go out of a night and some have and do carry a gun i could travel not 8 miles away with the right money come back like bloody Rambo our streets are full.the gangs killing each other is one thing.jp

[Peter F Chard]

The BBC World service news are reporting that one if the children killed was British born, his father works for IBM and was on transfer. Regards Peter in NZ

[John Pruden]

peter an act of violence like this effects everyone on the planet and yet it is going on every day on the African continent in civil wars and they never reach the press. should mankind have the right to be at the top of the food chain?jp

[Rodney Mills]

Should be addressed to Dennis.

The latest news re. the killer.



The guns, four auto hand guns and the Bushmaster automatic assault rifle were legally purchased weapons of his mother, he stole them.

As mentioned in my first post I lived for eight years in Weston, Connecticut, approximately 15 miles from Newtown. Newtown is the home to many executives who are employed in the head office of such corporations as Pepsi Cola, I.B.M., General Electric, etc. etc..

I was employed by an International Remote-Site Caterer. U.S.A., Venezuela, Columbia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, etc. etc.. For seven years I was the President and C.E.O.. Weston, Conn. is a bedroom community for people employed in New York City, and commute by train to the city. However the structure of the township is the same, lily white, extremal rural, large houses and in the case of Weston, minimum land per house was zoned at two acres per house. The property tax is VERY high, however, the service offered by the townships are excellent, i.e. police both manpower and the latest equipment and the public schools, facilities, teaching staff and educational goals to match the expectation of the parents. To give an example some of the rules laid down by the Weston Board of Education regarding the high school, "teachers must park in the rear." The reason? The students cars were much better...Lexus, Thunderbirds etc.

I did not enjoy living there. On meeting somebody at a party for the first time, the first comment after exchanging names was "What do you do for a living?" Next " whats your position?" should you both have the same position, the next question was whats your turnover (sales). Not my idea of friends. Even if the subject became houses..."What's your square footage?" I'm sure it's the same in up-market (?) areas of Sydney, London etc.

Newtown/Weston is the last place one would expect this horror to happen in...it's white bread safe. The school in Newport had doors which only opened from the inside, after perusing proper I.Ds...except the killer broke a window to gain entrance to the schools.

Why did the mother have guns?

Purely conjecture on my part based on the latest data. She and her son the killer, lived alone--she being divorced, her husband lives and works in Stamford, Conn. really big money! Her house is a very large house situated in what appears to be 2-3 acres of a mostly wooded lot. My conjecture, woman living alone with a reclusive son felt threatened somehow, hence the weapons. She practiced regularly at a shooting range, she didn't hunt so she had them exclusively for defence...(God only knows now what dangers she imagined with the amount of fire power she had,) Anyway that's the latest news.

Cheers, Rodney

P.S. Thank you for a like, I was pleasantly surprised was expected flack and am, and as we say in the U.S.A. "I'm loaded for bear."