Oh My God

[Michael Palmer]

Another shooting last night. Way too close to home. Our daughter and husband were at the Zombie Fest in Fort Meyers, Florida last night. It was a benefit for the hospital they work for. Some nut case pulls out a gun and began blasting away, killing one and wounding others.

We awoke to the news this morning, not knowing who was shot. Oh My God! Seems they were separated from their friend, and decided to leave early. Their friend was cornered in an alley and witnessed the horror. Thank the Lord we have still got our kids.

And it's every week some nutter shoots up a school or a movie theater, or whatever. We're all so sick of this, and we all want something to be done about. But, our politicians are firmly in the pockets of lobbyists and the National Rifle Association who refuse all types of regulation.

So I ask you all. What would you do?

 

[midnight sun]

Another shooting last night. Way too close to home. Our daughter and husband were at the Zombie Fest in Fort Meyers, Florida last night. It was a benefit for the hospital they work for. Some nut case pulls out a gun and began blasting away, killing one and wounding others.

We awoke to the news this morning, not knowing who was shot. Oh My God! Seems they were separated from their friend, and decided to leave early. Their friend was cornered in an alley and witnessed the horror. Thank the Lord we have still got our kids.

And it's every week some nutter shoots up a school or a movie theater, or whatever. We're all so sick of this, and we all want something to be done about. But, our politicians are firmly in the pockets of lobbyists and the National Rifle Association who refuse all types of regulation.

So I ask you all. What would you do?

Shoot the politicians! (only joking...or am I?) Glad your family is ok though. We don't have as many guns over here.....but stabbings are on the up!
It's a crazy world!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Campaign for safer roads. Will elaborate.

 

[Itchy]

Firearms law here is VERY tight. But no amount to laws or procedures can stop disturbed people.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Michael, thank God they are alright.
Listening to people after the last attack in Oregon there is this "let me carry a gun but don't let the nutcases carry one" attitude. Tell me how you tell the difference
Seems to me there is some absolute cowardice in Congress to address this problem.
I came across this article in the Grauniad........Shocking!
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/oct/02/mass-shootings-america-gun-violence

 

[For want of a better word]

Another shooting last night. Way too close to home. Our daughter and husband were at the Zombie Fest in Fort Meyers, Florida last night. It was a benefit for the hospital they work for. Some nut case pulls out a gun and began blasting away, killing one and wounding others.

We awoke to the news this morning, not knowing who was shot. Oh My God! Seems they were separated from their friend, and decided to leave early. Their friend was cornered in an alley and witnessed the horror. Thank the Lord we have still got our kids.

And it's every week some nutter shoots up a school or a movie theater, or whatever. We're all so sick of this, and we all want something to be done about. But, our politicians are firmly in the pockets of lobbyists and the National Rifle Association who refuse all types of regulation.

So I ask you all. What would you do?

Come and live in the UK... Call me Dave is even reducing our Police Force dramatically due to the reduction in crime!

Nos da

 

[Hivemaker.]

Call me Dave[/COLOR][/I][/B] is even reducing our Police Force dramatically due to the reduction in crime!

Good...because all they do is sit on the side of the road all day, like vultures waiting to pounce on easy target motorists.

 

[Swarm]

I feel for you, Michael and I'm glad they are OK. How anyone can consider it a good idea to own a gun is beyond me, I'm afraid.

 

[Swarm]

Good...because all they do is sit on the side of the road all day, like vultures waiting to pounce on easy target motorists.

Sometimes feels like the only policing they do.

 

[MartinL]

Michael, thank God they are alright.
Listening to people after the last attack in Oregon there is this "let me carry a gun but don't let the nutcases carry one" attitude. Tell me how you tell the difference

Thankfully most of the nutcases with guns in UK are easy to spot,

and usually challenge, "STOP Armed Police" before shooting.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thankfully most of the nutcases with guns in UK are easy to spot,

and usually challenge, "STOP Armed Police" before shooting.

But heaven help you if you're carrying a chair leg in a carrier bag when they do challenge you!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

To elaborate. In round numbers, non-suicide gun deaths are 11,000 p.a. in the USA. Auto deaths are 30,000. In round numbers, this is three times the rate in the UK. Call UK gun deaths zero for simplicity. So in round numbers, getting US road deaths down to UK levels, which is obviously do-able, saves twice the number of lives of eliminating ALL gun deaths, which is obviously not easy.

This argument goes further; 9/11 was an awful crime but all of the reaction, the loss of liberties, wars etc were triggered by ONE MONTH's road deaths.

The ones to worry about are not the wackos with guns, bad though they are, but the people who get in a pickup tanked up or high, the text drivers etc etc.

They witnessed an awful crime, but how many road wrecks have you driven by?

So it's the prayer of St Augustine; the rational reaction to a shooting is to campaign for greater road safety. ADD Reinhold Niebuhr: sorry.

 

[user 6228]

Stop the constant pushing of the message that guns = power.

 

[pargyle]

It really brings it home to you when things are that close to home - too close to home. It's a relief that your family are safe and well. Sadly, changing legislation in the USA, when the pro-gun lobby is so strong and the Second Amendment so enshrined in your democracy, is going to be a long and uphill battle. I wonder how many more gun related atrocities it is going to take before congress can bring themselves to bite the bullet ?

 

[Itchy]

Controlling guns in the US will be an impossible task. At best, you will end up with responsible gun owners heavily controlled and the criminals well armed.
Glad family ok Michael.

 

[maddydog]

To elaborate. In round numbers, non-suicide gun deaths are 11,000 p.a. in the USA. Auto deaths are 30,000. In round numbers, this is three times the rate in the UK. Call UK gun deaths zero for simplicity. So in round numbers, getting US road deaths down to UK levels, which is obviously do-able, saves twice the number of lives of eliminating ALL gun deaths, which is obviously not easy.

This argument goes further; 9/11 was an awful crime but all of the reaction, the loss of liberties, wars etc were triggered by ONE MONTH's road deaths.

The ones to worry about are not the wackos with guns, bad though they are, but the people who get in a pickup tanked up or high, the text drivers etc etc.

They witnessed an awful crime, but how many road wrecks have you driven by?

So it's the prayer of St Augustine; the rational reaction to a shooting is to campaign for greater road safety. ADD Reinhold Niebuhr: sorry.

Probably easier to ban cars in the US than guns?

More convenient to drive a vehicle to work than ride a bullet though. Could also ban fatty/sugary foods and make regular exercise mandatory?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Controlling guns in the US will be an impossible task. At best, you will end up with responsible gun owners heavily controlled and the criminals well armed.

Bit like it's getting over here then

 

[Itchy]

I was trying not to say that JBM

 

[Beanwood]

To elaborate. In round numbers, non-suicide gun deaths are 11,000 p.a. in the USA. Auto deaths are 30,000. In round numbers, this is three times the rate in the UK. Call UK gun deaths zero for simplicity. So in round numbers, getting US road deaths down to UK levels, which is obviously do-able, saves twice the number of lives of eliminating ALL gun deaths, which is obviously not easy.

This argument goes further; 9/11 was an awful crime but all of the reaction, the loss of liberties, wars etc were triggered by ONE MONTH's road deaths.

The ones to worry about are not the wackos with guns, bad though they are, but the people who get in a pickup tanked up or high, the text drivers etc etc.

They witnessed an awful crime, but how many road wrecks have you driven by?

So it's the prayer of St Augustine; the rational reaction to a shooting is to campaign for greater road safety. ADD Reinhold Niebuhr: sorry.

BUT - there are 7 times more vehicles, and 5 times more population in USA over the UK (Blame Google if I'm wrong...). By the law of ratios, they're doing very well on motoring death rates. Regardless of those numbers, why are you suggesting both items can't be be addressed concurrently? (I read somewhere recently that Volvo are working to make their cars so safe, there would not be a fatality in one - impossible obviously but a laudable objective)

Michael, I'm pleased that none of your family were hurt and of course I feel sorry for everyone involved in such terrible situations - motoring or gun related.

What to do about gun control? I wouldn't know where to start.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I was trying not to say that JBM

it's a minefield, we have some of the most stringent gun control laws in the world yet some of the highest levels of illegal gun 'ownership' Doesn't take away the fact that it's a worrying trend in the US with crazies running amok with guns - but if they didn't have guns they'd just use something else, or would they? I think it's just something that happens over there. but I do think think it's a bit daft you can virtually walk into your local tesco and buy a sig sauer over the counter as long as you have ID (although why you'd want to pick that one I've no idea) the only restriction is you need a licence to carry a concealed weapon, hmmm.
Stricter controls could be had without impinging too much on the rights of the citizen to 'bear arms' unfortunately the land of the free is also obsessed with the individual's 'freedom' to do whatever he pleases without having to do any writing thus it's hard work trying to legislate against anything unless it's something stupid like banning the selling of rare steaks in a restaurant