Outside Opinion On America's Shooting?

[suitepee7]

UK, it was a tragic incident which is the general theme i picked up on from the media. i saw a BBC interview talking to one of the police officers in charge, and she seemed like a *****. didn't seem to care in the slightest, just wanted as much juice on the story as possible, which annoyed me seeing as how damn recent it was, and the fact that that officer had been inside first hand and had to see the aftermath...

personally though, i don't think it'll have an impact on gun control. in my eyes you either get rid of pretty much all of them, or the change won't be significant enough

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

England here.

I think it was a horrific tragedy and I can't even imagine how distraught the families must be now. It hasn't particularly affected my opinions on America and I don't feel that my political knowledge is strong enough for me to weigh in on the gun control argument. I just feel that this was a terrible thing to have happened.

 

[hermes]

America needs to wake up and deal with this how more have to die before they have to change the way they are

Yeah but the change is always in the direction of increased security. Not surprisingly, because stuff like this makes people scared. But with enough events like these (and there's been pretty damn many) you would think the fear should wake people up and make them say hey, people like this guy are part of our society and if they're ostracised as losers or psychos if they don't have a job, friends or a facebook account, stuff like this is bound to happen. I know that's against the American Way, standing on your own two feet and being independent and all that, but you do live in a community - one that looks like a community and says it's a community, but doesn't act like a community.

Fear never wakes people up. Fear is an awful feeling to drive as motivation; if anything, it keeps them distracted from the real issues.
For example, hours after the shooting there were people claiming violent music, movies and games were responsible for it; and demand gun policy to increase because "we have to protect us from those things". That is the real effect of fear, it makes people to look for scapegoats, to act against their best interest in the name of security and to be irrational.

 

[kasperbbs]

Didn't really pay attention when it was on the news, i just figured that it's business as usual. On one of Lithuanias biggest news sites it just tells how many people died and that he had 2 pistols, a semi-automatic rifle and another gun in his car.

 

[endnuen]

It's way too late to do anything about it. You just have to deal with it happening every now and then. Even if you decide to tighten your gun control it doesn't change the fact that you have guns everywhere.
Unless of course your government comes out and confiscates them from your everyday man. Which I really think they should. The fact that it's so easy to get a gun i America and that so many already have them in their homes I don't really feel sorry for you.

It's sad when it happens but it's the consequence of your culture.
As you make your bed, so you must lie in it.

For reference: I'm from Denmark, we have had one school shooting at a University in 1994 where 2 died and 2 got hurt. And that's about it.
Everyone can get a gun legally in Denmark, there are just two criteria:
1: Clean record with the Police
2: You have a hunting License
The hunting license is not 100 % necessary but you need a very very very good reason to get a gun and not having it. (Read: You are refused if you don't have a hunting license).

 

[TheIronRuler]

Local news and papers are still talking about this even while we're gearing towards a general elections in January 22nd, which is really weird. News channels talking about facts for the most part, some reaction shots of broadcasters in the USA, the president there, parents who were effected, etc.

They also say that this will most likely change absolutely nothing in the laws of the USA and this is how the culture of the country is made. In my country there are more people who have handled firearms than in the USA and more who have a license to carry (compared to 1000 people), but much less civilian weapons than in the USA. It's because you need to work in a job that requires you to carry a weapon so a weapon permit can be given to you and for the most part it's handguns (and also single shot semi-automatic rifles).

What country do you live in that has a population who's handled more firearms than the US? There's about 70-80 million adults who legally own guns. Add those who illegally own guns and the children who have probably handled the weapons (there's no laws in the US that restrict gun rights for children, so many parents both buy their children guns and teach them how to use the gun, often times to teach them "Respect for the weapon."). So unless you live in India or China, I find that statement very hard to believe. Source: http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp

.
Seriously?
From my post:
"In my country there are more people who have handled firearms than in the USA and more who have a license to carry (compared to 1000 people), but much less civilian weapons than in the USA."
You can't compare stats of a country because their populations are different, so you look at each stats in comparison with the population of said country. With my country, having military service mandatory, one in five have handled a fire-arm during their service in the military. Even soldier that leaves the army from a combat unit already has a license to carry firearms, he just needs to go through some minor bureaucratic route.

 

[hobohazard]

Even though I am in america, I feel like I need to say something to clear something up. In america, many laws are decided on a much smaller scale. Not every decision is made on a national level, so every state has a different opinion on things. I live in New York and hear you have to go through a lot to get a gun. You need to show an ID, fill out a ridiculous form, go though a background check, then wait between 25 to 28 days. Even then the only guns aloud in public are handguns (Which are not aloud to be concealed). I've lived hear all my life and i've only ever seen 5 pepole with guns, and 4 of them don't really count because they were police. The shooting itself was really shocking to me because Connecticut isint known as an area with tons of gun owners like the southern part of the country.

 

[the darknees abyss]

That what i'm saying but if everyone can have a gun how do you know who the psychos are.

You really believe this guy was a "psycho"? Socially awkward, no friends, bullied in school, divorced parents. Society places these people on the bottom of the pile, as losers, even though he was academically talented. I'm not saying all that caused the violence, but the question is would it have happened if he was valued in some way by society instead of rejected by it. Nothing happens in isolation.

yes but something has to snap in your head to kill especially to kill a child

 

[Gecko clown]

All the way from the UK...

I just don't see how, from my perspective at least, no one is the US is talking about maybe stricting up the gun laws... just a little. Anyway now that Obama's in his second term he doesn't need to worry about being re-elected so he might as well go for it. Is it anywonder we had 8 gun crimes over here last here and the US had 10,000, (hint: its not because of community support officers.)

 

[Libra]

Dutch here.

And our media have mostly been discussing the fact that the US should take a harsh look at its mental health care system. Of course, we know perfectly well that won't happen, as the debate seems to focus on "more vs. less guns", which is a symptom, not a cause

 

[Talaris]

3. It's the British' fault that a 200 year old part of our constitution is still in effect.
4. People need guns in America because we don't want our governments to end up turning us into nazi Germany.

He said those things? Seriously?

I just don't get U.S. law sometimes, they go on and on about needing a democracy and hating communism, yet they have these ammendments that I believe cannot be altered even if the society that abide by these rules change, and people aren't able to vote against them.

Correct me if I'm wrong as this isn't my area of expertise but this seems to be the case, and it's a bad idea.

 

[AnarchistFish]

In both the UK and France we think you're obsessed with guns and we don't understand it. Doesn't seem healthy for society as a whole, as has been shown.

Personally I'm just thankful it's not part of the culture here.

 

[Hagi]

The Netherlands here.

First it's the tragic news of the children that have died, the primary reaction is shock and mourning. At the same time there's this underlying feeling that it's happened in America. Again.

We're shocked and we mourn the victims, a child's death is a tragedy. At the same time we're not surprised, this is a country where civilians can own assault rifles, where people who need mental healthcare are only given so after they've committed a crime, a country whose first reaction always seems to be to combat violence with even more violence.

We're shocked, we mourn the victims and we brace ourselves for when it will inevitably happen again in the not too distant future. And we're glad that we live in a country where measures are taken to prevent instances such as this whenever possible.

 

[TheIronRuler]

Local news and papers are still talking about this even while we're gearing towards a general elections in January 22nd, which is really weird. News channels talking about facts for the most part, some reaction shots of broadcasters in the USA, the president there, parents who were effected, etc.

They also say that this will most likely change absolutely nothing in the laws of the USA and this is how the culture of the country is made. In my country there are more people who have handled firearms than in the USA and more who have a license to carry (compared to 1000 people), but much less civilian weapons than in the USA. It's because you need to work in a job that requires you to carry a weapon so a weapon permit can be given to you and for the most part it's handguns (and also single shot semi-automatic rifles).

What country do you live in that has a population who's handled more firearms than the US? There's about 70-80 million adults who legally own guns. Add those who illegally own guns and the children who have probably handled the weapons (there's no laws in the US that restrict gun rights for children, so many parents both buy their children guns and teach them how to use the gun, often times to teach them "Respect for the weapon."). So unless you live in India or China, I find that statement very hard to believe. Source: http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp

.
Seriously?
From my post:
"In my country there are more people who have handled firearms than in the USA and more who have a license to carry (compared to 1000 people), but much less civilian weapons than in the USA."
You can't compare stats of a country because their populations are different, so you look at each stats in comparison with the population of said country. With my country, having military service mandatory, one in five have handled a fire-arm during their service in the military. Even soldier that leaves the army from a combat unit already has a license to carry firearms, he just needs to go through some minor bureaucratic route.

Still doesn't make sense. 1 in 3 people in the US have handled a gun.

I mean, I'm not really ARGUING with you... I"m just saying, nothing you're saying adds up, ahha.

.
Err, the actual thing was that 1 in 5 haven't handled a firearm, not the other way around. My mistake.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Scotland here, and I haven't read/watched/listened to much "traditional media" about it, found about it thanks to The Escapist, and my initial thoughts, alongside what sort of bastard would shoot children, was "Christ sake, another shooting spree?". It's getting to the point that people aren't being surprised when it happens any more, and that's a deplorable thing to think about a first world country.

 

[Calcium]

3. It's the British' fault that a 200 year old part of our constitution is still in effect.
4. People need guns in America because we don't want our governments to end up turning us into nazi Germany.

He said those things? Seriously?

I just don't get U.S. law sometimes, they go on and on about needing a democracy and hating communism, yet they have these ammendments that I believe cannot be altered even if the society that abide by these rules change, and people aren't able to vote against them.

Correct me if I'm wrong as this isn't my area of expertise but this seems to be the case, and it's a bad idea.

I believe he was asked why the right to bear arms is still in the constitution after 200 years, especially when America hasn't been threatened with invasion since, compared to countries like the UK whom that possibility has been a lot more recent what with World War 2.

He responded that it was the threat of the British and King George the (3rd? 4th?) that was the reason why it was a part of the constitution in the first place, as for why it was in continued effect, yes, he definately made the "Guns give people power and without that kind of power in the hands of the people how are we to stop the possibility of our governments from turning us into Nazi Germany" point.

I'd like to think that his views aren't representive of most Americans'...

Edit: I looked back to find what was actually said, if this works for you it's between 7:30 and 8:05. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pkp58/Daily_Politics_17_12_2012/

Though I'm not sure if iPlayer is only availavle in the UK or not.