There were armed soldiers in Grand Central Station in New York when I was there about two years ago. Very intimidating to pass. Strange that I actually felt less safe with them around. Same for the armed police officers everywhere. Made me very, very nervous. Introducing automatic firearms into a situation makes it far too volatile. I’m not anti-gun, my dad has always had one but he has always had a single barrel shotgun for hunting pheasants. The thing holds two rounds. The weapons any civilian can buy in the states are designed for shooting other people easily and accurately. Just owning such a weapon is just wrong imo.

I agree, it’s like these NRA nuts know, like all of us that the abundance of high powered weapons is causing the problem but they can’t actually say it because doing so would render them obsolete and cauterized. So it doesn’t matter how many innocents are slaughtered as long as they keep their toys.

@Stephanie – er, if it’s a single barrel shotgun, how on earth does it hold two rounds?

@SL – as a solution, it sucks. Thing is, so does the problem. Maybe as a stopgap measure, it’s the lesser of several evils?

Sorry Mark you’re right, I don’t know the proper term but it is two barrels but one is on top of the other instead of side by side I think. It’s a long while since I actually saw the gun.

Another piece of interesting info my Dad has told me is that in order to buy ammo he has to show his gun license and is limited to buying 150 shells at a time. I know the latter rule may not be particularly effective but the former may go some way towards preventing those who steal guns from being able to purchase huge numbers of rounds in Walmart.

Did he also tell you we have to give two character references, give up our medical confidentiality, have secure storage for the firearms and have it inspected (and inspectable at random intervals), have a good reason for having them in the first place, have a safe place to use them, get signed off on personally by a Garda Superintendent or Chief Superintendent…

…and that we’re still treated as if we were one bad hair day away from murdering everyone we know? That that’s not just something some random 12-year-old troll posting here has said, but something sitting TDs have said in the Dail while hunting for votes in an election? All because people think that if a firearm is involved, all answers can be one-dimensional and simple and still be accurate despite that not being true anywhere else in life?

I hate to admit it but I LOL’d

you should pop over to their Facebook page, most of the comments are terrifying, especially when you think that these are the people that have guns.

I think that when one analyses what these Lobbyists (for promoting more gun sales ) – The NRA , are actually suggesting – is to have big gun battles in the schools , between armed to the teeth , Security Guards and the gun toting Invaders , while School Children watch on !
What an absolutely “deadly” badly thought out proposal .

Surely this Fascist Organisation should be charged with conspiracy to promote murder instead ?

The NRA deserve as much attention as the Westboro Baptist Church.

So if a young person stole a car or took their parent’s car and drove down a street and killed a lot of people would you ban cars too
Where would you stop

So if a young person stole a car or took their parent’s car and drove down a street and killed a lot of people would you ban cars too
Why is this happening is what should be asked what films are young people watching that f##ks up their minds to think this is even considerable

Painfully bad argument there. So bad I’m not even going to explain why given that you’ve made it…..

That comment is so dumb I wouldn’t even know where to start with an actual response

@Rodgetheddodge Your right wing logic is so obviously ill thought out and nonsensical, if it wasn’t so painfully tragic it would be laughable.

The same films that all of Europe watches. Where you are 20 times less likely to get killed by guns because there is tight legislation. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Oh my god you are an idiot hahaha

Oh for god sake please…. What a stupendously stupid argument. Ok..where to start. Lets ban kitchen knives, plastic bags, you can suffocate someone with those, bricks, shoes, tv, computers, phones, gas cookers, Christ I just can’t believe the moronic nature of your comment. I tried to make mine as silly but had to stop. Now I’m off to wipe out my neighbours by driving with intent around my estate.

Or little kids! People will surely think twice..

Excellent. Comment of the week.

They also listed secure storage for firearms as one of their rules for safe gun handling, and have done for at least 15 years.

Now, if Adam Lanza’s mother had had her firearms in a proper gunsafe…

…but that’s an awkward question, isn’t it?

If Adam Lanzas mother had kept them in a gun safe, chances are he would have still known the code. It is one thing to support the right to own guns for legitimate reasons but that should not apply to military weapons, unlimited ammunition and extended clips. All of the above have been causal in the body counts. The NRA has lots of money to back it’s disinformation campaign because it is backed by one of Americas biggest industries. America has the highest proliferation of Assault rifles in the western world and with it comes the mass murder rates that go with that sort of gun. There is no one easy answer as Americas whole ethos is one of aggression and violence and the use of weapons to make their point. That would require a massive change in the American psyche which will not happen quickly, in the interim, taking military weapons out of circulation would be a good start.

Hi Fergus.

I’m not a fan of the NRA but I found this video made a very compelling argument against what you’re advocating. (Not produced by anyone associated with the NRA)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFMUeUErYVg

Tell your daughter to say to others:

“Countries that don’t even have to arms most of their police – exposes just how further safe it is that they don’t need to do so!”

Quite simple – and the figures bears this out greatly (see alone, the Hopkins report above), the lesser of guns = the MUCH lesser of deaths.
America can try ignoring that clear honest fact – and thus their deaths will continue – but till they wake up and kop themselves on (not likely) the much more killings will continue.

@Biggins – what do you tell his daughter when she mentions the Troubles or the current Irish crime levels and the point that we’re the gun homicide capital of Europe?

He could tell them that nearly all of those gun homicides have been against people not involved in drug trade, that there are no where near as many gun deaths per capita here as in America. Trying to reference the terrorist activities in the north is just a sign of how desperate and puerile your argument is, just rediculous.

He could, but then she’d ask how many of the gun homicides in the US likewise “don’t count” as they’re also arising from the drugs trade or gangs in general.

See, when you start looking at the details of this stuff, it’s not quite saturday morning cartoon simplicity anymore.

We are not talking about individual gun homicides, even though America still leads the world by multiples in those too. Baltimore, no longer in the top 5 murder rated cities in America still had nearly 8 times as many Gun deaths as Ireland this year, with only 3/4′s the population.

We are talking about mass shootings of innocent victims, with high powered military weapons, which have NO justifiable place in a supposedly civilized society. You make irrelevant side tracks, like drug crime and terrorism to try and defend to proliferation of these weapons. Gun control is not the same as banning all guns, the right to bear arms never invisaged weapons like this!

Can you give one sane, justifiable and relevant argument for owning an assault rifle with an extended magazine?

Stephen, two points;
First, mass shootings like this are like airliner crashes – horrific, tragic, terrifying, *and not the norm*. America loses 32,000 people every year to firearms. Fully half of those are suicides – and as was shown in Australia and Canada, if you restrict firearms, gun suicides fall… but every other method of suicide goes up by an equivalent amount so that you still lose the same number every year (because you didn’t fix the root of the problem, you just treated a symptom). Of those left, the vast majority are drug or gang related shootings; where, again, you have a root to treat which isn’t the availability of firearms. These mass shootings, despite their associated horror, just aren’t the biggest killer in the US. And, like the other causes, they have a root cause that unless addressed, will lead to more mass killings. Treat the problem by patching over a symptom and you condemn people to die later on because you didn’t fix the root cause this time.

Second, very very few people in the US have assault rifles. They’re very strictly controlled.

@ Mark Dennehy

Its all about GUNS – GUNS and more GUNS.

Whatever excuses you can make – o’ it was this incident or that incident – its ALL GUN related.
Now you can keep up this gun propaganda all you want and keep trying too fool people and make excuse after excuse – but its ALL GUN related.

…And until the guns are taken away, the deaths will continue!

Keep the excuses, ducking and diving coming though. Your singularly exposing the stupidity of gun-nuts.
Your fooling only yourself

Just playing devils advocate hear to add a bit of spice to the discussion but the figures you’ve listed only show that there is possibly a correlation between gun ownership and gun related deaths it in no way proves causality.

Every recent mass killing in America (more than three victims) bar one where the intended target was a politician happened somewhere concealed weapons are prohibited, shopping malls/cinemas/schools. Plenty of examples where the perps went well out of their way to find a particularly vulnerable target.

This statistic does lend a lot of weight to the argument that making it more difficult for law abiding citizens to carry weapons will only encourage more attacks such as this. A nut job will still be able to get their hands on guns or to build a bomb or whatever, this guy was even able to order a bullet proof vest without arousing suspicion. With 100′s of millions of guns washing through America a nut/criminal will easily be able to access one (will a criminal hand in weapons to the police, no only law abiding citizens will) so the laws will probably increase the likelihood of this happening again, not prevent it.

Did you even bother to look over the full report?

One section above alone says in summary (before going into detail later):
“the homicide rate in the U.S. is seven times higher than the combined homicide rate of 22 other high-income countries. This is because the firearm homicide rate in the U.S. is twenty times greater than in these other high-income countries.
The higher prevalence of gun ownership and much less restrictive gun laws are important reasons why violent crime in the U.S. is so much more lethal than in countries of similar income levels.”

Stop and think about the above will you please.

More guns does NOT make america any safer!

The NRA is talking out its backside.

Their answer is always the same: more guns – but if guns made America more safe, the US would be the safest nation on the planet. Instead it is the most prone to gun violence per capita.

Americans are sick especially of the intimidation racket the NRA has in targeting American politicians. If you oppose these thugs in the NRA as an American politician, the NRA will come after you in the primaries with a new candidate and lots of money. They have especially intimidated candidates in conservative areas.
They pour millions (if not billions) into the lobbyists and to their supporters elected, fund-raising campaigns.
They are at the end of the day like many in the Republican party, out for one thing – and it all revolves around money!
Giving it away often to see that they get it back in bucket-loads and stuff the lives of those lost on the streets and schools of America!

310 million guns now in America and counting …… And the NRA says they need more guns – 31,000 people killed on average (its reported in The Times today) each year by firearms.

2 MILLION guns was just sold last month. Is America any safer because of that? Seriously?
…And the NRA says the solution to all the killings is to arm more people?

Absolute bloody craziness!

In 1910 when Britain and USA had the more or less the same regulations for guns (practically none). The murder rate in America was 12 times higher than in Britain. These days the murder ratio between the two counties has fallen to about 7 or 8 to 1 despite the UK having some of the toughest gun laws in the world. British people are just killing each other in a higher variety of ways.

So to be honest I stand by the claim I made earlier.

Oh and without wanting to sound smart do you actually understand the difference between correlation and causality?

Brian – ignore the figures all you want but the facts is that outside of America, the number of deaths is FAR lowers because there is much less guns.
That is plain to those that can see – that want to see.

(What the hell has 1910 got to do with the problem today? Is that the best you can do? Seriously?)

So British (or any other country) is killing themselves with guns!
Guess what – the numbers for those cases are far, far lowers per ratio head!

You CLEARLY didn’t read above – and I suspect don’t want to!

Let the report repeat from OCTOBER 2012

“…the firearm homicide rate in the U.S. is TWENTY times greater than in these other high-income countries…”

Your claims are rubbish in the face of much research done by qualified professions!

Brian seems to be suggesting that Americans are simply more murderous by nature. Then perhaps it’s not the best idea to allow such murderous people to carry and conceal firearms? Or to purchase assault rifles? Or any automatic weapon for that matter.

@ Stephanie Fleming

Maybe so.

If thats the case should we give addicts more drugs to fight their problem?
Should the world give more nukes to the opposite nation sides?
Should we given more guns to people to seem to have many a problem with guns?

There is absolutely NO reason why an average family (or single person) needs an AK47 semi-automatic (or similar repeating rifle) in this day and age.
What ever can be said alone about hand guns – the time disarming America is long over due.
The too many dead if they could talk, I suspect would say this!

@Biggins31 I take it you don’t understand the difference between those two terms either.

Fine let’s take two modern day examples. Israel and Switzerland both have levels or gun ownership comparable to America and yet they don’t have this issue with killing sprees (Let’s stay on topic and not drag the Israeli’s treatment of Palestine into the argument).

I find it very amusing that you accuse me of disregarding other peoples arguments (Which I haven’t) and then say that my points are irrelevant without trying to address them at all. I’m trying to engage you in an informed debate but all you’re doing it smugly recycling the same points. Please address my points specifically

Are you backing an outright ban or more restrictions if you’re advocating minor law changes then I think this is just rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic and will make no difference. Norway has more restrictive gun laws then America but that didn’t do much to stop Anders Breivik did it?

Or perhaps you think an outright ban is the solution. How do you propose to enforce this how many people will the police have to kill in order to rid the country of all guns?

@Stephanie, yes that’s actually exactly what I’m saying America is a much more violent society and taking guns away from law abiding citizens so that they can’t defend themselves from from criminals who will still have guns does not in my humble opinion seem like a good idea.

@ Brian Callinan

Israel and Switzerland have weapons but then (a) their laws are much better (b) their mentality towards weapons is much different, more informed and educated (c) the mentality that the right of a person/family needs to bear a semi-automatic alone is not engrained into their mental outlook.

* Arguments become invalid from one side when numerical values (as you did above previously) are wrongly stated!

Are I backing an outright ban or more restrictions? For America and their gung-ho culture? YES! TOTALLY!

You say “Norway has more restrictive gun laws then America but that didn’t do much to stop Anders Breivik did it?”

I say “Since 1982 there has been 63 mass killings alone in the USA – versus how many in Norway from 1982!”

Spot the difference and ask yourself whats different between the two countries.
(Hint: The law and regulations.)

Brian, you make some good points. But the hard fact is that criminals, wherever they live, will have access to guns, but quite a lot (in fact most) of these mass killings are not carried out by known criminals, but by seemingly average joe-publics. Better gun control means less people would have access to guns. Maybe the people carrying out these murders are nut jobs or a switch has just flipped in their heads, but in america, they have easy access to guns. They might not even own one, but may find one easily in their home, owned by a parent for example. Such a scenario does not exist for a regular man on the street here in ireland and in most other countries as well. Where would I get a gun? I wouldn’t have a clue.Also, your argument re Anders Brevik does not hold up. Brevik would be more of a terrorist, and these will not be stopped by better gun control. He was making a political statement. These mass killings do not carry any political motivation in general. Different kettle of fish completely.

Ben makes a good point. There are no restrictions on gun management once bought. If people could at least prove that they have a secure place to put it and that they will put it there. You should not be able to buy massive amounts of ammo in the local supermarket. When not in use my dad keeps his gun in a locked safe. Ammo is in a different locked safe.

I’m a murderer? I don’t own a gun or knife or any weapon. Managed to stay out of trouble. People like me are considered commies and sheep cause we want more gun control. Girl you need to look at your own country and read the news. See some pretty disturbing stuff on here.

Who said anything about you being a murderer?!

So if a young person stole a car or took their parent’s car and drove down a street and killed a lot of people would you ban cars too

I’m going to defer you to the replies above to the same comment.

You might want to consider putting more than 30 seconds worth of thought into an issue directly related to the mass murder of children.

The legal gun trade supports the black market trade.

A ban on all but handguns and reasonable hunting rifles would mean that those enforcing the law know that anyone with anything other than these have criminal intentions.

In addition, hold those who do not contain their weapons sufficiently safety, where those weapons have been used in a suicide by someone other than their owner, complicit in facilitating their death. I specifically mention this as suicide comparison of high versus low gun ownership states are about 5X as much in the higher states.

Personally I don’t think that America can stomach an all out ban on legally owned firearms. I think it needs a deescalation of the situation and an address of issues which are wider than gun ownership alone. Maybe my above example may not even be palatable but looking at the stats, it seems difficult to say that guns aren’t a problem and little of what the pro-gun lobbyists seems supported by any research anywhere.

@Biggins: A CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5214a2.htm

(The CDC are pro-gun-control)

They evaluated the following measures:
- Bans on specified firearms or ammunition.
- Restrictions on firearm acquisition.
- Waiting periods for firearm acquisition.
- Firearm registration and licensing of owners.
- “Shall issue” concealed weapon carry laws.
- Child access prevention laws.
- Zero tolerance laws for firearms in schools.
- Combinations of firearms laws.

Their conclusion was

the Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of any of the firearms laws reviewed for preventing violence.

In other words, this isn’t a simple problem, and they haven’t studied it well enough yet to know how to fix it They’re not saying less guns is the answer, and they’re not saying more guns are the answer; they’re specifically saying that nobody knows what the answer is; and this is the same result the National Academy of Science got when they studied the problem a few years ago as well.

Maybe if more people read studies like that, stopped slinging mud, and sat down and talked about it, they’d get it solved faster?

Thanks Biggins 31

I’m engaged in post-conflict small arms disbarment and reintegration of ex- combatants around the world. In Haiti 2004-2007, it was extraordinary to find that the majority of weapons killing my clients (urban gang members … and their victims) came from NRA retail outlets in Dade County Florida.
The US small arms industrial complex supplies over 50 % of small arms to non-state actors in conflict throughout the world… including Afghanistan where the same weapons are killing US GIs ( and US mercenaries ) These NRA guys are not loonies… They are just greedy liers. NRA kills more Americans that Al Qaeda ever could. Pity Obama doesn’t have the balls to deal with them.

The reports you have linked spell it out. I’m with you.

@ Mark Dennehy

Thank you – you have summed up one point of mine distinctly.

America can try changing some of it laws – indeed the tiny amount that it will be allowed to change – and its debatable if it will make a difference.

Therefore I think its time to totally take the guns off the people completely (except for legitimate sports and thus included totally strict separate rules and guidelines).

America has just gone too far and new weak laws (and thats what will eventually be passed) will frankly be little use. Its time to start thinking of getting rid of the main bulk of the guns completely.

@Biggins Sorry – are you saying you know more than the CDC and NAS combined, or that you just don’t care about knowing what effect your actions would have (assuming you were in fact american and had a say or a vote in all this)?

Sorry for the delay in replying I was out on the 12 pubs, right let’s take your first point.

You don’t need a permit to buy a gun in Switzerland. This I’m afraid completely invalidates your argument here. The reason why there is less gun crime in Switzerland is because they are less violent. It has nothing to do with the law.

Second point
The figure for my argument was not wrong you’re just aren’t reading my posts carefully enough. We’re comparing apples (deaths) and oranges (deaths from guns)……Please take your time before responding because I’m looking for more than you just saying that it’s clear for any one to see that banning guys (taking them from law abiding people) will save lives. There are lots of statistics that contradict this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFMUeUErYVg) It’s 30 minute clip so I’m not really expecting you to watch it all but you probably should.

Third, how do you propose to take the guns from the rednecks in the country without killing them. They aren’t going to give them up and a fairly large portion of them will be willing to fight and die to keep them. Probably at least hundreds if not thousands. Or do you think these crazy(as everybody else here seems to agree) people will suddenly see the light when Obama passes a law and fall in line. You need to answer the question to give you argument any legitimacy.

4th point
Norway has 5 million people America has 315 million. Lets do some sums here 5 by 63 is whow look at that 315 million! What difference am I supposed to be spotting here (Figures for populations taking from wikipedia).

Look mate you can find figures to back any argument. I’m not interested in getting into a shouting match with you. All I’m trying to do here is show people that this issue is alot more complex then they think and that they really need to try to understand it rather than just reproducing figures that back their preconceived point of view .

If you’ve any problems with the points I’ve made I will respond to you as long you’re being constructive and not just reposting the same points in bold print.
Have a happy Christmas

Just to be clear that last post was for Biggins31

1. I NEVER said you needed a permit to buy a gun in Switzerland – but nice try for trying to espouse that I might have!
The reason why there is less gun crime in Switzerland is because they are less violent AND they have laws which better regulate the care of them, their storage and who can have them – in other words MORE effected laws.

2. The numbers mentioned in over many reports that I posted was/is correct – continue to make excuses for your numbers. Anyone here who researches the internet can find out for themselves who is right or wrong here!

3. If the rednecks don’t give up their weapons of death – then they deserve everything they get. Try all the peace taking as long as possible but in the end if the rednecks refuse to go quietly then send in the ruddy army to get rid of the garbage if they decided to open fire! America needs to stop pissing about, grab their balls and stop pissing around with these lower life forms!

4. So what if Norway has a lower number? The ration of killings her head is far lower! If there was 100 Americans and 100 Norwegians – all with guns, there would be more death caused by Americans – why because it now the American culture to be gun-nuts unlike other modern countries that guess what, have FAr better laws, mindset and bloody kop-on frankly when it comes to guns!

6 The issue is complex – but not as complex as some are making out to be.
The NRA is DELIBERATELY making it complex so that the guns can be held on ti – they are using EVERY tactic possible.

Well stuff them.

There has been an additional 200 deaths in the USA since the killings of the kids.
Looks like feck all is changing then.
Whats your pitiful excuses about those additional 200 deaths?
Lets hear the excuses for those too!
3.

Glad u didn’t either

This is one of the reasons I did not stay also…

oh and the poor man nearly died when I told him that the Gardai just carry a asp and pepper spray.

You haven’t demonstrated anything….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria_shootings

before
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunblane_school_massacre

there was
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungerford_massacre

Thing about Dunblane is that the Cullen inquiry pretty much proved that had the police done their jobs, Hamilton would have lost his firearms either in ’95 when DS Hughes gave a written report stating he wasn’t fit to have firearms and his cert ought to be pulled; or in late ’77 when the police found he’d bought a pistol without prior permission (which was a legal requirement) or in early ’77 when he lied on his original application form.

Seriously, when a DS writes this

“I am firmly of the opinion that Hamilton is an unsavoury character and unstable personality.
It emerged from enquiries that he, during the course of the first week of camp, seemed to become increasingly stressed and had difficulty in managing the group. It was during one such moment that he became extremely angry and assaulted one of the boys. This particular child was in fact assaulted three times by Hamilton during the first few days of the holiday and was eventually removed by his parents.

Furthermore, allegations were made, albeit uncorroborated, by one of the children that Hamilton induced the child to pose in various compromising positions, scantily clad in extremely ill-fitting swimming trunks, for photographs. To date these photographs have not been recovered but neither I nor the officer who interviewed the child have any reason to disbelieve that the allegations are in fact wholly true.

Convincing corroborated evidence was uncovered which confirms that two boxes containing approximately 36 slides each have not been recovered by the police despite Mr Hamilton’s claims that he handed over all of the photographs taken. Mr Hamilton has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal in this regard for obstructing the police.

The foregoing report, in part, conveys some of the concerns which I harbour about this man. I firmly believe that he has an extremely unhealthy interest in young boys which to a degree appears to have been controlled to date. It was his ploy, whenever challenged, to engage in ‘smoke screen’ tactics which divert attention from the focal issue and this is the purpose for the profusion of correspondence to MPs, Procurators Fiscal, the Chief Constable and the like. I would contend that Mr Hamilton will be a risk to children whenever he has access to them and that he appears to me to be an unsuitable person to possess a firearm certificate in view of the number of occasions he has come to the adverse attention of the police and his apparent instability.

The Procurator Fiscal at Stirling has not yet decided on whether or not he will proceed with the case against Hamilton but at the moment it appears in all likelihood that he will not.

I respectfully request that serious consideration is given to withdrawing this man’s firearm certificate as a precautionary measure as it is my opinion that he is a scheming, devious and deceitful individual who is not to be trusted”.

And when the local Child Protection Officer concurs; and you *don’t* pull the guy’s cert?
Hell, you could write whatever you want in the law at that point – if the police won’t enforce it when their own people are giving written reports like that, what use is the law?

http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/scottish/dunblane/duncntnt.htm

Wow, I never knew this.. Thanks for sharing

But they are the only ones prepared for the war with the illegal immigrants… Or zombies…. Or illegal immigrant zombies… Or whatever other crap they believe…

What’s even funnier is that most NRA loopers claim to be Pro-life.. Hilarious!

And probably against socialised healthcare which would offer more accessible mental health services. How many NRA members oppose obamacare do you reckon?

@darren so what if NRA members are pro life? most of them arm themselves as a form of self defence not to go out & murder people.silly comment.

Only “most of them”? That’s reassuring!

yeah about 99.9% i would guess.there will be a few with mental health issues that will slip through the net.id be more worried about the people who arent members of the nra.you know the ones that actually carry out these shootings.

Most of you know nothing about the NRA. teachers in Israel carry firearms all the time. No news stories there. The NRA promote safe use of firearms. They provide training courses and education on the proper use of firearms. This is obamas last ditch chance to have a go at the NRA. Did you see him glued to the monitors, while Seal team 6 took out Bin Ladin. It’s his only ace to play as no one in congress listens to a word he says. America has always been an aggressive nation. They produce more firearm than any other country. I have to say the NRA’s response to this debate has been awful. No thought put into their argument. the assassin was not a member of the NRA. So why should they comment. The most popular firearm sold in the world is the AK 47. Russian designed. Don’t hear Pultin shouting about banning assault rifles. Guns will always be around. Ireland has one of the most restrictive gun control laws in the world. It does not stop gun related crime. A nut is a nut. Rant over.

How do you think it doesn’t stop gun related crime? Because there still is gun related crime (a tiny amount)?

That’s like saying antibiotics don’t cure illness because people still get sick. Stupid comment

Gun ownership is a huge responsibility. Irish law recognises that. US law doesn’t. There gun ownership is a right granted to all but the responsibility is given to no-one.

100 million Americans own 350 million legally held firearms, they have a huge amount of support.

This issue is as potentially divisive there as abortion is here!

Then I’ll merrily (for the season that’s in it) and completely disregard anything further you have to say since you don’t appear to consider facts when forming an opinion.

P.S. There’s a reply function, give it a go.

Nearly all the guns used in massacres, as opposed to normal criminal activities, were legally bought and owned. The use of guns by ordinary criminals in the course of regular criminal activity is only part of the issue here. Of the guns used in mass killings, the military style ones that can basically make you look like you’ve been through the blender seem to be a weapon of choice. Nobody needs guns that shred the victim, one bullet fired by someone with proper training would be enough to stop most people, even criminals, in their tracks. Taking the guns away from the regular people would be a start, at least it would reduce the numbers killed in these mass killings, while also reducing the number of guns which eventually become available to criminals through second hand gun sales, gun theft etc. if the house is flooding the first thing you do is turn off the water supply, at least stop the situation getting worse and then work on clearing it up.