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Podcast

The Explainer: Why is it so hard to take action on mass shootings in the US?

Our columnist Larry Donnelly talks to Michelle Hennessy about gun laws in the USA this week on the podcast.

usa-virginia-front-royal-weapon-department-in-super-market-rural-king Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

LAST MONTH SAW the deadliest US school attack in a decade, when 19 children and two teachers were shot dead by an 18-year-old in the Texas town of Uvalde.

Yet again it sparked off a debate about the ease of access to guns in the US – particularly the types of semi-automatic weapons commonly used in these kinds of attacks, which can result in high casualty rates.

People calling for reforms have encouraged lawmakers to acknowledge the role that easy access to guns has in facilitating these attacks. But the gun lobby and those protective of their right to bear arms have said mass shootings could be better mitigated if more people carried guns.

So how likely is it that serious reforms will now follow – and why is it so hard to limit access to guns in the US?

This week, presenter Michelle Hennessy is joined by Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at NUI Galway and columnist with The Journal, to discuss this topic. 

Listen here for more:


The Explainer / SoundCloud

This episode was put together by Aoife Barry, Nicky Ryan, and Michelle Hennessy.

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