To despair? Another mass shooting in US

[KimberleyClark]

8 people killed. In Texas shopping mall.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65515915

More than that, according to sky news.

The US has seen at least 191 (mass shootings) in the first 127 days of the year..

https://news.sky.com/story/americas-10-most-deadly-mass-shootings-of-2023-12875292

There's no great desire for change. Mainly because no-one has any faith in the government to get guns away from criminals. Of course it'd be a great thing if the President could just click his fingers and all the guns would disappear.

It's a pity the 2nd amendment can't be interpreted as "the right to bear arms that were available in 1791" (when it was ratified). Hard to go on a shooting spree with a muzzle loader.

There's always been lots of guns in America, but not the current level of mass shootings. So the mere presence of guns isn't causing it.

That's not correct. The US used to have an assault weapons ban, for example, but George Bush let the law lapse and the NRA made sure that even when Democrats retook the White House, they could not get ban through Congress again. The number of mass shootings began to skyrocket after than ban ended.

There used to be much more restrictions, background checks and waiting periods, but lots of states have gotten rid of those. The states that want more restrictions have been stymied by the Supreme Court.

Gun control works. But the US government in all branches is so corrupt and/or right-wing that getting new laws passed will be impossible for a long time, if ever.

Guns are a big reason (along with abortion) that a lot of Americans (including myself) think inevitably the country is going to break apart, as it did over slavery in the 19th century.

I think it'd be better if it did split up. Both coasts can go one way and the middle can go another. The 2 countries can still have a close relationship just like the US and Canada do now. But you won't have people in Washington making laws for people in rural Arizona which is the main problem as I see it.

Either that or give the individual states more rights and have hard state borders to prevent people from transporting guns across state lines.

They have very strict gun laws there and have worked very hard to bring in the illegal ones through amnesties. I can’t help thinking that the constant horrific attacks in the US sparked copycats.

All the arguments for guns torn apart !

There's always been lots of guns in America, but not the current level of mass shootings. So the mere presence of guns isn't causing it.

@Florenz do you think the type of gun readily available has had an inpact on the level of mass shootings ? I find it astounding that automatic handguns are illegal in the States but assault rifles aren't. I know some mass shootings have involved semi-automatic handguns and every gun can be lethal, but most of the, and I hate to say this because every life lost is a tragedy, 'newsworthy' mass shootings have involved assault rifles. Do the people who own these guns, and believe themselves to be sane and law abiding, keep them loaded and leant up against the door just incase of a 'home invasion' or do they keep them locked away with the ammunition seperate ?

It's heartbreaking. Barely any coverage because of the coronation and just because it happens so often. There was another one in April. It's just sickening how Americans don't see the issue here??

Sorry that's unfair it's not all Americans obv. But their right to own a gun comes before everything else. Not to mention Texas has relaxed it's gun laws. So backwards

I saw this heartbreaking video on TikTok about a mum who takes a photo of her son everyday before school so she knows exactly what hes wearing, won't buy him light up shoes so he's not visible if he's hiding. There were other things too. He's 4 years old. It's just so terrible

In the last two days alone, there have been 9 mass shootings in the US, with a total of 22 dead and 54 injured. TWO DAYS!

It's not even newsworthy anymore...which is abhorrent!

But...'thoughts and prayers' will keep being offered, as if this makes up for everyone's losses, and absolves the people who CAN do something to control it, from actually doing so 😢

I do wonder if the only way to solve this issue is by making those who are morally bankrupt enough to support assault rifles being readily available to the public, actually bankrupt ? It could be the class action lawsuit of the century when you consider how many families have become victims of this senseless crime.

While the number of mass shootings has increased, a lot of that can be attributed to the increase in population. The rate of mass shootings is currently the same as it was in the 70s and 80s.

Mass shootings have become a lot more deadly though, which you can probably largely attribute to the availability of assault weapons.

I read that death by guns is the leading cause of death in children in the USA.

A lot of these will be accidents.

It's incomprehensible why there aren't stricter laws on gun ownership.

I'm completely indifferent at this point. I feel for child victims who are completely innocent, that's a given. However, states like texas it's hard to have any sympathy anymore.

I'm afraid this doesn't address the root of the problem and I'd be surprised if it happened in any real capacity at all.

Serbian government is tightly connected to the criminal underworld.
www.serbianmonitor.com/en/new-york-times-serbian-presidents-ties-to-the-criminal-underworld/
The country is ruled by pro-Putin extremists who have cultivated the normalisation of crime and violence. Convicted war criminals host radio shows, murderers and mafiosos take part in reality programs etc. In that environment legally owned guns are only a drop in the ocean. There are massive amounts of illegal guns, in the hands of increasingly radicalised people.

Nothing will change until the loved one of a prominent Republican is killed unfortunately.

Who cares? Americans love to kill, simple as that (unless it's a fetus of course). They won't change, so best just let them blow each other away everytime someone gets upset and not worry too much about it. Fortunately, they're pretty much isolated on their own continent so it doesn't affect too many others.

I’m a Brit living in the States. Last year there was a mass shooting at a supermarket I sometimes went to… utterly terrifying. It actually makes me think twice about going places. That, along with the crazy abortion bans, is making me reconsider wanting to stay here much longer.

When you point out that nobody needs an assault rifle some Americans will say that most deaths are from handguns so why ban them. Despite the fact that AR 15s and similar can inflict such horrific damage and kill so many in a short space of time compared to hand guns.

It boggles the mind.

With all these unwanted children being born, the USA will be a lot more violent in 20 years or so.

No that's MN.

I cannot get my head around the US and the things they find acceptable.

Ages ago I watched a US programme featuring a teenage boy who lived in his van and was attending school and getting good grades, high school not uni.

And the spin was that this was a great thing, his attendance and grades. I was appalled that a child was living alone in a van.