Naval base shootings in Washington.

According to the latest reports at least ten people have been killed as well as the lone gunman. On the TV tonight there were cops everywhere armed to the back teeth. It's like watching something out of a Hollywood movie for Christ sake.

What is it with the Yanks and their obsession with guns? In Europe if we have an argument we settle it over a few beers and other than a bad head the next day, everyone moves on. In America they seem to prefer guns to settle arguments.

It really is time that the NRA took a really good look at themselves and questioned why it is that so many innocent lives are lost on a regular basis simply because of a piece of antiquated legislation that states that everyone has the right to bear arms.

We can go to bed tonight bemoaning the current state of the Wanderers squad but over the pond there are ten families whose lives have been ruined forever.

Remind me again why America are described as the Sheriff of the World?

Everytime some nutter goes off on one with a gun in the states all you get from the men in charge is ''we may have to review our gun laws''. Nothing ever happens and I can't see this horrible event will make things any different.

The Americans need to follow the example of Switzerland who adopted a WMD policy. In Switzerland they invented the WMD ( Weapon of Minimum Destruction ).

They called it the Swiss Army Knife. It's a brilliant piece of kit and is totally incapable of killing umpteen people on a college campus.

Give this tool to the NRA and sell it on a mass production level throughout all the American states in exchange for firearms and the death toll will diminish substantially. They still have the right to bear arms but they will only be exceedingly small arms.

PS. Don't try and fly out of the UK whilst carrying a SAK. The buggers will seize it and accuse you of being a terrorist.

One of the biggest arguments the pro gun lobby produces is, 'if there were more people with guns present somebody could have stopped them.' ie arm all the teachers at schools. Unbelievably this is considered a serious argument in America, but the fact that this one has happened at a Navy yard, where I'd imagine there were plenty of armed personnel puts a real dent in that.

To be honest I think it's too late for them to ban guns, but I'd be interested to know if it was an assault rifle used. At least if banning them would definitely be a start.

bwfc1874 wrote:One of the biggest arguments the pro gun lobby produces is, 'if there were more people with guns present somebody could have stopped them.' ie arm all the teachers at schools. Unbelievably this is considered a serious argument in America, but the fact that this one has happened at a Navy yard, where I'd imagine there were plenty of armed personnel puts a real dent in that.

To be honest I think it's too late for them to ban guns, but I'd be interested to know if it was an assault rifle used. At least if banning them would definitely be a start.

Good point. In the UK it only needed two tragic incidents to totally reform gun laws. Hungerford and Dunblane were two tragedies too many.

It's a young and dumb country as Bill Maher would say and he's right.