Group B S02 W06 - U.S. Guns

Read this article and give your thoughts about this and possible solutions:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43149694

Hey everyone.

I've been following the news since the shooting happened to see its development. My impression is that of course there is a gun control problem, but there also another think going on there.

First of all, since 1791 the US constitution allow citizens to have guns to protect themselves. Almost 40% of the population declare to have a gun or live with someone who has a gun. So in my opinion, it's very hard to change that gun culture and forbid weapon carrying.

But, as it seems to me that the law fails the security of citizens by allowing the purchase of any kind of guns. The same kind they take to wars, automatically ones, with technology to long distance precision and so on. Let's be honest, nobody needs semi-automatic weapons to defend yourself.

So, I don't think the solution is to put more guns in schools. For me, it looks even more dangerous, since each classroom will have a gun, and so, the access is much easier for someone who has bad intentions. For me, one of the solutions is to restrict the access to the school. How an expelled student from 3 years ago had so easy access to the school? Maybe it's time to think about ways to prevent the entrance from outsiders in the school, like badges, or chip cards, or finger prints and armed securities at the entrance. It's not 100% guaranteed, but at least they can be more effective than nothing.

And the second thing, my impression is that these shootings are kind of a symptom of something bigger. Why these kids get so angry about the schools they went? I know they have some psychological problems, but there are people with psychological problems all over the world and we don't see it happen like this. Maybe there's something to do about the way problematic students are treated. Maybe if they get the help they needed instead of being reject we would see less of this happening. I'm not sure, but maybe it's something to think about.

"NRA chief criticises 'politicisation' of Florida school shooting"

When I read this in the news, I was like "wait, what ?". This is a tragedy, and the NRA dares to say something like this when people are in the streets against weapons, against violence, and to commemorate the deads...

I agree with Mayra, the problem of guns in the USA is deep. But it has to change, and it mays be the beginning of something. More than before, lots of people are publicly calling to boycott weapons, to boycott NRA and to install a gun control in the country. #Neveragain, famous people, and people who destroy their weapons in video on FB or YouTube.

I think it's hard for us, in Europe, to really understand the second USA's constitution amendment. We don't have this culture, we don't know this culture. The only thing we know is that the USA have a big problem with it. They have the hightest "death by guns" rate of the OECD, and this for decades...



Mr.Trump is blind on many subjects, but this one particularly, due to the influence of the powerful NRA lobby. He wants to arm teachers ... and then who? Coachs, cafeteria's workers, cleaners ... students? He doesn't understand that more weapons is equal to more deaths by guns each year per inhabitant...

Something is going wrong in this country, with guns and people. I read somewhere, it was a scientific magazine (maybe Sciences & Vie), that to have guns in hands gives a sort of "power's sensation", the power to take life, a strong feeling hard to control, a dangerous excitation... And this was this sensation which could be responsible of civilian's assaults, because instead of militarian people, or policemen, people who trained themselves to have a gun, a standard person doesn't know how to control this feeling, he doesn't know "what to do", even if it seems quite logical to not shoot at someone, and then the drama comes...

We don't have our word to say, this not our culture nor our country, but damn ... I prefer Norway, Donald, really.

Hi !

This debate has been here for decades and this is not because there was another school shooting that the things will change. Mister Obama (aka the best president of the history for some people) had spoken about this subject few years ago with the will of change the state of mind of the people but the problem is still here.
The power of lobbies is present in many field. For example the pharmaceutical lobby. I think it's one of the worst of them because they do their business on the backs of the people. Some people talk about the "disease mongering". They claim that the pharma industry create "new" disease to launch their new products. If you have time to read this article ( https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-larry-dossey/big-pharma-health-care-cr_b_613311.html ). I don't know if it's true, but I would not be suprised (money money money !).
For the gun lobby, it's the same thing, they want to create fear. With fear, their profits will grow up. When I look the "pros" to have a gun for the people who agree with the lobby, it's a little ridiculous....
But it's like that, money is the sinews of war.

I agree with all of you, gun control is a major issue for the US and even if the American people are really attached to their right to own a gun, that does not mean it is necessarily fair. To be honest, as Jeremy said, as a European citizen, i find it very hard to understand why the people in America insists that much on defending the right to own a gun while other people are loosing their children in mass shootings. It reminds me an amazing documentary about this topic which is called Bowling for Columbine, I advise you all to watch it because it perfectly sums up the situation in the US.

I wouldn't be able to give a perfect solution for this issue, I think America is divided and that even if as Clement said, measures have to be taken very quickly to prevent this kind of event to happen again, I agree with Jeremy, it will take a very long time a lots of new debates before we can hopefully see a small change.

But regarding Trump's "solution" aiming to give guns to teachers and to teach them how to use them well to protect their school, I think I've never heard such a stupid thing. Just as Mayra said, it would only make gun more accessible in schools and it wouldn't solve anything.

Arming teachers at schools with guns has no use but only increasing the panic of both students and teachers. 
If America, really wants to ban the use of deadly weapons in the society, they should firstly educate the children in school whom in their early agies, not using even not approving the use of guns. According to the NRA, there's always a magical logic who confuses many Americans, said:"Guns don't kill people, people kill people." But if guns don't kill people why not allowing the people to buy the nuclear weapon? why not the free exchange of the extremly toxic drugs? Imagine if the murder in this accident takes a knife, or even a brick if the the American law really bans the use of guns? How many victims is it supposed? Under 10?5?1?Or nobody dies except only a few injured? 
For completely solving the problem, banning guns are the single solution, otherwise, the incident will go on and it happens just as many as the French complains.

When I saw this on MSN.COM, I couldn't believe it.
The position of Mr Rubio is based on the fact that having weapons instead of banning them was mainstream. I totally agree, but not in hands of civilians. Trump should declare the police state instead...an other extremist idea but quite more ethical.

The protests are the voice of people. And concerning weapons a vast majority of 69% will be enough, I hope, to cancel this project.

The debate about the guns in the U.S isn't new. It's been years that our countries which are anti-gun are yelling about the situation in the United States. The fact is, we don't share there thinking about guns. We only see the side effects of having guns at "anyone" belt. In fact, American people think the opposite and only see the good point of having guns, they are for most pro-guns activist. If we are truly attached to our need of freedom, they have, i believe, the same attachment to the guns. That's probably why, even with the resent shootings in the U.S and the increase in casualties related by guns, Trump decided to respond to guns with more guns !

Hi!
As Elsa said it is difficult to understand how much American people are attached to their guns. Indeed, in Europe we can live quietly without owning a gun. I think there is a big problem in the US with guns. Here we can play with plastic guns when we are younger but we can't have one later to play with. There, they can play with it when they are child and buy a real one really early. So they can play with a real gun and act in a silly way as we see sometimes.

Hi everyone! 
I totally agree with what you said. I find the idea of Trump really very very strange to want to arm the professors. I do not see what that will bring to leave fear… I do not see how they can manage the problem of the wearing of weapon whereas certain states are for and others against... Certain people who have a weapon think that there is no problem since the weapon is between the hands of a quite disposed person.Admittedly, but it happened that these weapons are taken by a person of their family which was badly disposed and committed crimes… To have aweapon thus remains extremely dangerous and need huge precautions.

Hi,
First, I totally agree with Mayra, "since 1791 the US constitution allow citizens to have guns to protect themselves. Almost 40% of the population declare to have a gun or live with someone who has a gun". Ya, I think, it's very very difficult to change this "america gun culture", in United States, it's usual to have a gun, it's so inconceivable in France (and in Spain to !!!). Gun is like their "ROOTS" or lifestyle....like Clement and Elsa said, we can't understand that in Europe....

Like Mayra said, all this events (gun at school) reveal something bigger, kids are so badly, that bring gun at scholl ? It's very important to understand why kids do that ? A few year ago, I saw a american drama film by Gus Van Sant "Elephant, 2003, based in part on the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. We saw young american student, lost, alone, armed, without help or marker. It made me very sad.....so frightening...What is the US' futur ?

Like Clement said, ok, Trump want to arm teacher and next who ???? Student ?????
In fact, " that to have guns in hands gives a sort of "power's sensation", the power to take life, a strong feeling hard to control, a dangerous excitation", when I was in Louisiana to visit my sister during summer, she told me a terrible story which took place in her street !!!!!
A kids (black kids and 9 years old), played next to a big big car (belong to a white man). This white man shout him (and kill him) because I though that this little boy (9 years old) is going to steal his car !!!! We can imagine that in Europe....This only thing that this white man said it's "I have to protect my car". It's morbid power, possession, wilpower...the wish to show who the stronger...

And now, School is like the street, The stronger is the first who shot ?

Hi,
This article was very interesting and draw my attention.
Today I speak with an american native person about it because she is in my work group in communication (She came from North California). I said her that in Europe it's was inconceivable....(I think about pet clone article, in France this seems so inconceivable too....)
First, she said me that gun is "in" the american culture, but the main problem is that in United States, there is no "one" country but "several" states.... And each states has its own law. It's the main problem in US because if a person want a gun, he can go to an other state where it's legal......
She said it could be create law for all the country but Trump doesn't help it too....

The third person in the conversation was an Mexican native person. She said that in Mexico (not just in Europe) it was inconceivable to have a gun at home. She was surprise because she said that Mexico was so close to US, and people don't have the same way of thinking at all that american people. In this way is not just in Europe that "gun not to be into a culture"...

An american and an mexican visions could be interest you.....
I know other american student, I will discuss about this....