On Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:37:40 -0800 (PST), wrote:



Thank you, Don, for your courteous reply. I think I have figured it
out, - for whatever reasons, you Americans have a country thats awash
with firearms, and so there are going to be incidents that would
probably horrify you people as much as they do me.

You sound like the media you've been reading or watching!

Stats do indicate that there are a lot of guns in the U.S., but "awash
with firearms"? If we are so awash, why have I never in my 65 years
seen one outside of military service, a store, range, worn by a law
enforcement officer or guard or in the hands of hunters or
responsible shooters?

Your "awash" declaimers seem to overlook the fact that many if not
most of these are long guns used for hunting and sport shooting. Deer
hunting, bird hunting (ducks, upland game birds) and sporting clays
are all very popular activities. In some states the opening day of
deer season is a very big deal. These guns are not used in massacres
or in the commission of crimes. They spend much of their time in
closets and safes.

Other countries also have a high percentage of gun ownership:
Switzerland and Finland to name two. Far more guns, handguns in
particular, are manufactured outside of the U.S. than are made here.

Nuts and psychos do appear now and then. Some use guns, others use
bombs, fire, etc. The incidence of nuts has nothing to do with
availability of guns or anything else -- except perhaps drugs. Some
do what they do to "make a statement", and nothing gets media
attention quite like a shootup. Guns are trivialized to those who
don't know any better by prime time TV programming, and then demonized
an hour later in the news report. "Extreme combat" computer games are
very popular with those who'd cross the street rather than pass a
recruiting office.

The first amendment protects freedom of speech to conduct such
irresponsible sensationalism for profit. We need the second amendment
to protect ourselves from the few who actually believe all that crap!