The gun issue in the USA.

It was with considerable frustration that I watched the live broadcast of the latest Town Hall debate on this issue, prompted by yet another mass killing ... and once again the slaughter of none other than children.

I watched and heard politicians, the National Rifle Association representative and other personages wriggle, squirm, obfuscate, lie and confuse the issue in just about every imaginable way.
There is an entrenched culture of trying to "fool all of the people all of the time".

However it is blindingly obvious that Americans, as a whole, are terribly confused about the fundamental driver of the problem they have ... despite the lesson available from what Australia did and the situations in other first world countries. [See image above]

The elephant in the room is the much revered 2nd Amendment that is regarded as sacrosanct and entitling every citizen to a firearm. The fact that this amendment could ONLY have had the right to possessing muskets in mind is completely glossed over and ignored.

The fact that no right can ever be upheld in a way that prejudices other fundamental rights is completely ignored.

There are no rights that are UNLIMITED OR ABSOLUTE.

Example: - Everyone has a fundamental right to own property. However ownership, possession and use of a motor vehicle is strictly controlled because of the potential of enormous harm.
If it is correct that the 2nd Amendment right is absolute why is it that Americans are not allowed on air flights in possession of a gun? They certainly are restricted from possession in any number of places starting with the White House.
As regards flights Trump's answer would be that you arm all the passengers.

All rights are subject to the limitation that they do NOT prejudice other fundamental rights.

The evidence that the reverence in which the 2nd Amendment is held IS virtually demolishing Amendment 5 - Protection of Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property, is simply glossed over ... except as was raised by ONE attendee at the meeting.

Symptomatic of the problem in "American thinking" as regards the issue has been furnished by none other than its prize buffoon, President Donald Trump, who proposed that teachers be armed and that "background checks" be ramped up.

a) The idea that arming teachers is a "solution" borders on lunacy. Teachers are teachers ... NOT soldiers. Even I, as a trained soldier, would have real difficulties saving lives when the School I am at is spontaneously attacked. By the time I would get to the gunman he could well have already killed 15 kids when armed ONLY with a pistol ... and dozens more if armed with an assault weapon. And there would be no guarantee that he would not also kill me.
This proposition by Trump whilst facing affected families virges on the moronic.
When it goes wrong he will say that the kids must all be armed!!!

Currently the possession of pistols is not even being mentioned even though one of these can be used to kill and maim up to 15 humans in as many seconds.

b) "Background checks", even if superbly executed will only provide a snapshot of a moment in time. The human being that presents as a model citizen in that moment in time may well become a raving lunatic at any time thereafter. No "background check" would have prevented that Las Vegas massacre in which 58 people were killed and hundreds injured.

c) So too as regards vetting supposedly mentally disordered people. There is no government on this planet that has ever been able to contain mental disorder. I lost a  brother to gunshot suicide, even though he was under the best treatment for ONLY depression.


These are the type of "solutions" you going to get from someone who dodged military service five times and knows nothing about guns or their use in anger, except that they can be used to kill.

It is obvious that there is a need for a paradigm shift/change in the way Americans, as a whole, perceive the issue of gun possession. 

There will never be complete protection. However as is the case in other countries the possession of a gun needs to be subjected to common sense management. 

For a start, possession needs to be licensed in terms of a regime that ensures responsible restricted possession, training and checking thereafter.

The problem will never be completely disposed of, but it will have been greatly reduced.

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This image sets out the reality with the telling simplicity of truth.