The USA is facing a serious gun problem. For every 100 people there are 90 guns.
The people of the US are split in their views on gun control. With President Trump promising to keep the right to “bear arms” people fear for themselves and their families. It is becoming easier for people to get their hands on a gun and therefore crime in the US is becoming more lethal.
This year alone there have been around 18 school shootings in the US. This is including guns being fired without causing injury and guns being shot and causing injuries or fatalities.
In the USA people want tougher gun control. People are beginning to fear for their family’s safety as something as simple as going to school can be dangerous. For example, on the 14th of December 2012, 20 children between the ages of 6 and 7 as well as 6 adult staff member were fatally shot at the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. There were only 2 non-fatal injuries.
Most recently on the 14th of February 2018 in Parkland Florida 17 people were shot and killed by a gunman who walked in to the high school freely. More than 20 people were injured. The victims were pupils and teachers ranging in age from 14- 49.
Survivors are fighting for tougher gun control after they lost their friends and teachers yet President Trump is refusing to listen.
UK and Gun Violence On the 13th of March 1996 in Dunblane, Scotland a 44 year old man called Thomas Hamilton broke in to the town’s primary school and started shooting a class of 5 year olds and the teacher. Hamilton had previously been accused of showing paedophilic behaviour but this had amounted to nothing. His neighbours said that his podgy face and insinuating voice had made their flesh crawl. Including himself Hamilton killed 18 people, 16 being children. Tennis star Andy Murray was in the school when the gunman entered. Luckily Murray’s teacher took them in to a nearby room and there they were kept safe. After this shooting the UK tightened gun control and there hasn’t been another school shooting since. The UK had one school shooting and did everything they could to prevent it happening again whereas the US has had on average 1 school shooting per week this year and instead of doing something about it President Trump has said that they should arm teachers. The UK will never understand the gun culture in the US but it shouldn’t take thousands of people dying or being injured to think about making stricter gun laws.
