12 people dead, 25 injured in england after shooting rampage

[alienlovechild 75]

Rampage shootings make the national news in the UK - because in a small country they are infrequent enough to be shocking (this is the first incident of this nature that I've heard of since Dunblane in '95).

Sadly, this is not the case in the US.

Wrong. Anytime a single shooter kills 12 and injures 25, it's going to be a national news story in the U.S.

The difference between the U.S. and UK is it would more quickly forgotten or filed under similiar stories in the U.S. by the next horrific shooting a few weeks or months later. The fact you still remember Dunblane is the case in point.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Wrong. Anytime a single shooter kills 12 and injures 25, it's going to be a national news story in the U.S.

The difference between the U.S. and UK is it would more quickly forgotten or filed under similiar stories in the U.S. by the next horrific shooting a few weeks or months later. The fact you still remember Dunblane is the case in point.

So why is it more common in the US?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Inappropriate responses, baiting comments - and responses or posts quoting removed comments - have been removed. Acceptable parts of the removed comments are returned below. Please remember, everyone, this is a horrible tragedy and not a means by which to try and score brownie points on the pros and cons of gun control.

It's a MadHouse: I don't think anyone has ever said that this never happens in the UK, but it does happen a *lot* less than it does in the US. You can ponder on that, or not as you like.

Besides, there's something rather dirty about jumping on a fresh story like this, where people have obviously died and been put through a horrific situation and trying to turn it into some sort of flamefuckfest. Quite shameful really.

Madame Cleo: There is always some kind of explanation however irrational it appears to the outsider - nothing will bring these poor souls back though.

Gemmie: I know, it's tragic. I feel awful for the families, and also the poor witnesses.

And I agree with your sentiments about gun control. No one is going to claim anything because of this story because it's so rare. My husband tries to pull the "gun shootings in America happen because of illegal means of gaining firearms"; if that's true, then why is there a report of a shooting every other day? Why has there been so many stories of accidental deaths of children, school shootings, etc? Gun control means that there are less firearms floating around to get hold of.

And the "well the UK has more knife crime" card doesn't work either. You can't ban knives. Plus they're a lot less likely to cause death than guns.

[Gemmie 142]

Wrong. Anytime a single shooter kills 12 and injures 25, it's going to be a national news story in the U.S.

Yeah, it technically makes the news, and then it gets blown over because it happens a lot more in the US.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Yeah, it technically makes the news, and then it gets blown over because it happens a lot more in the US.

Yet it's a relatively small number compared to our population. It's all about sensationalism.

FYI, more people die in railway accidents than these 'mass' shootings annually.

(Hey Mods, go delete posts elswhere.... this ain't baiting)

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I'm not trying to stoke the gun control fire, but in my life I've heard one gun shot that killed someone....ironically it was in Britain.

[ziia 9]

This kind of thing happends in the city of Chicago almost every Hollyday weekend in the summer time. It's very tragic but stuff like that would be easily avoided if people would be legally allowed to carry concealed weapons, of course after a criminal and background check is completed. This way, if a nut case goes on a shooting rampage there will be four others around to stop him. I don't get why people are so afraid of guns...guns don't hurt people it's crazys(people) who hurt people. Just my 2 cents

Edited June 2, 2010 by ziia

[Sock Puppet 14]

Yet it's a relatively small number compared to our population. It's all about sensationalism.

FYI, more people die in railway accidents than these 'mass' shootings annually.

(Hey Mods, go delete posts elswhere.... this ain't baiting)

That's a very misleading statistic. That is like saying more people die while jogging than people who die from lung cancer while smoking a cigarette and flying an airplane. I think the appropriate statistic to quote is the overall total of people killed by gunshot wounds.

[Gemmie 142]

This kind of thing happends in the city of Chicago almost every Hollyday weekend in the summer time. It's very tragic but stuff like that would be easily avoided if people would be legally allowed to carry concealed weapons, of course after a criminal and background check is completed. This way, if a nut case goes on a shooting rampage there will be four others around to stop him. I don't get why people are so afraid of guns...guns don't hurt people it's people who hurt people. Just my 2 cents

You seem to be contradicting yourself. How can you say that you believe people should be allowed to carry guns after the appropriate checks after casually stating that shootings happen all the time in Chicago? Doesn't that seem kind of backwards to you?

People AREN'T afraid of guns themselves, it IS the people carrying them. Everyone having guns 'just in case someone goes nuts' is the problem. You never know who is going to go nuts. You never know what someone is capable of by simply giving them a background check.

If you did a criminal background check on me right now, you'd find nothing. Give me a psychological test, and I would come back sound. But no one can guarantee that I won't hit a moment in life where I either develop some kind of psychosis or just decide that problems aren't worth it anymore and I'll take everyone down with me.

ETA: Obviously America has a bigger population, but statistics are in relation to percentages. And a much higher percentage of Americans are exposed to these shootings than Britons.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Gemmie

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

That's a very misleading statistic. That is like saying more people die while jogging than people who die from lung cancer while smoking a cigarette and flying an airplane. I think the appropriate statistic to quote is the overall total of people killed by gunshot wounds.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

You seem to be contradicting yourself. How can you say that you believe people should be allowed to carry guns after the appropriate checks after casually stating that shootings happen all the time in Chicago? Doesn't that seem kind of backwards to you?

People AREN'T afraid of guns themselves, it IS the people carrying them. Everyone having guns 'just in case someone goes nuts' is the problem. You never know who is going to go nuts. You never know what someone is capable of by simply giving them a background check.

If you did a criminal background check on me right now, you'd find nothing. Give me a psychological test, and I would come back sound. But no one can guarantee that I won't hit a moment in life where I either develop some kind of psychosis or just decide that problems aren't worth it anymore and I'll take everyone down with me.

ETA: Obviously America has a bigger population, but statistics are in relation to percentages. And a much higher percentage of Americans are exposed to these shootings than Britons.

What are you talking about? I used to get shot at in Bath all the time! (j/k)

[Gemmie 142]

What are you talking about? I used to get shot at in Bath all the time! (j/k)

I know, all of those grannies are just viscous.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I know, all of those grannies are just viscous.

Good pwnedge.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

That's a very misleading statistic. That is like saying more people die while jogging than people who die from lung cancer while smoking a cigarette and flying an airplane. I think the appropriate statistic to quote is the overall total of people killed by gunshot wounds.

Your logic is confusing. If I understnd you correctly people with lung cancer are smoking and flying airplanes at the same time? Are they having surgery for lung cancer while they are flying the plane? To cite deaths by handguns without further explanation is dissembling, nothing more, nothing less. The point is that there was a tragedy, that is the point of this story.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I know, all of those grannies are just viscous.

You know those little carts they pull on their way to Waitrose? Yep filled to the brim with ammo!