The Massacre in Las Vegas

When I first heard the news of the massacre at Las Vegas, I screamed out – “You idiots, ban automatic rifles!” This was also the visceral reaction on the international news outlets – but not in the USA. It was instead, “thoughts and prayers for the victims” and “this is not the time to raise political issues”. A great silence descended on the issue of gun control, at precisely the time when this issue should have been raised to the fore.

US Politics: America and guns

This is about the strange phenomenon of gun laws and usage in the United States. As I see it they are trapped by their own history and traditions. In fact, we are all to some extent trapped by the past of our particular group or nation. The USA story goes something like this.