Evil

We have learnt this evening that, yet again, a young adult has lost his grip on reality and after killing his brother, drove 80 miles to Connecticut and opened fire at a preparatory school. The death toll includes some 20 children.

The rest of the world look towards America in confusion and contempt that they have not had the moral fibre to address the problem of gun ownership. The American gun lobby trots out trite sound bites "Guns don't kill people, people kill people", and they cling like moral mariners to the mast of a sinking ship to their Second Amendment to the Constitution.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Well this is clearly a very different definition to that used by the gun lobby. Here we see that people can bear arms as participants in a well regulated militia. That implies that if you are part of, say, the National Guard, then you have a right to bear arms. This also makes no mention of your right to keep those arms in your own home; as part of the Militia, they could be kept safely at a Militia headquarters.

So, given that most people bear arms under false pretences in the USA (i.e. not as part of a well regulated Militia) - what can be done? Well to start with you need to take the debate of party politics; this is a moral debate at the heart of American society: A gun is weapon designed to kill people; an assault weapon is designed to more kill people more efficiently. Why, in a civilised society, should any citizen need the means to kill somebody?

The self-defence, or deterrent response comes in at this point. In crime-ridden cities, there can be some sympathy for this argument - but even here in the UK, where only criminals have guns, there are only about 50 deaths per year - this in stark contrast to the 8,700 gun homicides and over 20,000 accidental gun deaths each year. If a terrorist organisation killed 20-30,000 Americans each year - there would be outcry, outrage, and a country-wide call for the Government to "do something". Yet, terrorists can sit back and watch this fine Nation do more damage to themselves than they could ever achieve. Oh, and by the way - before you tell us that the USA is much bigger than the UK - yes it is, in area, but is only four times the population.

Step 1: Private ownership of assault weapons is unnecessary - make it illegal and purchase the weapons back from private owners for use by the Military; give a 9 month amnesty, after that prosecute.

Step 2: Shotguns - treat as assault weapons

Step 3: Handguns - cannot be carried in public; limited magazine size (to force people to reload); must be licensed and license renewed annually.

Ok, the Gorse Fox has got that sorted... now just go and implement it.