I was visiting our Denver office from the UK when news of the school shooting at Newtown reached us. I was shocked by the reaction of my American co-workers. “That’s terrible, but it happens…” seemed to be the overall opinion. I explained that hand guns were banned in the UK after the Dunblane massacre and asked if they thought this terrible inciddent would change anything. “It’s a shame, but no it won’t change anything”.
There seemed to be a general feeling that shootings likes this, while terrible, are an unfortunate consequence of an essential element of their society.
I have many American friends and we see eye to eye on so many issues but I simply cannot understand this mentality towards their fundamental want/need for firearms.