Lessons Learned
OK America, or rather Republicans, it's long past time you sorted your shit out. You have no excuses not to. Fuck your 2nd Amendment rights. Your constitution needs...guess what...amended! You know why? Because it's so outdated it's killing your children. That's not hyperbole, that's fact.
Let me take you back to 1996...28 years ago in my home country of Scotland. I was 20, not much interested in current affairs, politics, or the news in general at that time, but I still remember March 13th, in Dunblane, where one of the deadliest mass shootings in UK history occurred. Thomas Hamilton, a 43-year-old former Scout leader, but was forced out due to concerns about his inappropriate behaviour toward young boys, entered Dunblane Primary School armed with four legally owned handguns and opened fire, killing 16 children (all aged 5 and 6) and their teacher, Gwen Mayor. Hamilton then committed suicide, thereby robbing the world of justice against this disturbed evil prick.
I can still see the picture of his face that was released to the media. That's how vivid a memory I have of what happened back then. The shock of it. I can't remember what I ate yesterday, but I remember this.
Credit: Daily Mirror
The point is this shocked the entire nation with it's sickening cruelty. I absolutely guarantee that the shock, horror, and disgust felt by my nation and across the UK, are the same feelings that most Americans felt at the school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia on September 5th.
Those emotions my country felt in 1996 led to desperate, angry calls for change. It provoked an enormous public outcry. People across the UK demanded stricter gun control laws to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. One of the most notable actions taken by the public was the creation of The Snowdrop Campaign, spearheaded by residents of Dunblane, particularly parents of the victims. It led to a petition which secured well in excess of 700,000 signatures in support of the tightening of legislation covering the storage, certification and ownership of firearms and handguns. (Snowdrop Petition)
As a direct result of the Dunblane massacre and The Snowdrop Petition, the UK government introduced sweeping reforms to its gun control laws. These reforms culminated in two key pieces of legislation:
Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997:
Passed under the Conservative government of John Major.
This law prohibited all private ownership of handguns above .22 calibre.
It also introduced tighter restrictions on the licensing and storage of firearms.
Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997:
Enacted after Labour leader Tony Blair came to power in 1997.
This legislation extended the previous ban to cover .22 calibre handguns, effectively making it illegal to privately own any handguns in the UK, with few exceptions (such as historical displays).
The law mandated the surrender of handguns, which were either destroyed or handed over to the police in exchange for compensation.
The laws are among the strictest firearm regulations in the world. Handguns are now banned for most civilians, with only a small number of exceptions (e.g., for members of gun clubs using specific types of firearms under stringent controls). The UK's policy towards firearms is now characterized by extreme caution, and gun crime rates remain among the lowest in the world. (BBC Scotland Tayside), (The Guardian)
Did you read that Republicans? Let me highlight that part again for you, 'gun crime rates remain among the lowest in the world.'
Want more? How about this:
Since the Dunblane school shooting in 1996 and the subsequent gun law reforms in 1997, there have been no school shootings in the UK. The strict firearm regulations enacted after Dunblane—particularly the Firearms (Amendment) Acts of 1997, which banned private ownership of handguns—are credited with significantly reducing the risk of gun-related incidents, including mass shootings, in schools.
Do you see that? That's how it’s done America, specifically American Republicans, with your head stuck so far up the NRA's arsehole that you can taste every meal their 4 million plus members have.
Scotland, and the UK with all their faults, all their political polarisation, despite the Labour vs Conservative bollocks, 28 years ago experienced one, ONE mass shooting at a school and decided one was one too many. Something had to change, and guess what? Something did change.
I'm not always proud of the UK, now more than ever, but if ever our law makers needed to act to reform something, it was then. And they did.
Let me contrast that with America. The Greatest Country in the World...their words, not mine.
Since 1997, there have been over 1,450 school shootings in the United States, with a significant rise in recent years. In the 2021–2022 school year alone, there were 328 school shootings, marking the highest number recorded.
Mass school shootings (defined as incidents with multiple fatalities) have claimed the lives of 122 children, with 11 mass shootings occurring during this time. The deadliest era for school shootings began after the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, which brought significant public attention to the issue of gun violence in schools, (USA Facts), (Ballotpedia),
Importantly, efforts to improve school safety, such as increased security measures and active shooter drills, have not effectively reduced the occurrence of shootings. In fact, the number of school shootings has increased dramatically in recent years. (AAP.org)
1,450 school shootings. I'm not a maths genius, (that's 'Maths', not 'Math') but by my calculations, that's...hmmm...1,450 school shootings more in the US than the UK.
Again, I'm no maths genius, but this also means that since 122 children have died as a result of the 1,450 more school shootings in the US than the UK, it means that...wait for it...122 children more have died in the US than in the UK since 1997 through school shootings.
I wonder what the difference is. Why is the difference so stark? Why are the numbers so horrifyingly worse in the US? <GASP!> Could it be...maybe...perhaps...just guessing...but could it have a little bit to do with the laws in the US?
Let's make it clearer:
It's pretty fucking obvious, isn't it?
And yet, Republicans in power refuse to do anything to fix this. During speeches after a school shooting, they will often say, "Now is not the time to talk about gun law. It's not the time to discuss politics. It's the time for our thoughts and prayers for the families of the children shot and killed." Yeah? Is that right? Thoughts and prayers didn't stop them being killed. It's not going to help afterwards either.
Like Governor Brian Kemp saying he was “praying for the safety of those in our classrooms.” Thanks Brian. Where are you governor of? Oh...Georgia you say? Well damn! I bet the parents of those children that were murdered by bullets feel fucking magic knowing that you're "praying for the safety of those in our classrooms". Here's a thought, why don't you do something to stop this happening again? Grow a set of balls perhaps. God knows you need them.
What's that Brian? You recently changed gun law in your state? Really? Well fan-fucking-tastic! It's about time a Republican stood up to be counted. I mean, it'll probably only take one of them to show some backbone and the NRA the middle finger to force some nationwide change.
Let me see what you changed. I mean, it doesn't happen often, so it must be ground-breaking...in April 2022 you signed a law allowing residents to carry handguns in public without a license or background check. Tell me more Brian!
Sure Paul, "(This bill) makes sure that law-abiding Georgians, including our daughters and your family too, can protect themselves without having to have permission from your state government,". (CBS News)
I'm so sorry Brian. I didn't realise how much you cared about your citizens. Ahhhh! That must be why it was so easy for the father of the Apalachee High School shooter (a 14-year-old no less) to buy him an AR-15 for his Christmas. Because he didn't need permission from the government to protect himself. Fucking blow me Brian. Who knew you cared so much. You bag of dicks.
It's gone on way too long America. Fucking wake up! I know you have a general feeling of disdain towards the UK on account of you escaping our evil clutches to colonise someone else's land but learn from what happened in Dunblane. One time is too many times. You don't need to go as far as we did if you're afraid of losing votes and funding from gun owners but do "something". Ban the sale of certain types of firearms at least. What average punter needs a fucking AR-15? We're not in the midst of an alien invasion or a zombie infestation. You don't need one of those in your kitchen drawer, "just in case". Piss off.
How about background checks as well? You know if you're a certified nut case you're not allowed to own a gun. You know, just as an example.
I could go on and on about this. However, the point I'm trying to make is that the solution to this problem is really quite simple, if only Republicans would stop being greedy, cowardly, brown-nosing fucks.
I've presented several facts to back this up, but I'll finish with some more.
The United States experiences far more mass school shootings than any other country in the world. From 2000 to 2014, the U.S. accounted for 76% of public mass shootings in 36 major countries, despite having only 33% of their combined population. The frequency of these incidents far surpasses other nations. For example, from 2009 to 2018, there were 288 school shootings in the U.S., while Mexico, the country with the second-highest count, had only 8 shootings during the same period. Other nations, like Canada and Germany, also experience school shootings but at much lower rates.
Countries with stricter gun laws, such as Japan and China, have had significantly fewer mass school shootings. For instance, Japan recorded no mass school shootings between 2000 and 2022, while China had three during the same period. In contrast, countries like France and Finland have experienced occasional mass shootings but at a much lower frequency compared to the U.S. Furthermore, some countries, after experiencing devastating mass shootings, have enacted strict gun control laws, such as Australia and New Zealand, which have since seen reductions in these events.
The higher rates of mass shootings in the U.S. are often attributed to more relaxed firearm laws and the higher prevalence of civilian gun ownership compared to most other countries. This dynamic makes America a global outlier in terms of both the frequency and lethality of mass shootings. (World Population Review, (Politifact), (Rockinst.org)
Your children don't want to go to school for fear of being shot to death. "Greatest Country in the World"? You insult the intelligence of every other nation on Earth when you claim that.