School massacre should be a watershed – but it won’t

World of Politics with Harry McGee

Uvalde in Texas will go down in history along with Sandy Hook and Columbine as yet another inglorious location where shooters carrying weapons – normally only used in wars – butchered dozens of children.

The Texas massacre saw 19 children and two adults killed by a lone gunman, an 18-year-old man, Salvador Ramos, went on a shooting spree with an assault rifle.

The first thing I would say is I’m glad I don’t live in America.

It wasn’t just that events like this happen. It’s the indifference to them, the shrug of the shoulders from such a big portion of the population.

Why are so many Americans obsessed with gun ownership? Why are they blind to massacres like this? The images were heart-breaking? The problem so obviously reflects on the ready availability of powerful guns, everywhere. Texas has prided itself on its lax gun control laws. Ramos had no difficulty buying guns or ammunition – no questions asked.

Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, was booed when he arrived at Uvalde on Sunday. He was heckled that he had done little to protect the children of this Texan town.

Abbott has promised a change in the laws but like other Republicans he has couched his arguments in terms of school security and mental health. He has resisted any change to tighten gun controls.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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