US Gun Culture and Global Views of Connecticut Shooting

By ⋅ December 17, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
Flowers, candles and stuffed animals are seen at a makeshift memorial in Newtown, CT. (Photo: REUTERS/Eric Thayer)

Flowers, candles and stuffed animals are seen at a makeshift memorial in Newtown, CT. (Photo: REUTERS/Eric Thayer)

The first funerals were held Monday in Newtown, Connecticut. Two of the youngest victims of Friday’s horrific school shooting — both 6-year-old boys — were laid to rest.

Police continue to comb through the crime scene at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance said today that the investigation will be thorough — and long.

“We know as investigators that the people of Connecticut, the people of this town of Newtown, want to know what happened. We’re going to do that. We’re going to provide them any information and all information. We’ll paint a crystal clear picture as much as we possible can,” Vance said.

Vance also told reporters that some of the details about what happened remain “too difficult to discuss.”

What many around the globe are discussing following Friday’s shooting in Newtown is America’s gun culture.

David Hemenway is at the Harvard School of Public Health.

He’s done a lot of research about gun ownership and violence around the globe — and on how the US compares with other industrialized nations.

Discussion

3 comments for “US Gun Culture and Global Views of Connecticut Shooting”

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/CQZ6ANERVFWG2LQ7ODQL5XWO5E Des

    If only Axes had been illegal Lizzie Borden’s parents would not have been murdered.  If only Box cutters had been illegal the 911 hijackers would never had succeeded.  If only Ammonium Nitrate had been illegal Timothy McVeigh would not have killed anyone.

    While I personally don’t see the need for anyone to own an assault rifle capable of shooting 30 rounds of ammo I am also not naive enough to believe that banning these, or all, guns would stop mass murderers.  We need to get some stones as a country and examine ALL the issues that lead to this behavior. Lack of parental control or discipline.  Moral relativism being the mantra taught in our schools.  Over medication of our youth for questionable disorders…..etc., etc , etc.

  • http://www.facebook.com/novadust David Nova

    why don’t you post links to david hemenway’s data so we can verify what he says for ourselves? there’s nothing like a set of bar graphs comparing countries to show which variables are or are not relevant.

  • http://www.facebook.com/novadust David Nova