There is a clear correlation between level of gun ownership and the number of deaths. What will it take for the US to learn this?People standing outside Robb elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, 25 May 2022.People standing outside Robb elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, 25 May 2022.Last modified on Thu 26 May 2022 11.08 BSTnce again, news from the US has provided a shocking reminder of the pain and devastation of losing a loved one in a shooting.
After Dunblane, it was recognised by many in Britain, including the families of the victims, that the most significant factor in the tragedy had been the ease with which the perpetrator had accessed guns, in his case high-powered handguns. At the time, UK legislation allowed him to own these legally. The Dunblane families and others campaigned to have handguns banned and we didn’t allow ourselves to be distracted by those who said gun ownership was not the issue.
It should go without saying that no matter what other factors are involved, the only one common to all mass shootings is that the person responsible had a gun. Thanks to massive public support, which was channelled through the Dunblane families, other campaigners, the media and a significant number of politicians, the successive Conservative and Labour governments passed legislation in 1997 and introduced a ban on the private ownership of handguns.
At the time, many suggested we only campaigned as a way to deal with our loss, though it never felt cathartic back then. But we knew our voices would be heard because of what had happened to our children, and for me there was a responsibility to do whatever we could. I remain extremely proud of being part of something that achieved so much and made life safer for others.
The British experience proves that gun control does work, but this is a lesson Americans seem reluctant to learn. Whenever, in the years immediately after Dunblane, I was asked to comment about US school shootings, which were happening with increasing frequency, I naively expressed the opinion that as soon as Americans realised what had been achieved after our own school shooting there would be a rush to adopt similar measures. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and withThe figures are shocking.
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