(Untitled)

[mijopo]

I know that there's much consensus that the tragedy in Connecticut demonstrates the need for stricter gun control. But I'd like to know more about why people think this. Are people suggesting a full out ban on weapons? It sounds like the guns this dope used were purchased by his mother. Secondly, it seems he had no criminal record, so how exactly

Comments

[sourdick]

Canada absolutely has had school shootings.. but no where near the frequency. If you want to point to Concordia, or the Polytechnique as examples, they're decades ago. The most recent one that gained traction in the press was at Dawson and that was in 2006.

I can't even keep track of how often multiple fatalities occur in public shootings in the United States.

[mijopo]

Dick, I've missed you, man!

Here's a timeline of school shootings from the CBC, including the Edmonton Hub mall shooting seems like a miscategorization to me. But there are a lot of Cdn/ shootings on the list, though, far more than 10% of the US figure, although you're right that most were some time ago. Regardless, if gun laws were the main culprit here we'd expect Canada to have at least a smaller proportion than 10%.

Anyway, as I said, I think gun laws in the US are ridiculous, I just don't see clear evidence that tightening them would solve the school shooting problem, although I think it's likely they would bring down the murder rate.

[sourdick]

I think you forgot a link?

[mijopo]

Oops, sorry: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2008/09/23/f-school-shootings.html

[sourdick]

Relevant: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/

[mijopo]

That is relevant, thanks. I also just found this which is relevant to the general question of guns and the link to violent deaths: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/02/did-gun-control-work-in-australia/