BBC News Online has become, since starting my journalism course, part of a daily routine.
When a day goes by and I haven't actually been on the website, I feel deprived of the instant news that it provides.
Bit sad really, but it is the best way to keep updated on both local and international news.
There is always a story that saddens or surprises me but like most people, I read it and then click to see the next one.
If you go to the link below, you can take a look at one of the headlines in the Americas today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7810192.stm
The reason it really caught my eye is because I have previously blogged on the issue of gun ownership in the US and am very certain of my views on this issue.
The story above briefly is that a 12-year-old boy in the state of Arizona shot and murdered his own mother, because she had asked him to do some household chores.
He had got the pistol from a bedroom cupboard and shot his mother eight times; it turns out that his mothers live-in boyfriend had taught the boy how to use a gun in self-defence.
A number of questions arise from this story.
Why did a 12-year-old need to know how to use a weapon? Why was there need for a weapon in the family home? Is there not a serious issue of concern when children are using guns to kill their own parents?
All I can say is roll on the Obama presidency...
Showing posts with label Gun control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gun control. Show all posts
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Increased gun control is urgent
Following the deaths of Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson's' mother, brother and nephew, I can't seem to wonder whether it's just me who's been thinking about this huge issue of gun crime in the States.
Of course rare incidents like these happen worldwide and often cannot be stopped but it seems to me that this has become far too common in American society.
A string of shootings have taken place over the last few years, but Hudson's case is one of the most recent and was most covered in the media.
Prior to this I believe it was the Virginia Tech shooting that received huge speculation worldwide and caused concern for parents and students in the U.S. for their safety.
When Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people at Virginia Tech using two semi-automatic handguns, the first thought that came to me was how did this person get access to these weapons.
It turned out that he was sold them at a local store on two separate occasions. The law in Virginia states that those with mental illnesses are prohibited from buying guns.
Pro-guns activists argued that if the other university students had been allowed weapons on campus, they would have been able to protect themselves and others from the killer.
As a student myself, I can comfortably say that I would feel much safer on campus knowing that nobody had been able to buy weapons legally rather than knowing that everyone around me had them.
These pro-guns Americans are living in the past and need to realise that the need for carrying a weapon is not a fair argument anymore. With students, families and young children being killed far too often, this should be enough to make them realise that something needs to be done.
We will find out in around ten hours who will become 44th President of the United States. Those in favour of gun-control can be confident that Obama will tackle this issue without sitting on the fence.
He attended the memorial service last week for Jennifer Hudson's family, who had supported him throughout his campaign. Let's hope the Americans make the right decision because at this moment in time, tightening gun laws will be one of his priorities.
Of course rare incidents like these happen worldwide and often cannot be stopped but it seems to me that this has become far too common in American society.
A string of shootings have taken place over the last few years, but Hudson's case is one of the most recent and was most covered in the media.
Prior to this I believe it was the Virginia Tech shooting that received huge speculation worldwide and caused concern for parents and students in the U.S. for their safety.
When Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people at Virginia Tech using two semi-automatic handguns, the first thought that came to me was how did this person get access to these weapons.
It turned out that he was sold them at a local store on two separate occasions. The law in Virginia states that those with mental illnesses are prohibited from buying guns.
Pro-guns activists argued that if the other university students had been allowed weapons on campus, they would have been able to protect themselves and others from the killer.
As a student myself, I can comfortably say that I would feel much safer on campus knowing that nobody had been able to buy weapons legally rather than knowing that everyone around me had them.
These pro-guns Americans are living in the past and need to realise that the need for carrying a weapon is not a fair argument anymore. With students, families and young children being killed far too often, this should be enough to make them realise that something needs to be done.
We will find out in around ten hours who will become 44th President of the United States. Those in favour of gun-control can be confident that Obama will tackle this issue without sitting on the fence.
He attended the memorial service last week for Jennifer Hudson's family, who had supported him throughout his campaign. Let's hope the Americans make the right decision because at this moment in time, tightening gun laws will be one of his priorities.
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