Letters

Deadly pattern of school shootings in US

Easy access to guns

Fri May 27 2022 - 00:10

Sir, – The Texas governor claims the repeated carnage is down to mental health issues and not easy access to guns (News, May 26th).

Every country has people with mental health issues but few allow their residents, healthy or otherwise, almost unlimited access to semi-automatic weapons.

The fact that the United States does so is the immediate cause of the almost daily slaughter of the innocent.

Under the laws of Texas over which the governor presides, the most recent killer was in a position legally to buy guns once he turned 18 a few weeks ago but would have had to wait until his 21st birthday to purchase or consume alcohol legally. – Yours, etc,

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PAT O’BRIEN,

Rathmines,

Dublin 6.

Sir, – The view of the Texas attorney general that “having teachers and other administrators who have gone through training and who are armed” would save lives is unfathomable. When in God’s name will the United States enact legislation to curb gun violence?

Arming teachers and other school staff is not the answer! – Yours, etc,

TADHG McCARTHY,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.

Sir, – Opponents of gun control argue “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”.

It is people with guns who kill people. – Yours, etc,

PAULA MOLLOY,

Baldoyle,

Dublin 13.

Sir, – There is something inherently wrong in America when an 18-year-old can buy two automatic rifles and ammunition and then walk into a school full of children and wreak absolute mayhem among defenceless children and teachers.

This only comes days after the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, that claimed the lives of 10 innocent people.

So far this year there have been 27 school shootings in the US alone that have cost the lives of 25 innocent people.

Since 2018, there have been 119 school shootings with over 200 mass shootings.

No lessons have been learned since Sandy Hook. Those children and young people all died in vain because of the gun culture and the right to ownership in America, supported by the NRA, gun lobbies, manufacturers and legislators.

Those legislators, primarily Republicans, have let the citizens down and may well pay the price for their lack of action.

Sadly nothing will change and more innocent children and adults will die. – Yours, etc,

CHRISTY GALLIGAN,

Letterkenny,

Co Donegal.

Sir, – Out of curiosity, I visited the website of the National Rifle Association, in the wake of the most recent atrocity at Uvalde, to see if any mention was made of the incident. I need not have bothered.

Instead, I was horrified that in publicising its upcoming annual meeting, it boasts of having 14 acres of guns and gear.

What chance of even moderate changes in gun control when confronted with such a jamboree? – Yours, etc,

FRANK WALSH,

Coolballow,

Wexford.