American's ain't gonna like this post!

There was another mass shooting in America yesterday.

I saw this on my Facebook wall this afternoon and I've just gotta rant about it:

Yes, I am going to be talking about gun ownership.  If you don't want to read my opinions about it, navigate away now 'cos I'm not gonna hold back this time.

Last chance.

OK, so Dunblane happened 20 years ago.  A gunman burst into a school and murdered 17 innocent people who weren't expecting it.

The UK was like America with gun control at the time, but that shooting was the one and only time that needed to happen to totally stop gun ownership for the general public.

In the 20 years since Dunblane there hasn't been a single school shooting.

In 2 days there has been more deaths from a school shooting in America than there has been in those 20 years since Dunblane.

The difference?

The UK put a gun law through, stopping the general public from owning a gun.

Yes, there was outrage and violence and disagreements for a while after that but not a single school shooting in 20 years.  No more innocent lives lost.

Today is 15th February 2018.

In the month and a half since the start of 2018 there have already been 18 school shootings in America.

That's 3 a fucking week.

There have been more school shootings in 6 weeks in America than there have been in more than 20 years over here in the UK.

Yes, I know that it's in the American constitution that everyone has a right to bear arms.

I also know that the UK used to have a similar right.

It took 17 innocent lives lost to change that here in the UK.

Yes, there were all kinds of riots and violence when the law denying our right to bear arms was changed.

Yes, there are still shootings and murders and other gun crimes.

No, the UK isn't perfect, but we've lost 17 lives to change the law and we've all learnt to deal with it and act like humans now.

 The difference is that the UK said enough is enough and did something about it.

America on the other hand?

Guns are still allowed over here in the UK but they are very tightly controlled and has saved so many lives since Dunblane.  America have lost more lives in 6 fucking weeks than the UK has lost in the last 20 years combined.

Let me put it simply.

Change the constitution.

 If you don't like it then you are part of the problem.

The UK went through it 20 years ago.  There were angry people, demonstrations, violence in the streets... but no more deaths.

Not a single school shooting in 20 years.

Certain professions are still allowed to have guns, but they have to go through all kinds of checks and the guns have to be locked away. 

Yes, there are still illegal guns on the street.
Yes, there are still gun crimes.
Yes, there are still shots fired.

We know we're not perfect and we've never claimed to be, but stopping Joe Public from owning a gun and opening fire whenever and wherever he likes is onehelluva lot better than in America!

Have a gun amnesty for a month where everyone who hands in their gun gets a free 3 month membership to a shooting range or whatever, then bring in much tighter controls when it comes to getting a new gun, then make it illegal for anyone other than specially trained police to carry a gun unless they have a permit.

Make it so that anyone can hand in a gun to any police station, at any time, with no questions asked and no kind of punishment.

Give the American public a reason to hand in their guns and introduce tighter controls. 

Be prepared for outrage amongst the masses and offer support to those who feel they need it, all free of charge and totally anonymously. 

Give the American people a reason to give up their guns and the support they need to give them the security they may feel they need.

Offer self-defence lessons instead of gun control lessons.

Introduce free counselling and therapy whenever anybody needs it as they get used to a life without having a gun in their pocket.

There will be a rough while after the new controls come in, but surely saving countless lives a year is worth it?  If you had to choose between saving children's lives or owning a gun, what would you choose?  I would choose the children every time.

Come on America, time to wake up and smell life without fear now.

Let's make 2018 the year of no more gunfire in America... no more school shootings and a nationwide gun amnesty.

It won't be easy, but there will be so many innocent lives saved.

Isn't that worth it?