Dunblane and Guns

[lulu]

It's 21 years exactly that the Dunblane Primary School Massacre happened - Dunblane is a village 20 minutes down the road from where I stay and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at high school at the time.


16 five year olds and their teacher were shot dead by a local man who walked into their class from the street and opened fire.

I read a fact today that said immediately after the shooting, private guns were banned in the U.K and there's never been a school shooting since.

Schools were also immediately redesigned to make sure no one can just walk in anymore, which I think contributed more to that statistic, but it's still a great statistic.

Just wanted to share to remember all those wee tots who were killed that day and also to get your thoughts on gun control...not intending to cause a row, or judge because I'm genuinely interested as your laws are so different to ours and I like learning.

[emmagk]

I remember when it happened, so tragic. I was 12 and just started secondary and I remember my school installing keypad locks on all doors after and they started an actual supervised after school program instead of just letting us hang out in one of the classrooms.

The daycares where I live now don't lock their doors. Apparently people here prefer it that way but when I was first touring them Dunblane went through my mind a number of times.

[emmagk]

Oh and on gun control, I'm firmly of the opinion that no one needs to own hand guns or assault style weapons. Hunting rifles should be background checked and licensed

[lulu]

I think back to how schools used to be and how anyone could just walk right in and I just can't believe that was standard.

I would have heart failure if my kids went to schools or nurseries without full security systems in place - locked gates, doors and receptions.

I also remember an interview with Andy Murray (the tennis player for those who don't know) where he discussed the shooting for the first time. He and Jamie were at the school when it happened - terrifying.

[lulu]

Mar 12, 2017 17:47:26 GMT -5 emmagk said:

Oh and on gun control, I'm firmly of the opinion that no one needs to own hand guns or assault style weapons. Hunting rifles should be background checked and licensed

Yeah I agree.

It's tough to get a firearms licence here (for hunting/farmers or sports) and the conditions are really strict.

Obviously folk do hold guns illegally and that's a whole other issue.

Despite my job, I've yet to come across anything involving an illegal firearm...just boring old checks on farms and that's about it. Which is very reassuring.

[lrmrtn]

This shows how different the UK is from the US. While locally, Sandy Hook became an example for gun control, a lot are using it to support an argument for school security guards and officials to have guns themselves.

[athn64]

Mar 12, 2017 19:11:04 GMT -5 lrmrtn said:

This shows how different the UK is from the US. While locally, Sandy Hook became an example for gun control, a lot are using it to support an argument for school security guards and officials to have guns themselves.

Or teachers. Because a loaded weapon in a class full of young children is not a recipe for disaster. /sarcasm

I am not anti gun, but I hate how the NRA makes any form of gun control virtually impossible with their deep pockets and dangerous rhetoric.