Who should carry a gun

Many Americans demanded more gun regulation after the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida where 17 learners died after Nikolas Cruz (19) opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.

The floodgates opened with debates on the relationship between serious mental illnesses and violence as well as gun ownership and crime.

President Donald Trump and the FBI accordingly apportioned blame.

The incident at the Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 sparked a book by journalist, Dave Cullen, and acclaimed writer, Stephen King, asked his publishers decades ago to remove his book Rage from print.

The writer feared his story, that was written while he was still in high school, would influence children to shoot up their school.

Racial, ethnic and gender diversity exists among school shooters and a desire to be remembered has been reported as the leading reason for planned shootings.

The above statements occurred where perpetrators were taken alive either pre- or post-shooting.

Back on home turf, a theologian and academic, Dr Yolanda Dreyer, argued in a national newspaper that the American social fabric lends itself to people seeking fame overnight.

Journalists are at the receiving end of national soapie scriptwriters’ scorn as seeking sensation.

Dr Dreyer referred to Norway where according to information, the culture of gun ownership is different to the USA.

While the Norwegian population has a high percentage of ownership, guns won’t be seen outside settings such as gun clubs or during the hunting season.

This country is no stranger to shootings either of which an incident in 2011, where a man shot 19 students at a camp, is testimony.

The Firearm Control Act regulates gun ownership in South Africa and strict qualifications, including a competency test, are needed to act lawfully.

The South African Gun Owners Association disputes the ‘gun control equals crime control’ belief, while Gun Free South Africa said statistics show that gun owners are four times more likely to have a firearm used against them than they are to use one successfully in self-defence.

It is obvious that with any shooting incident, society has to address the smorgasbord of contributing factors.

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