Rant about guns.

The soul searching goes on here and the country is indulging in grief, in that over sentimental way, which is very alien to me, but seems to come very naturally here. The shooting in Arizona has been blamed on just about everything except the gun. The parents, the college that failed to act, too aggressive discourse in public life, and last and almost unbelievable, the fact that a lot of the people there did not have guns and know how to shoot them, so that they could have all shot and gunned down the young man!
According to the papers about 80% of Americans would like much more gun control, but the 20% who don't are a very powerful lobby, and that's what counts. They are keeping a very low profile at the moment, saying to comment would be inappropriate.
As apparently always happens after such incidents, the magazines that can fire 32 bullets and the Glock guns have sold out in all the local gun shops. There has been no cancellation of a huge gun show in a week, just down the road from the shooting, or any embarassment at all. The reporter on public radio this morning said the sub machine guns on sale had pictures of president obama and the words 'Manchuruan Candidate' attached to them. Later in the day, these had been removed. Next week in Las Vegas, there is the Shot Show. The largest exhibition of guns and ammunition in the country. A large number of Congress men and women carry arms.  The injured Congress woman did. I thought it was a bit much suggesting it should be illegal to carry arms within a certain distance of Congress. Why shouldn't the rest of America be entitled to that protection. It all comes down to the obsession with the second amendment. It also plays on the fear factor, that you can't be safe unless you carry. Mad.
Although the memorial service seems to have raised Obama in the popularity stakes, which he sorely needed, I didn't like it. It was more like a political rally. lots of whooping and cheering, a celebration of  patriotism. Rather inappropriate in the circumstances. Maybe it's just the difference between being British and being American. If I had lost someone, that would have offended me.
It seems to be taken for granted that nothing will be done to change the gun laws, not even a restriction on magazine size. The Republicans are more interested in wasting time disputing the health care bill, which they know they can't get rid of. It reminds me of Labour wasting time on banning hunting.
Oh well, that's the way it is. Rant over for now!