Glenn Beck's letter to the American people, politicians and media:

http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/01/10/glenns-letter-to-the-american-people-politicians-and-media/

TBC,
thanks for the description of yourself. We now know to steer clear of you when we see you loitering around particular parks.

What is it with Americans and guns? The reactions thus far over the recent gun massacre in the US have been varied ranging from puzzlement over the shooters mental state but they have scarcely raised the issue of gun control. In fact some congressmen have stated that they will carry handguns and see to it that their staff have training in how to shoot. Compare this with 1996 - the gun massacre in
Tasmania that prompted a deeply conservative federal government to push for restrictive gun laws. I'm so glad that I live in Australia.

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What is it with Americans and guns?
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Most of them understand that you can't stop people doing what this guy did by taking their guns away!

7 dead in Tokyo stabbing rampage.
TOKYO (AP) — A man plowed into shoppers with a truck Sunday and then stabbed 17 people within minutes, killing at least seven of them in a grisly attack that shocked a country known for its low crime rate.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-06-08-stabbing-tokyo_N.htm

Exactly, Lexi.

These massacres take place with morbid regularity in the U.S. It's overwhelmingly the same response every time - the perpetrator is dismissed as being unbalanced and, therefore, American society should look no further than each particular event in isolation.
My point is that if a society is awash with firearms, then occasionally a deranged or unbalanced person is going to create mayhem. But apparently that is something American society is willing to tolerate.
If you read Glenn Beck's letter above, you will note that he is making the point that it is "all" the fault of a lone (deranged) personality - end of story.
Aside from launching his new agenda of "non-violence" - he is also appropriating the deeply felt mourning of the death of the child involved and her link with 9/11 to appeal to emotive patriotism and to sidestep any issue involving lack of gun control or the politically inspired rhetoric of violence.
Seems there is no end to the spin...sort of gives one the creeps.

RawMustard,

Why then do they send soldiers to war with guns....could it be that they are infinitely more likely to inflict lethal damage while remaining at a distance from their quarry?