For me it is a focus on individual stories that I find the most affecting.

One I found compelling is that of peace activist Carlos Arredondo, a Costa Rican immigrant who had lost one of his sons fighting in Iraq and another to suicide over the first's death.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/16/carlos-arredondo-hero-boston-marathon

A series of photographs showing him assisting in the crowd of those who ran to assist.
http://imgur.com/a/HXLyP

This next is an iconic image is of him holding a victims femoral artery as they raced to get him to an ambulance. WARNING – EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. http://i.imgur.com/1opOYTm.jpg

Carlos is videoed immediately afterward. He is holding a bloodied flag and is visibly in shock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWHHWB3Jr60&feature=player_embedded#!

Here is the Wikipedia page for Carlos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Arredondo

I know that there were undoubtedly Iraqi 'Carlos' ' who would have responded as he did during the horrific bombings that befell Baghdad on the same day, but technology has served to place his story before us with an immediacy that was so compelling.

In many other ways though this is very much an American story. The two pieces of potentially volatile legislation, gun legislation and immigration, along with the terrible cost of America's wars seem to be distilled in his tale. My thoughts are with him and the others who have been so badly traumatised.

Dear onthebeach,

You wrote; “Your allegation is a fabrication, completely baseless and devoid of fact.” then had the hide to claim “Any cop can access that data on all owners, what is held and where, and without leaving a trace of his query.”

Utter nonsense. The database protocols within the force have been strengthened enormously. We had a local copper who was booted out for checking the details of an opposing candidate for a local government position. He had made every attempt to cover his tracks but to no avail.

I have given evidence that criminals are probably finding it more fruitful to obtain weapons from farm houses than to secure them on the so called importation black market. It is obviously too easy for them so measures should be explored to make it more difficult. I would have thought the current storage methods need to be examined and strengthened. Why don't you? Those who own guns need to take every measure to prevent them getting into the hands of criminals.

What is 'mendacious' is you pointing the finger at the police.

csteel,

Any policeman can check the licence details and get the home address. It is already there on screen, even for a routine traffic query where no offence has been committed. That is an incontrovertible fact. He can go further at will. Since you claim there are improvements in 'protocols' please be specific and list them because that would be news to the Police Commissioners as well.

Obviously you just make things up as you go, hoping that no-one will as the obvious questions.

As for police security, what about this?
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/firearms-charges-for-nsw-police-employee-20130331-2h10i.html

Your intent is to link gun control with the bombings to suit another agenda. Yet there is no evidence whatsoever of any link with the bombings. You are just indulging your prejudices and trying to set hares running. The investigation of the bombings is still in its infancy.

I did not see o sung wo claiming any one or group did it.
And doubt susionline America will fit some one up for this.
We just do not know, yet.
And as the attempt to kill via mail has seen a southern states man charged maybe in the end this will be the same.
Todays explosion in a fertilizer plant, may well be terrorism, or just an event in an industry known to be dangerous.
Let us wait and see.
O sung wo, an ex cop may hold differing views on gun control.
Some how I think Australians, subject to much harsher laws but good out comes, should not take Americas anti gun folk to be extremists.
If they had only our system they would be pleased.
For just a second, consider, would you be happy to see guns in purses and pocket here, as in America.
ak47,s in the bush?

Hi there ONTHEBEACH...

In my day one could easily 'pull up' various avenues of enquiry eg DMT, F/A's, Liquor Licensing details, and several other areas of stored, confidential or protected data, available only for police use.

Because of apparent corruption, there now lies an electronic 'trail' if you like, whereby internal audited processes can trace any copper when they access any protected Site. Unauthorized access is viewed very seriously these days with external issues of privacy coming to the fore.

The days where you could assist a mate with a Rego. enquiry, after a bit of a ding, are long gone. I agree, people are entitled to their privacy.

Your summation of Dr Savage is pretty well on the mark too. I find much of what he says in this matter is tantamount to incitement, encouraging people to defy the law apropos F/A's ? That said, I still believe he's nobody's fool. Therefore he could pose a dangerous influence, to some of his 11 million listeners, particularly those who have issues with the present Govt. and their stance with tougher Firearm legislation. Look at Hitler, an individual with a very persuasive and obviously cogent way about him, enabling him to reach the masses.

Please, don't think for a moment, I'm comparing Dr Michael Savage with Hitler. Absolutely NOT ! There's much of what he says, I more or less agree with, if not materially, than philosophically at least.
But on this issue, I believe him to be wrong, very wrong indeed.

To openly encourage, or to urge, or even recommend on public radio, to '...resist your government from taking your firearms...' or similar words, is grossly irresponsible to the extreme !

It is interesting to note the prestitutes in America were very quick to paint a bullseye on the backs of American patriots and defenders of their constitution.

Defenders of their constitution would gain absolutely nothing from this cowardly act and they know it. The grubberMint on the other hand has everything to gain. And as Arjay has pointed out, they have a history of this sort of thing.

But lets not forget the many killings of innocents in far away lands that happen on a daily bases by this corrupt administration and equally as cowardly. The prestitutes in America would never mention the word blow back now would they?

Food for thought:
http://www.debka.com/article/22901/Saudi-terror-cell-possibly-al-Qaeda-behind-Boston-Marathon-bombings-Manhunt-for-escaped-suspect

One thing is for certain. Life in America is going to be even more restrictive as a result of this. GrubberMints never let a good tragedy go to waste. And will waste no time in implementing more draconian laws to further subjugate its people.

"""
Let's see...which would I rather contend with (1) a bomb such as the one in Boston Marathon recently, or (2) a gunman carrying a machine gun shooting people at the Boston marathon?
"""

How about (3)
a gunman carrying a machine gun shooting people at the Boston marathon surrounded by hundreds carrying concealed weapons with which to defend themselves?

"""
I wonder which weapon would have killed the most people Hasbeen?
"""

Indeed!