Suicide is not an offence, it is therefore legal, but it’s probably the only legal act that it is an offence to give assistance in doing.

If gun ownership was made compulsory then many like me would simply make the gun unworkable and therefore no danger to anyone. I agree with 'pro-gun' that owing a gun in itself doesn't mean that a person is going to shoot themselves or others, that is fortunate, imagine the carnage if everyone opened up on everyone else. What uncontrolled gun ownership does, it gives the mentally disturbed the means to inflict death on themselves and others. That death could result from an act of suicide, family violence, accidental shooting, during the carrying out of a crime, or an uncontrolled act against strangers.

The lax gun laws in America simply places the means to commit barbaric acts into the hands of nutters. CM made a good point;

"several critical factors in Latin American cities that contribute to increased gun violence, including economic deprivation, residential instability, family disruption, absence from school, the population’s age structure, and alcohol consumption."

When you add guns to that mix of social depravity and other factors, then there can only be one outcome, a mass number of shootings.

o sung wu

"You (Paul1405) claim I (o sung wu) can't upset you? Then why not ignore me? Clearly, I do get under your skin."

No, we are two different kinds of people, you with violence as your first reaction, thinking your ranting and raving against me must upset me somehow, as that's what you are use to in life, upsetting others. If you look back at our exchanges this time, you will not find one angry word from me against you, from you against me there are many, but that's okay with me. For you a strong emotion is hate, I don't suffer that emotion, well I try always to avoid it. You will find what I am about to say silly. I feel in recent years the study of Buddhist principles, along with meditation, most days I get up at 4am and when the sun is coming up I go down by the water with my wife and spend time in meditation, a time for thought, a time for music, reading, and a time for relaxation. I do not claim I have reached a stage in life of true 'enlightenment' but I do feel a sense of 'nirvana' in my life. I am not there in my life's journey and will probably expire before I do reach it, if I was ever going to make the pinnacle of life. As I said you probably find what I have said nonsense, well that's fine as well.

I find myself judging you and that's not a good thing, for that I apologise.

Dear o sung wu.

In the Vietnamese War many on both sides fought bravely and well. However, the way I see it, just as the French, Dutch and Belgians wanted the Nazis out of their countries the people in southeast Asia wanted the Europeans out of their countries. We had no more business in southeast Asia than the Germans had in France, Holland and Belgium. I feel it was wrong to support that war as a combatant or non-combatant. The spectre of communism was raised. Those who opposed the war or who got out of going were called cowards. My opinion is that we had no legitimate business there. My older son would have gone. His cousins went. He told me he would not have wanted to miss 'the experience of his generation.' Fortunately, the war was over before he was old enough to go. I am glad you survived that war, and I hope there will be fewer wars.

Hi David,

All wars are a failure, they are the end result of human failure. My older brother missed out on conscription, a cousin was not so lucky and paid for it with his life. The sons of the wealthy avoid conscription by the use of deferment, mostly through university courses.

"would not have wanted to miss 'the experience of his generation"

Sounds like WWI all over again, a holiday to Europe. Robert Menzies although a supporter of Australian involvement in WWI failed to enlist. John Howard at the time a young enthusiastic supporter of Australia's involvement in Vietnam, when the time came for him to enlist chose to hide out in London instead.

In one of Michael Moore's docos's 'Fahrenheit 9/11', he tried to ask dozens of US Congressman and Senators who had sons of military age why they were not serving, the politicians ran for cover, it seemed that only one had a son in the military, the rest were being kept out.

Paul,
When are you, or someone else, going to explain why countries with strict firearm laws have a murder rate far exceeding that of the USA?

It can’t be low income because 40 million in the US earn less than the Australian minimum wage.