Tuesday 3rd October

I liked guns as a kid.  I had a rug, woven by Mum and Dad, of Davey Crocket and Sitting Bull.  It was beside my bed, and at night before sleeping I would ‘shoot’ the Injun with my toy rifle.  We were in love with Cowboys and Injuns.  I had silver Colt 45’s and a belt and a holster and a hat.  I had cap guns.  Bang Bang you’re dead.

But then I grew up and begun to hate guns.  I cannot remember ever buying my son a gun, but I am sure he had them, and as a teenager for a while he was fascinated with air-rifles.

I hated guns so much that once on a management trainee course (run by two ex-army lads) we went clay pigeon shooting – and I refused to even hold the gun, let alone fire it.

And guns are by and large not available in Britain.  Especially after Dunblane.  Apparently you can still buy a gun on the black market.  But Laws can only do so much.  But at least here, we are not exposed to the gun culture like America.  There is very little to say about the latest tragedy.  Maybe, in a way, it is almost impossible to prevent every possible disaster.  But, the easy availability of guns, the refusal of Politicians to even begin to limit their sale, the crazy logic that individuals need guns to defend themselves from individuals who might have guns, the trigger happy Police (though ours are rapidly following suit), the unbelievable situation where someone can rent a hotel room and openly carry up a veritable arsenal of guns and ammo in broad  daylight and not even be questioned, the proliferation of violent films and computer games where the gun is almost worshipped – all contribute to a particular madness that ends in so much senseless death and slaughter.

How can any Nation claim to be great when they are prepared to see so many of their own people killed so easily?  Come on Trump, make a difference this time.  Maybe he will step up to the plate and make these deaths some of the last….but don’t hold your breath