World events

Hope they make it out fine. What a story! I'd definitely love to read more about the engineering/medical/psychology problem-solving part of the rescue.

A movie would be cool too!

Go Danny Boyle! And cap it off with a celebratory song and dance!

Same as me, being confused probably

Did you all hear about the tragedy in Arizona?

The shooting - very sad. What will it take for Americans to tighten up their gun laws? I guess it won't happen. But how many more of these tragedies will there be?

Indeed. Very sad. America's gun law is the only one like this in the world and it truly is NOT working; i wonder when they're going to realize it.

Gun sales have increased since the shooting. The gun that was sold most was the gun that the killer was using, costing about 499$.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-1 … fords.html

Bollocks

I think the main problem in the U.S. is one that Michael Moore explored in his 'Bowling for Columbine' documentary, the problem is that fear is created and maintained by the media, government, and other institutions. Fear for your fellow man next door, for the immigrant living down the street, for the liberal from across the street, so what do you do to counter the fear? Get a weapon to feel safe again. And the logic behind 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people' is ridiculous. You give people access to anything, they will misuse it first chance they get.

Maybe it's about time something is done about the right to carry weapons in the U.S., because the right to act like an utter moron can already be damaging enough without using any sort of weapon. There have already been too many shootings done by mentally unstable persons. Would they have done anything of the sort in a country where weapons aren't readily available?

Probably none in the civilised world, though I stand to be corrected.

The USA has a higher murder rate per capita which is three times as high as the UK. I find that just staggering. I refuse to believe that Americans are more naturally predisposed to kill people than British people are, so assume it must be because Americans can buy guns easily and British people cannot. The USA is so concerned with health and safety that you can't buy a cup of coffee unless it says "caution: contents hot" on it and yet it is not willing to do anything about this horrific problem it has which, I would suggest, leads to rather more deaths than spilling coffee.

"But it's our constitutional right!" say the defenders. Yes, but that constitutional right was written in 1791, when the country was a slightly different place, surely.

So very true. Old ideas surely aren't the best ideas?

Perhaps you're right James but it is too late for this country. I'd ban alcohol and tobacco too but it will never happen.

Maybe we shall ban life too

It's a bit like the Bible.

When it comes to tobacco (saying that as a smoker myself), it's of course that easy as you say, Tom. The cancer fighting programs could be handled much better with private financing, completely private (if you have lung cancer, deal with it yourself, you put it on yourself).

When it comes to alcohol, wanting another Prohibition is *not* the way to go, especially that casual drinkers (not sure if it's a good term, I mean people drinking only on parties and having a beer while watching a football game, the point is people who drink from time to time and aren't addicted) would be banned and that's uncalled for.