Even after 26 children and teachers were killed four years ago today at Sandy Hook, more mass shootings by disturbed white men and boys have occurred. Ignoring this crisis has severe consequences.
Should this gun be in the hands of a civilian?
Connecticut State Police via Reuters
Earlier this week on The Conversation, Morgan Tear wrote a terrific article calling into question the supposed negative effect of videogame violence on players’ behaviour. And I would argue we could use…
Do we really have anything to worry about?
Pete Prodoehl/Flickr
Gun laws have been back in the media recently due, largely, to the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults. In response…
Vice President Joe Biden is spear-heading the Obama administration’s efforts to tackle gun control.
EPA/Michael Reynolds
The gun control debate in the United States has been reawakened for the new year, with Vice President Joe Biden providing President Barack Obama with 19 recommendations for action on guns. As The Economist…
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings, we need to more concerned than ever about the effects of violent videogames.
JBLivin/Flickr
The Connecticut town of Southington last week introduced a videogames return program, offering a $25 gift card to parents who wanted to rid their households of violent titles. The program comes in the…
An eerie parallel exists between the gun control and climate change debates, involving statistics, “evidence” and entrenched positions.
AAP
It’s easy to bash America. Externally Americans are often characterised as loud, star-spangled, gun-toting, bible-bashing, right-wing extremists with Fox News continually on in the background and a gas-guzzling…
A sign outside Sandy Hook Elementary School echoes the thoughts of many this week.
AAP/Justin Lane
I have been asked a number of barely concealed variations on the question “What’s wrong with you Yanks?” this week. Lacking anything better, my answer to the American thanatos with guns has been our national…
Grief stricken Americans will ask why is effective gun control beyond the capacity of their politicians.
Peter Foley/ AAP
The horrific Newtown school massacre has again raised the question of why effective gun control is beyond the capacity of American politicians. The question is necessary, natural and appropriate. But it…
Covering school shootings raises ethical dilemmas for much of the mainstream media.
AAP/Andrew Gombert
As Newtown tries to come to terms with the execrable, it isn’t clear if television news has been a help or a hindrance. According to the New York Times, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer has acknowledged the challenges…
President Barack Obama hinted at gun reform in his speech at Newtown.
EPA/Olivier Douliery
Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year…
Once the shock of the Connecticut shootings has receded, will US law actually change?
EPA/Justin Lane
It is a form of warfare in urban settings. The recent spate of shootings in the United States have seen the assailants dressed in combat gear – in Aurora, Colorado, an Oregon shopping mall and the latest…
When 20 children - along with six adults - are murdered in cold blood, is there an appropriate response?
EPA/Michael Nelson
There are two ways of responding to deadly violence such as the school shooting in Connecticut. We can respond violently, as a way of protecting ourselves from the fear and anxiety we feel. Or, we can…
Mourners place flowers near Sandy Hook Elementary School after Friday’s shootings.
EPA/Justin Lane
After the mass shooting of children and their teachers in the United States of America a few days ago, some may say it is too soon to make a political point out of a personal tragedy. In reality, it is…
