Can We Learn?

The NRA is once again defending ownership of guns while relatives prepare to bury 17 murdered students and teachers. An unanswered question is: “Can we learn from other countries what to do?”  Notably, Australia. The Land Down Under banned rapid fire firearms in 1996 after a fatal mass shooting in Tasmania. It hasn’t had a fatal mass shooting in which five or more people have died since then. There is no good reason for semi-automatic weapons in the hands of civilians. They fire with each pull of the trigger without needing to reload because they have a magazine of bullets. Even though they are the most popular long gun sold in America, they deserve to be banned as Australia has done. One can remain secure, have fun on a rifle range and still hunt with breech-loading weapons. The NRA’s publicity has gone too far for too long.