Another massacre with firearms in the USA is “easy weapons”. In Lewiston, a Maine town of 37,000 north of the east coast, several buildings were affected, including a bowling alley and a restaurant. The death toll is temporary and very heavy: “At least 22 dead” according to the report CNN. There are nearly fifty injured. It was stated that 40-year-old Manhunt, identified as Robert Card, was “armed and dangerous”. There is at least one Ar-15 style automatic warfare rifle. Police ask all citizens to stay at home. Card is a certified firearms instructor and U.S. Army reservist.
Massacre in Lewiston, Maine: The alarm went off at seven in the evening
The alarm went off around seven in the evening on Wednesday: Since then, dozens of officers have been searching what was considered a quiet town until a few hours ago. “Please stay home. If you see any suspicious activity or people, call 911,” the message was quickly spread by police on social media, where police also posted a photo of the gunman and a picture of a white Subaru car. Outback hopes someone will recognize him and thus contribute to the capture of the man.
It was reported that Robert Card had recently suffered mental problems and was therefore hospitalized for two weeks before being released in the summer. Recently rumor has it that he lost his job. The attacker opened fire in several places where there were hundreds of people in total: a bar-restaurant, a distribution logistics center and a bowling alley where a party was taking place with children. All schools are closed in Lewiston today. President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Maine’s governor and is following the development of the dramatic story, the White House press office reported.
USA’s “easy weapons”
The massacre in Maine is destined to reignite the eternal debate over the possession and circulation of guns in the United States. More than 35,000 people have died from gunshot wounds so far in 2023 in the “world’s largest democracy.” “Mass shootings” (defined as incidents in which four or more people are killed or injured by gunfire) 565 in ten months. There is an incredible disproportion between the number of population and weapons: 393.3 million weapons are in circulation for a population of 330 million.
An executive order from the US presidency in March 2023 increased the number of checks on gun buyers and sought to move the US as close as possible to ‘background checks’ for everyone, even without a specific law. “salary” or slightly more: Before selling a gun to someone, they will check if they are a violent criminal, abuser or deviant. The decree also aimed to increase the effective use of “red flags”, or alarm notifications, laws. This should alert sellers to at-risk buyers. The effectiveness of all this is a question mark.
In the past New York Times After the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, in which 27 people died, mostly children aged 6-7, he published a meticulous study showing that Americans purchased approximately 2 million guns in just one month. In practice, when a massacre occurs, firearm sales increase rapidly. Because “always” all concrete attempts to change the laws on gun ownership were nipped in the bud by the influence of the gun lobby and the intransigence of the Republican right.
A year ago, Joe Biden signed the gun law, which was described as “the most significant in the last 30 years” and was the first to intervene in the issue in years. Among other things, it provides funding to states that will commit to reducing the likelihood of guns ending up in the hands of people deemed a danger to themselves or others and to end the so-called “boyfriend loophole” that hinders sales. Providing weapons to people accused of domestic violence, including violence against unmarried partners.
There is a “very minor problem”: The regulation does not affect the sale of assault rifles or high-capacity magazines in any way. Massacres with firearms continue like this.
Advocates of free gun ownership always cite the famous Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects the right to keep and bear arms: “The right to bear arms being necessary to the security of a free State, a well organized Militia, the right of citizens to “The right to keep and bear arms cannot be violated.” However, according to many activists, this is a “suicide pact”. A country where a hundred people die a day from firearms has a big problem.
Mass shootings are only America’s problem
“Mass shootings” are clearly a typically American problem: It is worth noting that similar figures do not exist in other Western democracies. The US makes it far too easy for people who shouldn’t have guns to get their hands on even “war” weapons designed to maximize casualties. We have come to a point where Rather than doing anything concrete to limit gun use in the recent past, the Texas government chose to provide DNA test kits to schools to identify massacre victims. It is perhaps impossible to find a stronger image to express how serious the emergency is.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
