Just up the road from us about 30 miles in a small German city, a 17 year old broke into his old junior high school and after all was said and done, shot ten students, teachers and by-standers to death before fleeing and eventually being killed by police. This just happened today and already the gun control card is being played all over the news. The thing is... Germany has pretty strict gun control laws. You can buy what you want, once you jump through all the hoops to get the licenses. All have to be registered. All have to be stored in a "waffenschranke" or gun safe. Different classes of safes for different types and numbers of guns. Only a guns owner may have access to the gun. I can have the key to my safe but my wife cannot. This is part of the German WaffenRecht or "Weapons Law". So these ten people died because mom and dad didn't follow the law and the kid somehow got access to their guns and then decided to shoot some kids and teachers. Perhaps he broke into their WaffenSchranke and stole the guns and ammo. No matter what comes out of this, German hunters and shooters will suffer. Either the Government will mandate newer, better, stronger (read, "more expensive than not everyone can afford") safes, OR they will find MORE fees, regulations and laws to enact to ensure public safety.
Of course, then we have 10 more folks dead in Alabama in some stupid, senseless rampage down there. So the same issues will come up in the US.
Oh and by the way... a couple hundred Americans will die today on our nations highways. There will be no calls for more regulation. The government will continue to bail out the Big Three. Not a word will circulate in the national media unless one of the wrecks creates a traffic jam that causes an inconvenience to travellers and commerce.
God Bless,
ngh