The horrors of mass murder at US schools just keep coming. The pro-gun lobby’s response is ‘guns don’t kill people, people kill people.’ Which is in a sense true, but those who kill are empowered by fully automatic, heavy calibre weapons complete with extended magazines to hold more rounds. In some states, it is reported, it is harder to get a dog licence than to buy a gun. Laws vary across the US, with many states not requiring any background checks, or permits or licences to carry a gun openly or concealed, and allow the ability to buy assault rifles of heavy enough calibre to blast through armour. Australia’s gun laws were tightened under the leadership of former PM John Howard.

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