The Virginia Tech Killings

The killings in Virginia have really affected me. I don't really understand why, but as an American looking into the country from the outside, I am saddened by the random insanity that is consistently displayed by my fellow countrymen. In trying to understand the senseless deaths, one question keeps floating through my mind. Why do these types of killings ONLY happen in America?

There are a couple plausible answers:

1. gun control.

In England, guns are completely illegal. Not even police officers are allowed to have guns. This has been the case since a school shooting in 1997 because Thomas Hamilton opened fire at a primary school leaving 16 children and their teacher dead. However, it is said that the ban did not actually decrease gun crime. See the 2001 BBC article.

2. a fundamental issue with society.

This is where it becomes very worrisome. What about our country keeps making people go crazy? Why do we think it is ok to just shoot each other? I know the killer in the VT killings was not even born in America - but his action was American in nature, according to history. I think it has something to do with the superficiality of life in the US. It's about money and pretty things. Life is not difficult in America, even people who think they have it difficult really do not have much to worry about. Job security, personal welfare, family life...we always ways of getting by. A spouse can take over the "bread-winner" job or if there is no spouse, we can get help from welfare and government aid. We have the best medicine that science offers, doctors are readily available and have to treat you in emergencies and our family life is not threatened by wars, persecution or extreme hardship. Living in London has really showed me how superficial American life really is. Which is a possible reason that people have less regard for life. Postal workers killing people, students killing people, cops killing people, our government killing people. So many people are dying and there are so few good reasons. It's upsetting to be an American looking from the outside in. It's not exactly a pretty picture.