OT: Why did he do it?

[tarquinbeech]

Now the focus of the police work is a search for Paddock's motive. Apparently, their hopes are pinned on his girl friend: the only one who might have known what was going on in his head.
Give over. Paddock was clearly a psychopath. In all likelihood even he didn't know what was going on in his head. The real motive belonged to the country NOT the killer.
I saw an interview with a Welsh guy who was hitchhiking across America and he stopped off at one of the gun shops where Paddock bought some of his arsenal - mainly because he was fascinated, never having seen a gun shop before. The assistant told him how dangerous hitchhiking was and how he needed to carry a gun to protect himself.
The Welshman had no intention of buying a gun, having travelled thus far without mishap, but that didn't stop the assistant turning up the ante in his bid for a sale.
'The right to bear arms' doesn't mean everyone, regardless of sanity or history, should possess a gun. In America (and I've been there often) the gun has legendary status. It is how the west was won, it is linked with a man's virility and a woman's vulnerability. It is a means of fame.
Everyone knows Las Vegas will happen again and everyone knows that the Americans will do nothing about it... because psychopathy is deep within the national character.
No surprise really then that they voted in a psychopath as their 'chief of staff'.

If you had just stopped after the first 1.5 sentences....then I could understand the point of the post.....but you neatly segued into the US being full of nutters, led by a psychopathic President, obsessed by guns, virility and vulnerable women......yet you "have been there often".......weird

[DelroyFacey22]

Making all guns illegal wouldn't stop people having guns but it would obviously be a big deterrant which is the first step imo.

It's the same as drugs, there's not much of an argument that "Lots of people have them so whats the point in them being illegal?" You either hand in your guns or risk being caught with them at some point and facing the consequences.

[tarquinbeech]

Making all guns illegal wouldn't stop people having guns but it would obviously be a big deterrant which is the first step imo.

It's the same as drugs, there's not much of an argument that "Lots of people have them so whats the point in them being illegal?" You either hand in your guns or risk being caught with them at some point and facing the consequences.

Del.....It ain't going to happen though it is obviously the simple and best solution. There are billions of guns in US society, this one guy alone had 49 weapons......I know several US friends and they ALL have guns....multiple guns.....it's their "right" enshrined in the US Constitution.

They will tinker around the edges with Carry Permits and Background Checks.....maybe, just maybe, a ban on assault weapons in public.

[tarquinbeech]

To try to understand the "gun culture" in the USA........an excellent Guardian video.......eye-opening

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng...-culture-video

[andy6025]

Andy, as a matter of interest, is it just as easy to buy a weapon in Canada?

As the US? Not at all as far as I'm aware. I believe it requires training certificates, license, waiting period, etc. And you couldn't buy a machine gun or anything like that. I'm not sure about shotguns and rifles (more common for hunting) but my ex father in law has an antique handgun. He even needs a special permit issued for the day he wants to transport it to and from a shooting range.

[jacobncfc]

Given the lack of any other motive, I reckon he was just after the record of most kills. Sad f*ck.

The second amendment needs to be repealed immediately for the good of American society as a whole.

Terrifyingly, I'm starting to think this is the case.

If he had any kind of political/religious/ideological motive it would surely be known by now - terrorism doesn't really work if you don't tell the world why you're doing it.

[DelroyFacey22]

As Jim Jeffries says, the 2nd amendment can be changed... It's called an amendment... They used to have prohibition until they realised they quite liked to party and they also used to be allowed slaves... Time has moved on.

[jacobncfc]

Gun nuts hiding behind the second amendment is a massive cop out, anyway:-

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The amendment itself literally says that gun ownership should be "well regulated" but they push back against any kind of regulation at all. You could make having a gun in a public place illegal and not violate the actual wording of the thing.