[danenania]

While any school shooting is a tragedy (and imo we do clearly need stronger gun control in the US), they are extremely rare statistically.

https://www.city-journal.org/school-shootings-horrific-but-s...

“the annual odds that an American child will die in a mass shooting at school are nearly 10 million to 1, about the odds of being killed by lightning or of dying in an earthquake”

[PhantomBKB]

There's clearly a strong opposition against gun control in US, so the fact that the media is downplaying the shootouts by comparing it to natural disasters is not surprising.

But keep in mind, while Americans find it to be a commonality, it's rare to see news like this in other parts of the world: "...but students don’t need the active-shooter drills now conducted in over 95 percent of the nation’s schools..."

Active shooter drills? In schools? You folk live in a first world country but act like you are living in an active warzone

[danenania]

Reporting the actual data is not "downplaying". And the notion that the US media downplays school shootings is about as wrong as you could possibly be. Have you ever watched US news? School shootings get 24/7 coverage for weeks.

"Active shooter drills? In schools? You folk live in a first world country but act like you are living in an active warzone"

These things happen due to the same kind of fear mongering and statistical illiteracy you demonstrate in your comments. School shootings are horrible, but extremely rare. It would, of course, be better if we didn't have them, just like it would be better if we didn't have earthquakes, electrical storms, plane crashes, etc. but it's not rational to make life choices based on 1 in 10 million events.

You're also wrong about support for gun control. A majority of the US population supports stronger gun control. Unfortunately, in our political system, that's not sufficient to make it happen.

[PhantomBKB]

Well, idk about you, but I hear of at least one school shooting in the US every week. Statistically, the numbers might not be much, but it sure caused 95% of schools to enforce active shooter drills, no?

> A majority of the US population supports stronger gun control. Unfortunately, in our political system, that's not sufficient to make it happen.

Isn't US a democracy? If majority of the population supports stronger gun control, it should be easy to pass.

Anyway, I don't mean to put you on the defensive. I understand that you love your country.

[danenania]

That's because the media is sensationalist and uses fear mongering to drive up engagement and revenue.

Also, it's a big country. When you have a population of hundreds of millions, a lot of things that are extremely unlikely to ever impact an individual citizen will nonetheless happen on a regular basis somewhere in the country.

"Isn't US a democracy? If majority of the population supports stronger gun control, it should be easy to pass."

If only it were that simple.

"Anyway, I don't mean to put you on the defensive. I understand that you love your country."

I love some things and hate other things. I just think the discussion should be based on facts rather than emotion and hyperbole.

I agree that school shootings are a problem here and would like to see stronger gun control as much as anyone, but it isn't helpful to exaggerate the (very low) level of danger kids face in school.

[PhantomBKB]

Fair enough.