Bernie Goldbach in Cashel | Image of our carriage lantern.
FRONT PAGE NEWS encapsulates one reason why growing up in Ireland is safer than growing up in the States. I expand upon a Financial Times headline in the 10-minute audio clip below.
I don't expect Americans to change the relatively smooth pathway to cultivating a personal arsenal because that right is enshrined in the American Constitution. I don't expect to see a welcome boost to mental health care in an upcoming national budget. And I don't expect broadcasters to change their style of reporting about tragic assassinations on school grounds. Not in my lifetime.
But I feel I give my kids more of a lifeline during their school years by having that education occur in Ireland. The biggest threat they're likely to face is by riding a twenty-year old bus or by taking a spin with a boy racer. They're unlikely to hear "pop-pop-pop" in the hallways of their schools unless there's a celebration with balloons or food.
The story of the Sandy Hook tragedy will unfold for weeks but when it comes to regulating access to bullets, identification requirements at gun shows, or the sale of assault weapons, I doubt the articulate and well-financed lobby of the National Rifle Association will be defeated by legislators who need their next round of campaign donations.
Bernie Goldbach is saving newsround items.
