‘Dear Donald Trump, there are mentally ill people in Scotland but we don’t have El Paso-style mass shootings’

The mass shootings in the United States have shocked and stunned people around the world. Twenty people died at a Walmart shop in El Paso, Texas, while nine people died in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio.

The mass shootings in the United States have shocked and stunned people around the world. Twenty people died at a Walmart shop in El Paso, Texas, while nine people died in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio.

In the understatement of the year, President Donald Trump said that “perhaps more has to be done” to stop such attacks. Perhaps!

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Twenty-three years ago the massacre at Dunblane here in Scotland led to a proper response.

After the shocking attack on the town’s primary school by a killer armed with four guns, the reaction was swift and simple – private ownership of most handguns was outlawed. Since then there has been no comparable mass shooting event in this country.

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Horror as 20 killed and 26 injured in shooting at busy American shopping centre

Sadly, in the US there have been 251 mass shootings in 216 days, more shootings than days in the year.

President Trump says that the cause is mental illness. That may of course play a role, but we have mental illness here too. Without the guns we don’t have the same problems with mass shootings.

In Europe, of course, we have have attacks by gunmen, like Anders Breivik, the far-right terrorist who killed 77 people. Sadly, white supremacist terrorism appears to have played a role in the El Paso shooting, as it did in Charlottesville, Pittsburgh, and more recently in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Gun control is essential to reduce gun violence, but combatting right-wing extremism is an ongoing challenge for us in all countries.

Here’s to year of good sport

I’m not a football season ticket holder or aficionado of the sport when compared to some of my friends, who can reel off the teams and classic results going back decades.

I do however love live sport and I am genuinely excited by the start of the new season.

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Scotland’s men’s teams have been doing well in the early European play-off rounds and the first weekend of league matches did not disappoint when it came to excitement and some controversy too. Hibs had a good opening 1-0 result against St Mirren while Hearts played a five goal thriller at Pittodrie. With a bit of luck both of Edinburgh’s senior sides will have a strong season.

Later this month the Scottish women’s football league season kicks off, hopefully boosted by the growing interest after the Women’s World Cup.

Regardless of which team you support, whether as a regular match attender or as a dedicated results’ page reader, I wish you enjoyment and your team success.