United States: the dissemination of weapons again in question

The Friday shooting in a school in Texas is rooted in the problem of the spread of firearms in the United States and the ease with which Americans have access to it.

In order to mow down 20 people, 10 of whom died, Dimitrios Pagourtzis used weapons legally owned by his father: a revolver and a rifle, probably a pump.

The 17-year-old opened fire at the start of classes at the Santa Fe facility where he is registered.

Unsurprisingly, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott further emphasized the need to combat mental health problems and armed protection of schools over the need to limit the proliferation of lethal devices.

It must be said that gun culture is particularly alive in Texas.

The great conservative state of the southern United States has some of the most permissive laws in the country. They were even relaxed in 2015.

No special permits are required to purchase a firearm by the age of 18, including a semi-automatic rifle that can fire at a fast rate, with a large capacity magazine.

Cult of the trigger

On the other hand, paradoxically, you need to be 21 to acquire a handgun.

Sellers licensed by the federal authorities simply do a basic search of the buyer's psychiatric and legal history, an easily circumvented procedure when buying online or at a traveling fair.

Following the same logic, it is legal to carry a rifle or a rifle in a visible way, except in the sites prohibiting it expressly.

The possession of a handgun is subject to obtaining a permit: more than a million Texans have obtained it.

It is in Texas that the National Rifle Association (NRA), the first American arms lobby, held its annual convention earlier this month.

It had been visited by President Donald Trump, who had shown his support for the organization after it financially supported its presidential campaign in 2016.

Whether in the Republican camp or in the Democratic camp, the issue of arms legislation was not really a topic of debate in the primaries in March.

And in a famous 2015 campaign video, Texan Senator Ted Cruz filmed cooking slices of bacon wrapped around the barrel of his assault rifle.

Children "collateral victims"

But this culture has a price. Since January 2009, Texas has been the scene of at least 20 shootings with at least four deaths, assailant excluded, according to the organization Everytown for Gun Safety, a national record.

Six months ago, a man opened fire in a church near San Antonio, killing 25 people, including a pregnant woman.

"Our children have become collateral victims in a nation where laws are written by pro-gun lobbyists," said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Today, one-third of American children live in homes with at least one weapon.

Studies show that two-thirds of children know exactly where their parents are storing or hiding their weapon (s), even though adults are convinced otherwise.

Another 2000 American Journal of Public Health study of homes with children and weapon (s) found that, in over 40% of these homes, there was at least one weapon kept without committed security or in an open space.

In the United States, 1.69 million children under the age of 18 live in a home with at least one loaded and freely accessible firearm, according to a 2005 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics.