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I was not really surprised that everyone I meet from Australia or anywhere else wants to talk about Trump and why/how he was elected.  What did surprise me was the second topic raised most often is guns. (I would say #3 is probably race, but that has to wait for a future posting.)

In 1996  thirty five Australians were killed by a gunman with a semiautomatic rifle.  They call it the Port Arthur massacre.  Immediately the Prime minister, john howard, proposed chnages to gun laws.  He said in his speech, "We have an opportunity in this country not to go down the American path."

Every state immediately passed the laws and there has not been a mass shooting since, homicides and suicides are also down.

Now these conversations were happening BEFORE the church in Texas.  One couple w a s almost screaming at me about Sandyhook and how we could not do anything after all those innocent children died.  "What kind of people live in America?" They kept asking. The most common comment is that Americans appear to be very selfish and very scared.  I just listened.

I knew nothing about the mass shooting in Texas until I got a very rare message from my brother.  Now when someone starts talking Trump or guns with me I just smile, say I am on holiday, and change the topic. I wish I could perfect a Canadian accent.

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