Moving back to the United States is no longer an option for Americans who fear gun violence.
That’s according to one Lunchtime Live listener, Jeff, whose family have urged him to return to his native Vermont, to assist with childcare following the death of his wife.
“Even though they live in Vermont – which is really quite safe of a state – one of the things that I would just hate to put my kids through is the shooting drills,” he said.
Jeff was speaking after a video from the FBI that instructs viewers to Run. Hide. Fight. in the event of a mass shooting has gone viral online after another mass shooting.
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“Kids are required to grow up with the fear that at any time, there could be a shooting in their school and be prepared for it,” he said.
“When the alternative is to have them live in a very safe town of Killarney – a beautiful town and without any fear of guns – why would I even introduce them to the fear even if it never happens?”
‘Drills’
Jeff said the FBI video is “very true as to the state of America.”
“Even growing up in America, we would often have instructional videos of what to do in case Russia nukes us,” he said.
“In that sense, it's not necessarily a new thing to have instructional videos about these types of things.”
Jeff said he finds the state of gun violence in America “frightening”.
“The idea of America is a wonderful thing and America has a lot to offer for itself – more than just the gun violence and the gun culture that's there that's taking over,” he said.
“I'm very pro my home country but in that same way, I do wish that it could change.”
Demonstrators gather on the National Mall to attend a March For Our Lives rally against gun violence in Washington, DC on Saturday, June 11, 2022. After mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, activists called on congress to negotiate legislation on gun violence and gun safety. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Credit: UPI/Alamy Live News‘The most dangerous’
Daniel, who is set to travel to the United States in August, said: “I have been around Europe … but at no point in any of those places was I ever going to be at as much risk as I'm going to be in my week-long trip to America.”
“It's not stopping me from going, but I'm obviously aware that I'm going to have to be aware and I'm going to have to be vigilant,” he said.
“Statistically, it will be probably one of the most dangerous weeks in my life.
“We're not even talking about criminals with guns, we're talking about stupid people with guns or kids with guns.”
2JA1G8D Uvalde, Texas, USA. 25th May, 2022. A Texas Department of Public Safety officer places memorials outside Robb Elementary school in south Uvalde where a lone gunman killed 19 schoolchildren and 2 teachers. (Credit Image: © Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Press Wire)‘Nut jobs’
Chris from Fort Worth, Texas said he fears for his and his daughter’s life when he travels back to his home country.
“I have an 11-year-old daughter, so I’m scared sometimes when I take her back that I'm going to encounter one of these nut jobs, walking around with a AR 15 strapped to them,” he said.
“All the school shootings and they have drills in school now, I wouldn't want to subject my daughter to that.
“It reminds me of [the] drills back in the 50s and 60s for nuclear attacks, they were useless.
“There's nothing much you can really do.”
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