The UK has not had a school shooting since 1996, yet the US has had approximately 165 since Sandy Hook. Why?

Because you guys actually like to get an education?   I don't know about bragging about Englad being so civil.   I remember the Sex Pistols.  Those guys did not just erupt from nowhere.  There is a lot of disgruntled and violent people everywhere.

If they are not hitting the schools they are causing mayhem somewhere, I'll gather.

Hand guns are not allowed in the UK, owning one and getting  caught = 2 years in jail.

Using one to shoot animals etc.= 5 years.

Using a Hand gun, Rifle or shotgun to shoot a person.=Life in Prison.

But how many stabbings have you had?  How many of your schools have to have knive arches?

It is not the gun....it is not the knive....it is the idiot with it in their hand.

Because between the two of them, Clinton and Obama have had 12 of 20 years in the Presidency since 1996, which YOU chose as a basis for comparison. 

Have you ever wondered why Americans have a reputation (deserved or not) for being gun-obsessed? I think that might have something to do with it.

The Sex Pistols were nothing more than a bunch of lavatory bowls who deliberately set out to give the British an unjust reputation for being a bunch of lavatory bowls. Their hits "Anarchy In The UK" and "God Save The Queen" sum them up in a nutshell (or maybe even nutcase). If you want to have a go at the British for not being so civil, can't you think of a better class of "uncivil" than them?

I submit the difference is the number of mass killings has less to do with the difference in availability of guns and more to do with differences in how guns (and violence in general) are viewed in the two countries.

After all, the UK has cars and knives and other instruments of lethality, too, right? So if crazy nuts in the UK wanted to take out a bunch of school children, teachers, and administrators, they could just drive into a building or go on a knifing spree. But they don't and, for the most part, they don't in the US either. Mass killings with cars and knives are far less common than mass shootings.

I think what drives mass shootings is the SYMBOLIC attraction of guns as fantasy implements of machismo and rebellion.  Running people down with a car just doesn't say "I am man. Hear me roar. Fear me!" in the same way brandishing a military-style semi-automatic rifle does. My impression is the fetishization of guns in this fashion is a peculiarly American phenomenon. Not that it doesn't happen in other societies (there are wingnuts of all kinds in any sufficiently large population group), but the normalization of fetishization of firearms is an American cultural trope.

While the numbers have changed somewhat since then, when Michael Moore made his film Bowling for Columbine, Canada had per-capita gun ownerhsip rates about 1/3rd that of the US. Yet, for all the cultural similarities between the US and Canada, Canada had a gun VIOLENCE rate about 1/10th that of the US. Realities like that suggest to me the problem is not the guns, it's the violence.

Wonder if number of firearms accessible in private homes could have an influence? Hmm.

Why not both?

maybe cause they allow guns more here

@EW -- Guns in the absence of violent intent/behavior are lumps of metal. Violent intent/behavior in the absence of guns still can cause mayhem. As I noted in my original answer, I think the symbolism of guns in the United States is a major contibutor to disturbed individuals deciding to commit mass violence, more so than the guns themselves.

Okay Andy.  I don't disagree. I thought they were stupid punks and really had very little redeeming value. 

I am not picking on the British as much as kind of wanting to take them down a peg when they get all haughty and act like they are the modicum of civility. 

They ain't.   They are the Bloody English.  They like to conquer and rule.  I don't like that at all.  So, now they want to rule themselves.  Hope they know what they are doing.

Thanks for your response, I am not sticking up for those Pistols, I am pointing out that they represent a very large factor in any economy where poverty and little education are common. 

The same reason why there are more poor people in the USA than in other western societies, and more discrimination, low birth expectancy, low life expectancy, because some people in the USA think that they know best and a few are narcissistic and care more about themselves than others.  Some allow huge organizations to brainwash them, organizations who really just care about money (like the NRA). Lobbying works in the USA. In Western Europe most people care very much about safety for all people, not just defending themselves, their rights and freedom. The USA is still like the wild west in some respects. Some in the USA believe that more guns is the answer, until their own kids die (which is happening more and more)) then they believe in gun control. Some are afraid of their own government, with little faith in God. Some also love violence and produce violent movies,  and spend money to watch violent movies, etc. Hollywood loves money. Violence breeds violence. God gives a country what they want and deserve I believe. Also it is an individualistic, capitalistic society where money speaks. Some don't really care about the mentally ill, or want to help poor people, or care about criminals. Some, don't want to pay for their healthcare, or rehabilitation programs but they believe in punishment (which doesn't work and just breeds more violence) Some just want to live their lives and have no responsibility for others than their own families. Some listen to preachers who are fearful and hateful, instead of following Jesus example of loving everyone, including terrorists, criminals, the mentally ill, the sinners, the poor, and trusting God to defend them. "Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but overcome evil with good" Rom 12-21

Yawwwnnnnnn

I see, all the school shootings are boring you. Wonder how the families of the dead and wounded, as the survivors look at this. Hmm. I guess the casualties by the attack in Benghazi is boring you too. Tsk tsk.

Almost everything everyone, whichever side of the argument they are on, has stated here so far is incorrect. Guns can be legally owned in the UK to shoot any animal it is legal to hunt, and for pest control on farms. These are the only legal reasons to own a gun. Carrying a knife in the street is a criminal offence, and will get you a stiff prison sentence. We do not have a large number of stabbings. Look at the ONS gun and violent crime figures: http://web.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime-and-sexual-offences--2013-14/rpt-chapter-3.html?format=print I have never heard of a UK school with a knife arch, 2cents. Guns are certainly lumps of metal that do not kill people unless someone fires them, and that is why we, entirely correctly, have gun control, to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous idiots who might use them irresponsibly. I certainly believe that gun control keeps our streets safe. The lack of gun control is not, in my opinion, the only reason the US has so much gun violence. The founders of America believed it was necessary to use guns to gain their independance from the British Empire. Gandhi achieved independance for India, and never fired a shot. I believe the temperament of America is fundamentally violent. I am sorry to say that, but I believe that to be part of the reason for your troubles. Speaking frankly, if some idiot hadn't written some crap about a "right to bear arms" into your constitution, you could just bring in gun control, and get a handle on this.

Answermug questions about it, yes.

UK still has very high rates of violence though, including school violence.

Sweetheart....The "Sex Pistols" were not used in school shootings. There is no possible correlation between the sex pistols and school shootings ! Or is it your contention that the Sex Pistols prevented school shootings in the UK ????...LOL.

" Mass stabbings terrorize British Schools"  ...... Film at 11 PM !

Is that the "Head in the sand" approach  ?

Priceless......LOL !

The UK does not have high levels of violence, Semper. Read those ONS statistics I gave the link to.