As massacres increasingly occur in schools and public places in the United States, many ask how many people still have to die in shootings before authorities effectively take on gun control.

The recent killing of 27 people, mostly children, at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, has again triggered the national debate on the possession of fire arms, supported by the Second Amendment of the US Constitution and backed by conservative politicians and the arms lobby in the Congress.

Although the debates continue, it's only words. We have all witnessed the massacres of Columbine, Virginia Tech, a Colorado movie theater, and others similar to the recent killings that occurred in Connecticut.

It seems that no one is willing to pay the political cost of gun control, because so many interests would be at stake. The issue was even referred to during the electoral campaign for the recent November 6th presidential elections.

Following the regrettable event in Connecticut, the White House avoided making any statement about possible reforms to legislation regulating the sales of fire arms by saying that it was not the right moment to address the issue.

Even so, President Barack Obama admitted that the possession of weapons generates violence, pointing out that the nation has gone through this situation many times before.

However, no one dares to really address the issue, while the acts of indiscriminate murder of people are usually said to be carried out by people with mental disorders.

But, in a country with an estimated 300 million weapons in private hands and where the right to possess fire arms is backed by the Constitution, those who support more effective gun control laws doubt that any change can take place soon.

It happens that the House of Representatives is under the current control of the Republican Party, which has close links to the National Rifle Association (NRA), an organization with more than four million members.

Unfortunately, it appears that the violence and shootings in the United States all these years have not been enough for a meaningful change in legislation concerning gun control.

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