On average there has been nine mass shootings every ten days in the US since 2012. The most recent tragedy saw 59 people killed by a gunman at a music festival in Las Vegas.
Most of these shootings were carried out with handguns, usually legally obtained because few states in the US require certification to buy guns and have limited regulations on carrying firearms in public.
But what does America consider dangerous enough to be declared illegal or ban?
- Kinder Surprise eggs (or any other confectionary containing toys) – in 1938, Mars promoted a law that considers toys hidden inside of food as dangerous to children in a bid to stop its competitor Kinder from entering the US market.
- Bingo games – in some US states, bingo games are banned at certain times of the day while other prohibit games lasting for longer than five hours.
- Children’s books – children’s books printed before 1985 are not considered safe for sale in the US because of potential lead contamination.
- Goatees – men in Louisiana who want a goatee need to seek permission from the state.
- Sundays – many states have rules about what can be bought, sold or done on a Sunday (though whether they are enforced is another matter). These include selling corn flakes in Ohio, riding a merry-go-round in Idaho, eating hamburgers in Minnesota and playing cards or board games in Alabama.
- Toy guns – in Las Vegas, a 2012 ban on dangerous objects means you can’t sport a fake or toy gun – but you can carry a real one.
Sadly that really says it all.
