There is widespread shock and disbelief at the news of the school shootings in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Shock that five lives - those of four pupils and a teacher - have been brought to a violent and tragic end.

Disbelief that the suspects are themselves children, armed to the teeth with an arsenal of handguns and rifles.

President Clinton urged Americans to search their souls for the underlying causes.

"This is the third incident involving young children in violence at schools in the last few months and I'm going to ask the attorney general to find whatever experts there are in our country on this and try to analyse this terrible tragedy and the other two." he said.

Gun control supporters in the USA have long blamed the large number of gun accidents and suicides on the easy availability of firearms and lax licensing and safety rules.

But Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms - and it is a right that the pro-gun lobby defend at every opportunity.

A total ban on handguns in Britain became law at end of 1997 in the wake of the Dunblane Primary School massacre on March 13 1996.

The families of the 16 children and their teacher shot dead by Thomas Hamilton campaigned for the ban.

So should President Clinton's first step be to turn the tide of gun culture with which his youth are growing up and ban the possession of handguns?

What do you think?

Should America ban the handgun?

I'm afraid my kids will need a bullet proof jacket for school.
David Bolin, USA

Your reaction in full

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