THE CODE OF SILENCE

IN the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, the US Congress has shelved a controversial plan to make it easier to purchase gun silencers. “That bill is not scheduled now,” House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters, referring to a measure that also includes language making it more difficult to classify certain ammunition as “armour piercing”. Following the shooting, gun-control groups warned the measure would only make it more difficult to locate such shooters. The devices, also known as suppressors, do not eliminate gunshot noise entirely. One of the bill’s sponsors Republican Jeff Duncan, argues that reducing gun noise is a safety issue for hunters.