There are times when the United States seems like a strange and distant place. That distance has seemed larger than usual in the aftermath of the shooting of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, an incident that claimed six lives and wounded 14 others. The reaction in the U.S. to that horrific incident the morning of Jan. 8 has displayed some of the best and the most confusing aspects of our partner and ally. Tragedy of this scale usually does.

A seemingly deranged man emptied the magazine of a semiautomatic pistol — 30 bullets in a matter of seconds — as Ms. Giffords, a three-term conservative Democrat, participated in a "Congress on Your Corner" event outside a Tucson, Arizona, supermarket, where she met constituents. The alleged shooter was grabbed by bystanders. He is said to be a loner, with a long history of antisocial behavior.

It is difficult (if not impossible for most people) to comprehend the anger and confusion that would drive an individual to try to kill a public figure; sadly, Japan has ample experience with such incidents. We are in no position to challenge the failure to lock up someone with a record of antisocial and potentially dangerous behavior. What is remarkable from our vantage point — and is a long-standing question for many non-Americans — is the ease with which those individuals can acquire weapons of extraordinary lethality. The utter illogic of a society teeming with guns with little control on their use and possession seems self-evident to us.