I don't disagree with that. However, I don't think that anything will change with stricter gun laws - the people committing all those firearm homicides are the same career criminals who make a living by selling illegal drugs that are smuggled into the country. Do you really think that making guns illegal will change anything for them? In fact, guns are already illegal in many of the urban areas where they live, and that has had no effect at all.
There's no need to punish law-abiding Americans who responsibly own and use firearms under existing laws while maintaining a firearm homicide rate that is similar to that in Europe.
Those who are law-abiding and have no history of mental illness shouldn't be affected. Data shows about 40% of firearm sales require no background check. [1] Between 1994 and 2008 data also showed that background checks obstructed firearm sales to 1.8 million prohibited people. [2] There is room to improve.
[1] Philip J. Cook & Jens Ludwig, Guns in America: National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms, U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice Research in Brief 6-7 (May 1997).
[2] Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2008 – Statistical Tables.
I don't object to eliminating the sales of guns without background checks. I also believe that children such as the one in this story[0] should be institutionalized (at the state's expense, if need be), so they can be cared for by professionals and not allowed to hurt other people.
I do object to blanket bans of semi-automatic assault weapons, however, or the restriction of concealed carry permits.
