Despite drivers and their vehicles having to be licensed, over 40,000 Americans are killed in auto accidents each year and untold thousands more are injured, some greviously. The simple act of regulating and licensing something doesn't necessarily translate into safety.

The ability to license something is the ability to deny it to people. Questions arise when considering who gets to establish the licensing and the criteria for denying who can and can't do something. There are people who are denied drivers licenses, either for medical reasons or for a bad driving record. Since driving is considered a priviledge, most people don't mind. It's a different matter when it comes to rights. No one needs a license to establish a newspaper or to speak.

As for firearms safety, there are many good training programs out there. Mine was courtesy of the US Army (and to a much lessor extent, the Air Force). Out of necessity, firearms safety is almost literally beat into soldiers' heads. After all, we're talking about putting automatic weapons, grenade launchers, etc. in the hands of teenagers. Those are lessons that stick with you. Still, it has been almost 20 years since I've owned any firearms. Should I choose to change that, I'd go for refresher training.