There is no easy solution to this problem, I was just trying to get your attention. We missed our chance to solve this problem a long time ago, and it's just too late now.

The reason gun crimes occur so frequently in this country is because guns are so easily available and so cheap. That is all there is to it. Full stop. You simply are not going to legislate them out of existence, any more than we were able to ban alcohol or drugs, even if you could circumvent the desire of so many people to own them, not to mention the political and cultural agendas of so many gun owners. A friend of mine once remarked that "if you make guns illegal, they'll just ship them into the country inside bales of marijuana". The moment guns are outlawed here gun manufacturers throughout the world will gear up for maximum production, knowing they will eventually wind up satisfying an infinite and renewable demand here.

And as the problem gets worse, more and more people will demand the right to arm themselves because the law simply cannot protect us any more. As a gun owner myself (for the very reason I mentioned above) the only partial solution I can think of is to make the possession of any firearm outside one's home a felony, unless it is being transported unloaded and dismantled to an approved location such as a firing range or hunting area. Also, all weapons unsuited for sporting purposes or home defense (yes, anyone familiar with firearms can tell at a glance which ones they are) should be banned. I would also support a ban on all concealable and military weapons, and put some legal teeth into it. Make owning an illegal weapon, or using any weapon illegaly, a felony.

And puh-leeze, let the idiots who are arguing this from a phony constitutional or civil rights or consumer protection angle please shut up. What motivates most people in the gun debate is either a pathological love or fear of weapons. I have no use for either one, guns are dangerous tools, like chain saws, the should not be treated as ideological fetishes. Forcing people to lock up their guns is ridiculous, unless it is a sporting or collectible piece. The reason you have one for home defensive purposes demands that it be kept loaded and ready to go on a moment's notice.

No, this will not stop the killing, but it may control it somewhat.