This kind of topic just proves how people can't think statistically. OF COURSE gun laws reduce gun crimes. OF COURSE people who are determined to get a weapon illegally will find a way. But stricter laws would prevent so crimes such as those involving children or mentally ill people getting a hold of weapons. I think that automatic weapons should be completely outlawed. There should be many more restrictions for people with any kind of questionable background. There should be very strict laws on keeping guns out of others' hands–similar to the illegality of the transfer of prescription narcotics.

You gotta remember that the vast majority of "gun crimes" involve legally purchased weapons and receive no publicity. Many are accidental. We only hear about the nutcases from the media. less

Thank you! Many people are not able to think statistically and many cannot think logically. The "cold dead hand" contingent knee jerks and thinks gun laws will "outlaw" all weapons. (When that simply isn't the goal of gun control.) They don't understand, as I said earlier, how dangerously easy it is to get semi auto and automatic weapons legally.

Let's see someone kill 12 and wound nearly 70 in about 60 seconds with a knife. Nobody wants to address that. You can't GET automatic weapons in most European countries with logical, intelligent gun laws. WHY can people buy them at a Bass Pro Shop in the USA? And WHY does anyone need them? The only thing they are good for is mowing down a large number of humans in a very short period of time.

This guy in Colorado unloaded several hundred shots in somewhere between 60 and 90 seconds. He bought ALL his guns legally, including the AR15 automatic weapon, which had a magazine drum of 100+ rounds. As THIS is the reason automatic weapons are made, in whose sickened mind is this "sport?"

The knee jerk mentality of people who think sensible gun law will cause their "rights to be taken away" rarely gets into gear when their rights are actually taken away. (For instance most who belong to the NRA support The Patriot Act, one of the "laws" that takes away more rights than any other.) *sigh* They don't get it, when it's right in front of their faces. So so sad. And very disappointing. less

Actually Norway does not have particularly strong gun laws. They have a very large population of hunters that prevent such laws from being passed.

The countries with very restrictive gun laws (for example the UK, which completely bans handguns for civilians) have VERY low homicide rates compared to the US.

In 2009:

US: 2.98/100,000 recorded intentional homicides by firearm
UK: 0.03/100,000 "

In case you can't do math, the US's rate is 99 times that of the UK's.

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Pretty damn hard to kill 12 people and wound more than 60 in 1.5 minutes with a knife, don't you think?

The SPEED and efficiency at which automatic weapons kill is part of the problem.

If "people will find a way" to do whatever they want, why bother with laws at all? less

This kind of topic just proves how people can't think statistically. OF COURSE gun laws reduce gun crimes. OF COURSE people who are determined to get a weapon illegally will find a way. But stricter laws would prevent so crimes such as those involving children or mentally ill people getting a hold of weapons. I think that automatic weapons should be completely outlawed. There should be many more restrictions for people with any kind of questionable background. There should be very strict laws on keeping guns out of others' hands–similar to the illegality of the transfer of prescription narcotics.

You gotta remember that the vast majority of "gun crimes" involve legally purchased weapons and receive no publicity. Many are accidental. We only hear about the nutcases from the media. less

AR's are sold in walmart, Bass Pro Shop, Cabolo's ect, Because they are used in the sport of hunting deer, bear, and other animals. NOT PEOPLE. I am a hunter, my dad was a hunter, and his dad before him. This is a majority of how my family eats.

The drum with 100 rounds doesn't come stock on that gun he added it to it. and just because someone buys an AR at BPS doesn't mean they are "Hunting Humans"

I really don't care if they do gun control or not. I have all my permits. and will continue to use them for what they are for, Hunting and protection. less

Do you have a reference for this? I am not believing these numbers. Sounds like NRA propaganda to me.

References, please. NOT from the NRA, real references. Preferably from a peer reviewed article with statistical analysis.

We're not talking about people like Zimmerman, I hope. He was in NO danger, yet chose to think the law was in his hands. And, a person died.

Statistic aren't about "feelings." Someone "felt they might be in danger." Real numbers. I'm not seeing anywhere near 2.5 million. Misquoting stats doesn't help the "pro gun" cause. Really. less