Mike Luckovich for March 22, 2013

But oddly enough, there are many countries with similar levels of gang activity, crime and mentally insane on the streets, and where guns are controlled they don’t get nearly the same murder rates. So, by objective physical evidence + logic, your argument fails.

There is a nice summary here; the columns in the table are sortable by clicking on the header. There is painfully complete data here.

Now, back up your assertions, instead of just calling names….

You can check homicide rates per 100,000 herehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate We (US) are still below countries like Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia (no gun control) and way above Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Romania (gun control)(I’m assuming Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Romania have gangs, but it may be that I watch to many action flicks)I noticed one country where gun control seems to have no effect on murder rates, but you’ll have to look that up yourselves.Here are the other links I looked at. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate#By_countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics#HondurasAll three sites are well referenced with UN data

The more voices the better. I’m not always able to comment, but am always glad to see your comments, too.

Nothing but simple facts here. Congressmen fear the NRA so much that they are compelled to turn their heads away from dead children. That’s the state of things here. Dead children are garbage. Guns are an altar of worship. God Bless America.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

And just what part of “Shall not be infringed” do you fail to understand?

Omnius, gun deaths have been dropping over the past 20 years. In 2011, out of about 12,000 murder, about 300 were committed using rifles of all types. It’s disingenuous to ban the non-existent “assault weapon” in order to reduce gun violence.

Plus, there’s that pesky constitution…http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1114/what-does-the-right-to-bear-arms-really-mean

Thank you, well said.

The idea of enforcing current law is a good one. The problem is that laws have been intentionally emasculated. Background checks must be destroyed soon after results are in. Laws are in place to limit the ability of local/state law enforcement to access ATF databases. The ATF hasn’t had a director since 2006. There are no more ATF agents in the field now than there were in the early 1960s. And, of course, I can dress up in a Nazi uniform, goosestep to a gun show, and buy as many items of destruction as I want to out of someone’s trunk, and that’s legal.

What I say: Isn’t there a way to reduce gun violence without denying gun owners the many and varied pleasures associated with being able to put holes in living things from a distance? What they hear: YER GONNA TAKE MY GUNS.

Until that conversation stops being repeated, we are doomed to more massacres.

they arrested a man for thinking of killing kids http://www.wggb.com/2012/09/18/calif-man-arrested-after-post-about-killing-kids-in-espn-chatroom/

the problem with background searches are 1] often asking for gun permit is used by authorities is a reason not to grant one 2] high fees proposed even when it is dad giving son a gun

in my state voting requires either sending letter in to get ballot or walking in and getting ballot

woman who guns were used in newtown shooting lied on app but was cleared so much for checks

Mike, no member of congress is that clear about what they do

Keep harping on the nonessential and wonder why solutions are so elusive.

“No use passing laws-criminals won’t obey them”This is actually the excuse GOP, NRA and other members of the idiocracy would have us believe. They REALLY say things like that. It’s pathetic. How can they possibly justify the ignorance of those comments? They can’t, that’s how. Thinking like that is what will bring America down.

Gosh, Gozer, what a stunning refutation that was.

Luckovitch left out the pools of blood, brain and bone fragments that might have left an impression on those who think that all guns, including those with massive clips, should be available to all.

I live in a red county in the reddist state in the union. You can’t have a glass of wine with your meal at a restaurant, but this weekend you can buy a gun at a show on your way to church or after the sermon on peace and love in over.

PS, the liquor ban is no sales on Sunday.

A moment of silence for the slain.

Water balloons aren’t used to kill people, guns are. By far the largest percentage of homicides are committed with “hand guns”, which includes MAC 10’s etc, that are not considered ""rifles". They have massive capacity magazines, are favored by drug dealers, here and abroad, and gang bangers, especially with “drive by shootings” that usually kill 8-10 bystanders for every actual “targeted individual”, because these weapons put out a lot of highly inaccurately sprayed rounds.

Pistols are the “preferred” weapon for suicides, though Hemmingway chose a shotgun, as a fair number do, not concerned about the mess they make for their relatives of friends to clean up.

“Bad guys” uses semi-auto or automatic short barreled weapons, easily concealed. “Nuts” do use long barreled, high capacity military styled weapons. Simply put , ALL those buying firearms should be “background checked”, and magazine capacity should be limited for “civilian” use, and criminal deaths related to guns would go down with NATIONAL, not just “local” controls and standard rules. That includes “standard” rational concealed carry type requirements for ANYONE to buy ANY firearm.

I thought the kids got scared and ran away…… Maybe to go get guns.

Republicans use dead fetuses to whine about abortion and Dems use dead children to push gun control. As a 6th generation Texan I have no problem with getting guns of mass destruction off the streets but I also support hunters and collectors of which I am both. Just like abortion, this is a subject that is so emotionally charged that there will never be an adequate solution. I do think it is funny that so many guns are sold when a Dem is elected President and so far I can find little if any evidence of a Dem President advocating total gun control in this country, just guns of mass destruction. Way too much paranoia here about having to arm yourself against the government which wants to take all your rights away. If so many of you hate and fear this government to such an extent, please get out and leave the ones who can still see the middle ground to make the laws.

Jesus! That cartoon is a damn shame. PCBS at its worst!

How did you guess? Right on the money! Lifetime resident.

I find it sad that nobody has said a word about the work itself. Perfectly stated, and to the point. Thanks, Mike!

Ouch!

“The truth is that for every victim of a firearm, we can find the story of a person that was protected by a firearm.”

The problem is that “the story of a person protected by a firearm” is unsubstantiated, and as something unverifiable, might not be true. It seems to depend on what people want to believe.

One of the biggest problems with understanding the effect of gun control measures in the US is the fact that they differ so widely from one area to the next, and guns move freely between areas – and, even in areas which have stricter gun control measures, there are usually loopholes so big that you could drive an 18-wheeler through without touching the sides.

There is obviously an issue of not “trampling states’ rights”, but some way of both closing the loopholes and making enforcement of things like registration, waiting periods and background checks universal would go a very long way towards eliminating that problem. Not incidentally, there is no indication anywhere in the US that these things constitute even a first step of “taking everyone’s guns away”, as is usually used as a scare tactic.

The NRA used to be for things like mandatory safety training and mandatory secure storage, as well. They have changed, and not in a good way, IMO.

Easy, just check my profile. But you probably live pretty close, too.