It was stated on UK TV this morning, by an American commentator, that c. 3,000 'children' (his word) are shot in the US every year.

That's THREE F**KIN' THOUSAND! How can the hairy-arse, small-dick "My gun makes me a Big Man" brigade continue to try to justify their utter stupidity? The one and only purpose for a gun is to propel a deadly projectile, IOW to kill. Those pricks can argue all they like, deny till they're blue in the face, but they can't change that fact.