Aldus, you make a serious error in referring to guns as toys. They are not. To consider them anything other than potentially deadly weaponry is to invite injury or death. Guns have always been treated seriously in my house, and I never got the impression that guns were toys, even when I was twelve.
Another point...no one here has suggested that "bullies at school" should be handled by shooting. If you think that's what people are saying, you're right, that is insane.
To be perfectly honest, Americans in general simply don't like the idea of having personal freedom curtailed. We don't tend to see why the rights of people who obey the rules should be abridged because of people who do not obey.
Personally, if there were a way to legislate handguns away, I think it's a great idea. There is a place where I believe personal freedom takes a back seat. Unfortunately, it's not possible. You can take guns away from law-abiding people, but not from criminals. Violent crime will continue, regardless of gun control laws.