"The only thing you said that I truly disagree with...or you implied it...is that just because something is not needed it is therefore okay to legally deny it to people.."

I didn't type long enough to do all the qualifications & disclaimers needed. It should, though, be obvious that a "reasonable" person like me would differentiate between 'things that are not necessarily needed, but are of general value & usefulness to almost everyone - (like kitchen knives and automobiles and ropes) - and things which, by their very design are 'special' items whose main use is to inflict injury or death from a distance with lessened danger to ones self. (You see how thinking like that allows bows or certain types of hunting rifles?)

Yes, I am quite aware of how long human society has had firearms and how the history of this country is tied to weapons....but most of us no longer need to fight Injuns or defend ourselves in saloons against drunken gamblers ...or even go out and shoot a deer for supper.
As Janie points out, even in situations where one 'feels' in danger, it is seldom easy to get to a weapon conveniently.

   You, Little Hawk, point out that many people simply LIKE guns...fascinated by the mystique and potential power, many of them. Yes, many folks go hunting and use sane weapons in a reasonable manner. Have I said anything that would suggest I want to deprive them of that ability?
You make several suggestions about basic firearm safety and the 'betterment of society' in general. Fine...nothing to argue with there....those ideas should be practiced no matter what we do about guns, but it is pure wishful thinking to imagine that those practices will make any serious impact on gun violence very soon.

So, what would *I* do? It ain't easy, but your suggestion that passing a gun safety course before being allowed to use one is at the top of my list. (Notice I said "use", not "own"..) What about "owning" being restricted to certain types of hunting/sport items, and very strict registration and vetting require to get a permit?
How about restricting 'possession' of a hand gun or fast-firing (semi OR full auto) weapon to law enforcement or security personnel who undergo VERY careful scrutiny?
   What about not even allowing such weapons to be **owned** by private individuals, but treated like military weapons and issued to screened individuals for defined periods with records kept?
How about extremely tight restrictions on ammunition... of types available and of amounts and of whom sold to?

Now, those are just off-the-cuff ideas, and yes, I CAN already see the objections 'some' (you know who you are) would raise. And I realize that even if all my ideas were suddenly law, that incidents would still occur. Guns would be stolen...people would be careless...accidents would happen. But I'd bet there'd be far fewer!

At this point 'some' are puffing about 'rights' and "free societies" and 'trusting the government' and 'slippery slope'. I just do-not-believe that it is impossible to reduce violence by saner laws without endangering the basics of a 'free society'.

   I DO believe that if nothing is done, there will be more & more 'incidents'...enough so that BB's question about "number of shootings per capita" will be a moot point. What is the use of such statistics if you are less safe every day? What about the day when bandits and drug dealer, both here & from Mexico, get strong enough with guns imported from the USA to decide to treat THIS country like Mexico or Columbia? If things continue as they are going, you will almost REQUIRE that everyone go armed to have any chance of defense.
   Those who say they 'need' guns for defense, and advocate that guns be freely available, are creating a self-fulfilling hypothesis. Who will suffer most?...Those who are not competent or willing to use firearms...the elderly, the timid, the weak...etc.

(Yeah...I hear you saying, "Awww.. c'mon, Bill! Scare tactics!") Don't mean it to be...I just think that, in some issues, erring on the side of caution is a better idea.

(and no...I still don't see much hope in the current climate and with the NRA spending millions, of getting many of my ideas accepted. But I am still allowed to have an opinion, huh?)