Michael... NO ONE can sensibly defend or justify those figures....but **some** choose to look the other way! I can explain some of their rationalizations ... money, politics, testosterone...etc. but I never try to justify.

A real pragmatist (I studied it for 6-7 years) would start with what IS and examine both the causes and the political & legal possibilities as they might be pursued. This means... to MY pragmatic views... that such ideas as sending 'authorities' into every home to confiscate all guns is not a 'pragmatically' good idea. Neither is the idea of legislating that every household be required to own a firearm and training members to use it... as has been tried in a couple of communities.
You can no doubt list other stupid, not-so-pragmatic ideas; that's easy... please DO make some suggestions about what would help..other than the already logical, but hard to do bit of banning or restricting sales at gun shows!

I want MORE education and media focus on the issue and on every tragic event until every mind that is not already committed TO guns is horrified. Some of that IS happening.... perhaps one day there will be some NRA owned politician denied re-election because of his views... maybe... perhaps..