PS
"Of course it would be better to reduce the number of "... people who see killing as a solution..."! Just how do you propose to do this? And while we're waiting for this breakthrough in social conditioning, how about making it a bit harder for the potential murderers to do major damage?"

Just how do you propose to prohibit guns? Like we won the War on Drugs? There's way more marijuana use now than there was in the thirties when it first became illegal. And remember Sam Colt's first revolvers were made with early 19th century technology. Paladin Press has several books on home shop gunsmithing. Look them up.

"The fact is, it is more common for people to be hurt or killed with "guns kept for self-defense" than for people to successfully USE a gun for self-defense!"

I don't think there are any reliable statistics on this. And there are a number of people like me (and my mother!) who have used a pistol to warn the bad guy off and who wouldn't show up on gunfight statistics. Although I think that's the best way to defend yourself with a gun.

clint