Clinton, I appreciate your position. Changing society is a tough row, but infinitely more doable than the other proposals. The gun control issues don't fly with the people who own them and vote for a very simple reason. Law abiding citizens who own guns for sport, recreation, and self protection aren't committing the crimes with them. About the only controls needed beyond what we have in place now, are those which would cause a thorough investigation as to how (for example) the young man came into possession of his Grandfather's weapon. I believe that when a gun accident, such as the killing of the little girl in Flint, MI, USA (whom MTed wrote so eloquently about) by the little boy, the owner of that pistol should be prosecuted for murder.

As to changing society, there is a correlation that can be made between the removal of the social safety net, and the increase in gun crime and crime in general. These programs bring hope to the least among us. Back when the world though of the US as a somewhat flawed, but overall great, country, it was because of the respect and desire shown towards the least among us. As funding for programs such as Headstart and other such programs was taken away, hopelessness begins to set in. I am not advocating that folks aren't responsible, but I am telling you that when kids are born into and raised in neighborhoods where there is no way out, they look for other solutions. When a kind feels powerless at school from being physically injured, no one seems to give a shit, they take matters into their own hands. It is just as great a tragedy that this young man killed himself as it is that he killed others. This represents a total failure on society's part.

I would take issue with your contention that these changes that could be made are just as hypothetical as those proposed by the "just make guns go away" crowd. Good Social legislation has been shown time and again to bring about fairly rapid changes in the crime rate and subsequent violence in the streets. No one wants to grow up to be a gangster unless those are the most successful people around. Show them another way, assist them a bit by removing the societal roadblocks, and they will walk straight away from these acts.

It has little to do with the guns, they have always been available. It has everything to do with why they picked it up.

All the best,

Mick