Bill, has anyone ever explained the incredible disparity between the per capita gun-assault rate in Canada and the US?

Only about 25% of Canadian households own a gun vs. 50% in the US, but that alone doesn't explain the difference. Could it be because most of the shootings in the US are committed by criminal types with illegal handguns and that actual handgun ownership in the US is far higher than what's reported because of illegal ownership?

Also, why do Canadians want to own guns at a rate half that of the US?
Are Americans really that much more violent at heart? If so, why?

Obviously more is going on here than the simple availability of guns. As I noted on the other thread, few licensed gun owners ever shoot anybody, no matter how many weapons they own.

And while I don't think anybody needs to own an assault rifle, they seem to be used only rarely to commit crimes.