>I don't see why it is not a discussion point. So no one gets a drivers license because they may one day speed or have an accident and be at fault? In the U.S., once you pass the test to demonstrate that you know how to drive and know the rules of the road, you get a license and it is valid until you break the serious (or to many non serious) driving rules. Why can't the same thing hold true for a weapon? Demonstrate your knowledge and ability and receive a license that must be renewed? When laws are broken then take the license and surrender the weapons?

I think maybe we're talking about two different things. Yes, I agree with all your rules about being allowed to buy a gun (actually I'm a bit more lenient than you are), but what I'm calling a poor discussion point is the argument that people keep bringing up about how all these rules, and gun registries, and any other sorts of gun controls only penalise the law abiding citizens and not the criminals. I think that argument is a red herring and is meant only to deflect the debate into pointlessness.

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>>>As far as I know, I think everyone agreed that citizens with a history of mental illness should not be allowed to purchase weapons (NOT just law abiding citizens). Have you missed ALL of those statements? In which case, Cho would not have gotten a weapon except by illegal means.
>>
>>First off, not everyone agreed. Check with Mike Cole. Secondly, it still means that you'd have to have that history of mental illness. And finally, this argument about how gun laws only penalise 'law abiding citizens' and not the criminals is hardly a new argument. All I'm saying is that it's an argument that is not really sustainable when you consider that everybody is law abiding until they break the law that first time. In other words every murder is committed by someone who was, at one time, a law abiding citizen. Might have been the day before or it might have been a year before. I just don't feel it's a valid discussion point.
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>>>>>The latest year where statistics are available is 2004:
>>>>>
>>>>>Deaths population Rate per 100,000
>>>>>29,569 293,656,842 9.95
>>>>>
>>>>>All Races, Both Sexes, All Ages
>>>>>http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate.html
>>>>>
>>>>>I won't dispute that we have the highest death rate by firearms. I just do not see prohibiting the sale of firearms to law abiding citizens the answer. It will never stop criminals from having them. I would rather see:
>>>>
>>>>That's another argument I have a bit of a problem with. I'm always hearing that gun laws only penalise law abiding citizens. Well, everybody, prior to committing a crime is a law abiding citizen. On April 15th, Cho was a law abiding citizen. On April 16th, he wasn't any more.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Stricter gun purchase/license laws:
>>>>> no weapons sales to anyone with a history of mental illness or misdeamer crimes (anyone with a history of a felony already cannot get a weapon legally)
>>>>> no weapon sales without a certificate of training from an approved firearms training site
>>>>> no weapon sales without a 60 day waiting period (cool off time and background check)
>>>>>Strictor enforcement:
>>>>> severe prison terms for illegal sales and usage
>>>>> severe prison terms when firearms are accessible to minors
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3083618&page=1
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>People can talk about this issue from any angle and offer up "what if?" scenarios. The FACT remains that we have a gun fatality rate way higher than other developed countries. Here's an URL for the Earl Girl ---
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>http://www.guncite.com/cnngunde.html
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>It was interesting googling to find a site with direct statistics. Most of the hits I got were pro-gun attempts to spin the numbers away.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Just read yesterday (in may weekly news digest):
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Since JFK was assassinated there have been more Americans killed by gun, by their fellow citizens, than in all the wars of the 20th century put together.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>A comparison of similar cities: Seattle and Vancouver showed that whereas the number of people dying of violence in general was about the same, that of those dying of gunshots in the Canadian city was only a fraction of that in the American city. Can't remember what the study period was.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Nuff said