>>>>>Because guns are more dangerous and less otherwise useful. Medications have a purpose other than killing. Knives have many purposes other than killing. Guns are for killing.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Not according to the statistics:
>>>>http://www.disastercenter.com/cdc/111riskb.html
>>>>http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/Death-among-children-and-adolescents.htm
>>>>
>>>
>>>How do those statistics support your point? Guns don't kill only by homicide, but also by accident (my greatest fear about them) and suicide.
>>>
>
>>My point is that a kid can die via a gun, or a steak knife, or drain cleaner, or medication.
>
>Yeah, but first, those other things have other reasons to exist and be in a home beyond hurting/killing.
>
>Second, guns kill more easily than those other things do. The others are more survivable.
>
>>
>>Do you not allow your kids into people's houses who have drain cleaner or steak knives?
>>Do you interrogate the homeowners of each house before your kids enter because one or more
>>of these items might be laying around??
>
>As I said, I never thought to ask about guns when my kids were young (they're 25 and 21 now) because it never occurred to me that anyone I knew would own a gun. To this day, I'm not aware of any of my local friends (as opposed to people I know online only) owning guns. I know a few people around who hunt and presumably somewhere have hunting weapons, but not anyone I'm particularly friendly with.
>
>There were some homes I preferred my kids not to go to because I thought the supervision was inadequate, and people I wouldn't let drive my kids in their cars because I didn't think it was safe or because they smoked in their cars.
>
>
>>You have irrationaly singled out the gun when there are many dangers in a house.
>
>Cost-benefit analysis. A gun in a home is solely a danger. Knives and cleaning products and medications in homes provide a benefit to the homeowner.
>
>Tamar

Cost-benefit analysis. A gun in a home is solely a danger. Knives and cleaning products and medications in homes provide a benefit to the homeowner.

Not true. Many people have defended themselve quite adequaly with guns. They serve as a tool for
defense. Just like a some medications are both a defense and a danger.

Ask Sean Taylor's girlfriend to do a Cost-Benefit Analysis of handguns now. I bet she was wishing
they had one last week.