>>>>The problem is that it's a heckuva lot easier to kill someone with a gun than with pretty much any other weapon.
>>>>
>>>
>>>Wanted to add something - your point is a fair one but I think is flawed because it assumes a perfect world where no one gets any guns. Unfortunatly the crimnals will get them anyway.
>>
>>But somehow a lot more of them have guns here in the US than in other parts of the world. I can't help but believe that's because it's so easy to get guns legally here.
>>
>>Tamar
>
>Still don't agree Tamar. The crooks are not buying, or don't need to, buy guns legally. They get them, period. I live in the most dangerous city in the world. Do you think the crimnals are applying for gun licenses before purchasing their weapons...

I assume, despite your profile, that you're in Johannesburg. (My son visited South Africa last year and I remember what he had to tell us about safety--or lack of it-- in Jo'burg.)

There's no question that Johannesburg and some other big cities have a major problem with guns. But where do the guns come from in the first place?

I'm not so naive as to believe that restricting gun ownership will solve the problems of guns on our streets immediately. But the only solution is to restrict and then, over time, get the illegal guns off the streets. The NRA over here has a slogan "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." They think it makes their point, but I think it makes mine. If only outlaws have guns, we can arrest anyone with a gun and take the gun away.

I think all guns captured by police should be destroyed. I think we should offer people incentives to turn their guns in for destruction. It'll take a generation probably, but eventually, we'll get the number of guns reduced to something manageable.

Understand that I have no hope of this happening. It's just one more thing I think we need to do to fix the world.
Tamar