>>So in respect to crimes committed with guns the issue is not guns but poverty. To focus on guns only is actually doing the real problem a disservice. It is easy to focus on guns, it is a great political soapbox, a vote garner, but detracts from the far more complex and costly to solve root problem. It looks like we are doing something, looks like we are doing the right thing but we are potentially doing more harm to society by not paying attention to and addressing the root cause of the crime - poverty.
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>Isn't this also true for pro-gunners who claim they need the gun for their own safety?


You are still entertaining the wrong debate and in doing so detract attention from the actual problem. By not addressing the real problem one thinks one is doing the right thing but in the meantime one is doing society a disservice. Gun crime is a symptom and you can mess around with symptoms endlessly. We need to pay attention to and address the root cause of the problem. But that, of course, is a far more difficult and expensive problem to solve. And it is a problem that also exposes the consistent failure of our governments and politicians (and us/society) to create a society in which all its members can live a meaningful and constructive life.

To answer your question though; the pro-gun camp shouldn't have to say anything at all, apparently they have the current law and constitution on their side. They are not looking to change anything. Of course, they are compelled to present a counter argument for fear of looking like they dont care about the issue. The truth is, the anti-gun camp wish to change the status quo and so the onus should be on them to present a comprehensive and solid argument why to do so. But their argument fails to address (and thus solve) the true problem.

Make it simple; you are given a magical choice between removing guns from society or removing poverty (social, economic, educational) from society. Which one do you choose? I choose removing poverty because that would automatically make the existence of guns a non-issue. Choosing the first option will not solve the poverty issue and thus only modify or shift the crime problem; it will become knife crime or bomb crime or something else.