>>>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.
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>>Sadly such a magical choice doesn't exist. Obviously we need a lot of work on removing poverty...I couldn't agree more. None the less, while these issues are being addressed we can still have background checks and registration.
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>You can have background checks and registration. The law-abiding will apply, pass and be registered. The criminals will get their guns without bothering to apply or be registered. We need to solve the right problems, which imo is poverty:
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>In November 2012 the U.S. Census Bureau said more than 16% of the population lived in poverty in the United States, including almost 20% of American children,[1] up from 14.3% (approximately 43.6 million) in 2009 and to its highest level since 1993. In 2008, 13.2% (39.8 million) Americans lived in poverty. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States
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Which is the point we keep trying to make. My husband, the self proclaimed yellow dog Democrat, keeps asking me why I can't see 'their' side of the gun control issue. I keep telling him I do see that point, but it's the wrong point to be picking at. We need to solve the issues that made whomever decide that a spree shooting was the most reasonable solution to the situation they found themselves in. Poverty, certainly. Mental health? Oh youbetcha. Let's take care of these issues first - then let's come back and review gun laws.