>>I have not handled a weapon since leaving the service and probably never will, but I'm a product of Queens, NY where almost no one hunts and the only people with weapons are cops and bad guys - so the opinion of someone from Queens about hunting and rifle ownership is about as valuable as the average Alaskan's opinion on surfing.
>>I once had business dealings with some people in Wilkes Barre, Pa who shut their businesses for a week when the deer hunting season opened. That mystified us NY'ers.
>>That's why these things should be decided locally.
>>Queens should set its gun policies and Wilkes Barre should set its own.
>>Washington should just be quiet.
>
>You might be interested to know that NYC and surrounding area police officers have objected to harsher gun and ammo control proposals. They've openly cited cases where citizens used guns to protect themselves.

And how does that compare to the cases where someone gets killed because of too easy access to a gun?
I find this discussion fruitless, gun ownership is too embedded in american history and it will take decades to change that. Overall, as an european where only cops and bad guys do own guns, I would never allow for a gun in the house. As statistics prove again and again, the chance that the gun is used for self defence vs accidents/suicide is a ration approx 1 to 40...

To me its unbelievable stupid to have guns in the house for self defence while there is no direct threat. The gun in the house, IS a direct threat to you and your families safety, no matter how you put it. It will take time, but I'm convinced that eventually you'll get there... you can't deny overwhelming statistical prove forever.