Reply #68: I'm pointing out the fact that fewer guns = fewer shootings. We should keep that in mind.

[DirkGently]

The rest of what you said are straw arguments I didn't make, but I'll bite:

1. A ban? No. Won't work here with attitudes the way they are. We need to modify our views of guns and agree on reasonable restrictions so that we don't have so many, so readily available.

2. Support for more restrictions? Yes. Contrary to the gun lobby's slippery slope arguments, every restriction isn't an eyelash away from a ban. Let's start with an electronic registration, and letting the ATF do its job busting dirty gun dealers. The NRA won't even "permit" that anymore.

3. Republicans? Republicans thrive in the sea of guns

4. Of course. Our culture of violence is the root cause, and part of that is our obsession with guns, and part of that is the notion that guns are a sacred, blessed hallmark of freedom and democracy, that cannot be limited, lest King George come back and oppress us.