327 people have been killed by dogs over the last 20 years

[intaglio]

36. I see some significant problems with your reasoning

A law covering semi-auto firearms such as you suggest would prove a burden to honest and responsible gun owners but have little or no effect on criminals.

By this "logic" governments should stop making laws about drug use or automobile use because it would prove a burden to honest and responsible drug users or car owners.

Who would run the psychological tests? Considering that there are 80 million gun owners in our nation the overwhelming majority of which are honest and responsible and own at least one semi-auto firearm, how long would the waiting list be for a psychological test and how much might this effect effective counseling for those who didn't own firearms but suffer from mental disorders?

Difficult logistics are only difficult, not insurmountable.

I feel that such an effort would largely be a total waste of time and might actually lead to more problems than it would prevent.

Do carry on, Gov ... sorry, Do carry on, spin.

For example a person who might benefit from treatment for severe depression might commit suicide by other means than a firearm because he/she was unable to find help as the appointment calendars of every individual who was qualified to help was filled with gun owners who had absolutely no mental issues.

There is a term for this sort of fallacy - a straw man.

You also suggest testing on a yearly basis. Can you imagine how much time would be wasted testing 99.999% of semi-automatic gun owners every year in order to cull out the .001% who MIGHT pose a danger.

Can you imagine the time wasted by autopsy of 20 children and by the crime scene management of a slaughter of that size. Are you not shocked by the "time wasted" by parents going to funerals, by the wasted money spent on presents that would have gone to deceased infants. Perhaps you have a fellow feeling with Scrooge before his callousness was pointed out when viewed the children beneath the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Also a person with truly severe mental issues might pass the test while another person who would never create a problem would be rejected.

Now contrast the current limit on gun ownership in the USA - money.

I do agree with your idea of requiring anyone who wished to own a semi-auto firearm to have proof of safety training prior to being allow to purchase a semi-auto weapon however I would extend it to the purchase of any firearm or ammo. The course and test could be conducted on line or in all high schools. Of course this idea would be strongly opposed by the NRA.

This is the only sane thing you have said.