Reply #87: Do you have any evidence for that?

[library_max]

Because on the face of it, it's nonsense. You're assuming that "criminals" and people are two entirely different species. It's well-documented that most killings are performed by people who knew the victims well - family, lovers, friends. This obviously implies that most murders are not committed by career criminals but by persons who weren't criminals at all until they killed somebody.

Also, most career criminals who do get guns get them from "law abiding gun owners" or from the same places they do (since they probably don't have "CRIMINAL" conveniently stamped on their foreheads). How else are they going to get them? Smuggle them in from China? Make them out of old curtain rods in the basement?

The reason it's easy to get around gun laws is that gun laws are ridiculously lax and vary from state to state and municipality to municipality. If it were in violation of federal law for private citizens to buy or sell firearms and ammunition, we could start getting guns and ammo out of the criminals' hands.

In the meantime, the best we can do is to stop "law abiding gun owners" from shooting themselves or friends or loved ones by accident or in a moment of passion. At least that's something.