Reply #44: I do not share this outlook on GOP-Democratic differences...

[SteveM]

While I don't think that "individual rights take absolute precedence," I have serious questions about "society's rights to regulate personal behavior with an eye toward public safety."

I would like to know what a "societal right" is? The Constitution allows rather strict guidelines on what the government cannot do, and they are necessarily based on individual rights. I am NOT a fan of "society... regulating personal behavior." That is something government should not be doing, unless the behavior in question is encoded in criminal law, and that law is constitutional.
Public health would be best served by guaranteeing health care to all, better schools for all, a cleaner environment, and enforcement of health and safety codes which are grounded in sound science.

The so-called "public health model" used as a rationale for gun-control is very poorly thought out. SEE: CDC study examining "gun interventionist" strategies as they relate to public health.