Defend your right to own a car.

[David88vert]

I agree with everything you are saying but I think you are oversimplifying the oppositions argument. Countries that have total firearms bans do still have gun crimes but they are much rarer than here.

You are talking about countries that started off with little to no individual gun ownership, and with less diversity and variety of culture than the US.

I agree with pretty much everything you said but want to expand on these two sentences:

I don't think anyone expects gun control laws to create a utopian society with no gun crime. However, they do expect they can create a society with a little LESS gun crime.

The FBI statistics show that the violent crime rate and the murder rate has been dropping for over 20 years. The expiration of the previous assault weapons ban did not cause the rate to rise, nor did its implementation have a measurable impact. You can look up these numbers, they are public.

I think you are right about the level at which Congress can help but I don't agree there is nothing they can do. For example, I think they could fund some studies that help to better understand the causes of gun crimes and mental instability. They could also support education and awareness programs to help identify warning signs of mental instability. There are also numerous other items I have discussed in this thread and in another that would help reduce gun crime that results from poverty and gang affiliation.

Funding these studies would take tax dollars from other programs, or would increase the deficit, with no guarantee of ROI. These projects are not clearly in the scope of the government's role in individual lives. There are many private think tanks and universities that would be better suited to enter this arena, and let the government focus on more pressing matters that would affect the majority of Americans lives.