I have tried to stay out of this thread as much as possible because I don’t think it can go anywhere but I do want to make this comment: A definition of insanity (or maybe it is just stupidity), is doing the same thing over and over when it has been shown not to work. This is what the American experience demonstrates. Giving everyone easy access to guns does not solve the problem of violence; it just escalates the scale. People get frustrated when they see bad guys ignoring the rules that they feel bound by. They feel unsafe when they have to wait for help instead of defending themselves. The desire to go around armed is an emotional response to feeling vulnerable, especially when those authorised to use force on our behalf are under-resourced. But it is not the answer. Probably there isn’t an answer, though better policing would certainly improve things. By better I don’t mean more, but better quality – higher admission standards with better pay, better training, cops back on street beats, zero tolerance but without the macho attitude. The issue is mutual respect, not more guns.