There is an elephant in the room which even gun control advocates in the US just can't seem to see.
In almost every other country in the world, it is not permitted for ordinary citizens to use deadly force in self-defense as a matter of course. As a result, you cannot get a license to keep a gun unless you have a valid reason. In the UK that means vermin control, hunting or target shooting.
Because citizens are forbidden from shooting other citizens, there is no valid reason to keep a handgun at home, let alone carry one outside the house. And it is handguns rather than long guns which account for the vast majority of homicides in the USA.
In fact, in many European countries, in rural areas one frequently sees people carrying shotguns and rifles - every one of which is registered and every owner is subjected to rigorous police checks and monitoring. But even more importantly, the owners of those guns do not see their guns as weapons to be used against other humans - they are either tools of trade or sporting equipment.
Tinkering with the laws on bump stocks and assault rifles is missing the point. For any fundamental change to happen, Americans need to be willing to give up their god-given right to kill their fellow Americans. Which seems pretty unlikely...
There is an elephant in the room which even gun control advocates in the US just can't seem to see.
In almost every other country in the world, it is not permitted for ordinary citizens to use deadly force in self-defense as a matter of course. As a result, you cannot get a license to keep a gun unless you have a valid reason. In the UK that means vermin control, hunting or target shooting.
Because citizens are forbidden from shooting other citizens, there is no valid reason to keep a handgun at home, let alone carry one outside the house. And it is handguns rather than long guns which account for the vast majority of homicides in the USA.
In fact, in many European countries, in rural areas one frequently sees people carrying shotguns and rifles - every one of which is registered and every owner is subjected to rigorous police checks and monitoring. But even more importantly, the owners of those guns do not see their guns as weapons to be used against other humans - they are either tools of trade or sporting equipment.
Tinkering with the laws on bump stocks and assault rifles is missing the point. For any fundamental change to happen, Americans need to be willing to give up their god-given right to kill their fellow Americans. Which seems pretty unlikely...