But surely making it so easy to get hold of them (for example in a supermarket, I believe?) can't help.
No...the guns used in most cases of violence are not the hunting type of guns you can buy in SOME Wal Mart type stores. You also have to pass a national background check to even buy those.
The bad guys will always get the tools to kill people no matter what the law says. The laws only keep good normal folks from responsibly owning guns.
Not quite - to drive a car I have to pass a test, have a license, valid insurance and make sure my car is roadworthy. I also have to pay a fortune for heavily taxed fuel and an annual inspection. In the event of an accident, I also can't claim to have killed/maimed someone in self-defence... Also, cars are useful!
I don't buy your defense. People who wish to carry a gun for self defense must take courses and pass tests. I am not sure what you mean about not claiming to kill someone in self defense as I think this is the time it is OK to kill someone with a gun...to protect life. Guns are useful as well...providing food to hunters, self defense etc.
Fact is cars still kill many more people every year than guns. Guns like cars are tools. People can misuse those tools but it doesn't make the tool evil. You response is what I hear from every European. They don't get it because they have a skewed view of gun culture. They believe the propaganda and nonsense.
Look at the UK for an example of how bad people always find a way to kill. Ban guns...people use knives...ban knives...people will move on to the next thing to kill others with. You cannot remove all possible dangers..like I said if so you would remove cars as they are one of the biggest killers.
Gun owners do not WANT to kill anyone. Most of them are hunters and sportsmen. People who carry guns for self defense would be happy to never need it. But the time you do need it to save the life of your family or others makes it worth having.