Once more, gun control opponents...

[Potus]

Supporters of gun control are advocating law changes to address a gun violence problem. So, this is a matter of policy. It's a matter of law. We shouldn't allow policy to be defined by the emotional reaction to tragedy.

Handguns are the most widely available guns that are explicitly designed to kill people. That is the only purpose for which handguns are manufactured. They're also the guns used in the vast majority of gun crimes across the country. Gun control supporters should be supporting policies that resemble Chicago's handgun ban, which was deemed unconstitutional so it's also a fruitless conversation. The handgun ban didn't work. Penalties for gun ownership were put in place, sales were banned, and the killing kept on. The data Deus presented from the Australian crime statistics group is also equally compelling in terms of a handgun ban's practicality.

Assault weapons are a favorite target of the gun control crowd. Ignoring the extremely small role they play in gun crimes, there is also the fact that crime trends were generally not impacted by the assault weapons ban. The chart used earlier in the thread to try to create a causal relationship between the two ignores a glaring fact. Decline in crime continued despite the ban's expiration and increased sale in assault weapons.

The point is often made that the vast majority of violent crimes aren't gun crimes. More violent crimes are committed with knives, by unarmed perpetrators, and with blunt objects than are committed with guns. This leads to the conclusion that violence is the result of people, not a result of weapons. Therefore, whatever policy prescription we put forward should address the problems that exist in people, not in weapons.

The conversation over gun culture is a much more troubling addition to the conversation. Gun culture in America is surrounded by learning how to use a gun. This means teaching things like muzzle control, knowing the area around you, etc. Getting a gun safe is important in gun culture. America's gun culture places a very heavy emphasis on safety and treating weapons with respect.

Concealed carry is important for personal safety. As has been said before, if one of the patrons at the movie theater shooting in Denver had been armed, the shooting could have been minimized. Having responsible, trained people carrying is hardly a threat to public safety. The reality in much of this country is one of long police response times. Especially in much of rural America, police officers can take a significant amount of time to respond to violent crime. A fast, effective response to violent crime is crucial. Concealed carry provides that response.

This conversation is also in need of some intellectual modesty. We shouldn't talk past the evidence. The evidence is clear. There is no data to suggest that concealed carry is a threat to public safety. There is also no data to reasonably suggest that stricter gun laws, such as those present in American cities, reduce crime or make communities safer. The evidence renders a clear verdict: we don't have a gun problem.