All those nearly 10,000 firearm deaths a year in the USA compared with around 40 in the UK and around the same in similar countries must be due to something that the USA has that other countries don't. What could it be? Think really hard! Hint: You won't need a PhD in rocket science to figure it out.

The US District of Columbia has the highest incidence of homicide and is twenty times that of Idaho. Columbia has strict laws for gun registration and against concealed carry. Idaho has no gun registration and a permit for concealed carry is available.

It is well known that homicide among young African Americans and Hispanics is far higher than for other groups.

It is known that while some well defined areas have a reputation for homicide and other crime, the great majority of US 'burbs and towns are as safe a seat outside Buckingham Palace with the Bobbies standing by. Probably safer. Which is a worry when there is a very rare multiple homicide/suicide in a US town or suburb not known for violence. The media's contribution to encouraging copy cat murder/suicides needs to be examined very closely.

Plainly there is much more going on with violence and crime than the availability of firearms, knives, fuels, explosives and so on. It would seem to be rooted in economic, social and cultural problems. However that is not something that many politicians and the elites who advise them would want to know about. Politicians lurch from term to term and there is the persistent media circus to concern them.

I stridently object to Jon J's assertion in regards the military collateral deaths, in fact I would put it the other way round. Having the weight of law (perversely, that law has a gun behind it) on your side makes those deaths all the more repugnant, as there is no come back of any substance.

"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" - Mahatma Gandhi

1000's of child deaths each year in New Guinea because we would rather spend the money on War then vaccination puts us in a place I feel VERY uncomfortable with. We place little value on the deaths of many, we value theatre.

That aside, I enjoyed the article albeit I disagree with the sentimental reflection about John Howard's Gun Policy, I bought the twaddle then but time and reflection sees it as nothing but political rhetoric.

With all the broh-ha-ha I have decided to investigate myself, get a gun license, attend a safety course and intend to purchase a couple rifles.

How very true Valley Guy, we seem to be so preoccupied with killing each other rather than humiterian needs throughout the world, and there are many, even our Monarchy members must have military training, goodness only knows what for, they would never ever be in the front line of fire,but when one views the medals on their chests for so called bravery,it leaves me cold, perhaps a course in mental problems or making the world better in some way would be a far better way to go, rather than a course in how to kill human beings, I also have had training in how to kill people, which was Prime Minister Menzies sponsored many years ago. War is as bad as a mentally deranged gunman and children will suffer the same fate in both, that is dead for no reason of their making.

Emperor Julian,
The U.S.A isn't one nation, you can't use the different homicide rates in different areas to get an average and declare a problem across the board.
The heavily African areas of the U.S have by far the highest murder rate their societies resemble Africa in that regard,Louisiana and Mississippi are often described as third word countries.
The heavily Mexican south western areas are less violent but still have roughly three times the murder rate of northern states, they resemble Mexico or central America.
Hartford and Sandford Connecticut have a slightly higher murder rate than Melbourne or Sydney, it's about 3.5 per 100,000 to our 3.1, but again, Hartford is 13% African and 39% of all homicides there occur within that community.
If you look at averages the picture is grim but the point I'm making is that we don't normally look at Europe, with it's diversity of ethnic groups and take averages as proof of one thing or another, that'd be stupid, no one would take it seriously right? So why do it with the U.S.A?

Apologies,
Stamford, Conn, not Sandford..I keep doing that for some reason.
BTW,
The private school which the Obama children attend reportedly has eleven armed guards on duty every day (Malia and Sasha of course have their own secret service detail), that's been their policy for many years.

www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/12/23/School-Obama-s-Daughters-Attend-Has-11-Armed-Guards-Not-Counting-Secret-Service