Doesn't matter. The solution closest to ideal is a combination of open-carry and stand-your-ground laws. Like that guy who was shot the other day carrying a gun in WalMart or wherever. You're carrying a gun and you're not in uniform, you're fair game. Should make all those family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas a lot more interesting.
A few points. 1. You still have not answered the question about how you would get rid of the millions of illegal firearms in the country. Since I have asked you about 5 or 6 times now with no answer, it is obvious you have NO plan whatsoever, which makes banning firearms impossible and your argument pointless. 2. A few key points from the study you posted. So it wasn't a total ban, was it? 1/5th of the firearms. Additionally, Australia does not have an estimated 4 million illegal guns on the street (this estimation was during the Clinton era, so it's probably a LOT more now). I guess you can't really apply what happened there to what could happen here, eh? Ah, the rub. Got it, so suicides decreased by gun weapon (however, if a person wants to kill themselves, they'll do it some other way) and estimates of lower homicide are less precise. Nothing proven substantially. LOL!!!! I read the first 20 pages of the report. Feel free to do that instead of taking the spin the blog is talking about. The report admits significant flaws in the ability to project it's data upon any conclusion, and mentions several times that there can't be a comparison between the action in Australia to potential action in the US, and that firearm homicide decline (if truly the decline is statistically proven - which the study says it is not comfortable with) could be the result of many different "exogenous" reasons. Nice try, FC! Fail again, though. Next time, spend the hour reading through the support data like I did.
The guy in Walmart was carrying a BB gun that the store sold. As for all the interesting gatherings, you do have quite the imagination!
Yes, because of poorly trained/poor quality police officers. Here's a story where a police officer shoots a 70 year old with a cane, thinking it was a shotgun. Ban canes! http://www.cbsnews.com/news/video-shows-south-carolina-deputy-crying-after-shooting-70-year-old-man/
Ok. I'm done debating "stupid" for the weekend. Time to go for a swim with the little one. You should get out and enjoy the weekend. Go feed the pigeons at the park, or whatever it is creepy old men do now a days! See you Monday.
Don't forget to take your guns with you. Ya just never know. If you don't post anything on Monday . . .