BTW, You're right Coley, I should read up on the stats you suggest, and I"ll make time to do that before I post any followups to this...

But I must point out that the "unreasonably limit the freedom of Law Abiding Citizens" is just a test that doesn't pass muster here. I would hold guns to the same standard I would hold explosives and drugs to.. Which is to say I believe there are some explosives, and some drugs which present a greater danger to our society than the benefits they offer--and therefore are outlawed/strictly controlled. Assault weapons seem to me to be similar.

Of course I realize that none of these laws are magical solutions. You and I both agree that we must *also* address root causes of gun violence, drug addiction, and the kinds of extremism that makes people want to build truck-bombs with diesel and fertilizer.

And one more thought experiment for you: If you are for ZERO gun control for Law Abiding Citizens, are you also for ZERO drug prohibition? ZERO control on any explosives up-to-and-including WMDs? What's the distinction for one but not the other in your mind? Why are the freedoms you're arguing for not applicable in drugs/explosives cases?