Knives are the tool used in 5 times more killings in the US than guns.
Admittedly, though, a firearm can kill more people at a time, making for scary headlines. Omitting 9-11 from the stats, however, the number of mass murders in the US has been on a multi-decade decline.
There is an argument that there are too many knives guns in the US. Admittedly, there are too many illegal handguns in the US. You can buy an illegal handgun on the right ghetto street corner in any American city in 15 minutes if you have the cash. Illegally-obtained handguns are the firearm of choice for criminals.
It is a very rare bad guy who uses a long gun. Too hard to conceal. Mass murderers sometimes prefer long guns because they are more accurate than handguns.
With the exception of Switzerland where firearm ownership is close to required by law, most governments want their citizens disarmed. Disarmed citizens are more helpless citizens. Most of these governments want their police and government agencies well-armed. Why? Because bad guys have firearms even in disarmed places. New Flash: bad guys ignore laws. Police have weapons because bad guys have them, illegally. They were not purchased in gun shops.
You can't keep guns away from bad guys and the occasional lunatic. Impossible. Thus governments try to limit guns going to good guys. Pointless, but good politics in some places.
Essentially all legal firearm sales in the US are for sport and recreation, self-defense, and for collectors. The extremely rare violent exceptions are Muslims and the mentally disturbed. Firearms are as American as apple pie, and as common. The average American is quite comfortable with a firearm. Many if not most American boys and girls learn to use them. They all should. My parents taught us.
The 2nd amendment is not there because of militias so much as because weapons were forbidden for the common man in England. Only aristocrats could own their own swords and firearms. Same as in the UK now.
If by some miracle firearms could be kept from jihadists in the US, they would simply make bombs.
"Assault-looking" rifles? These are just light-weight rifles that look mean. Best-selling rifle in the US today. True assault weapons are illegal in the US except for government agents and the military. Even IRS agents have an arsenal of assault weapons. Isn't that nice?
I think all of the politicizing of the Orlando jihadist's firearms is virtue posing and grandstanding. BTW, I am in favor of vetting all gun buyers, all knife-buyers, and all immigrants from anywhere. Did you know that it is easier for an illegal immigrant in California to stay and to get government freebies than it is to legally-import a hunting dog from England?
I also think anyone using violence or threat of violence whether with firearm, knife, baseball bat, or anything else in commitment of a crime deserves execution. Not tolerable in civilization.
Photo: Good self-defense handgun, the Taurus Judge which fires .45 and .410 shotshells. Popular with judges. With a .45, it takes training to hit anything, but the .410 makes it easy. Best home defense firearm? A pump 12 ga.: Just the sound of the pump action will send any bad guy running for the hills unless they are crazed rural meth-heads. Home defense is like buying insurance. You hope you never need it.
Related: From Howard Stern for the 2nd Amendment, asking people whether they wish to be sheep or men
And from David French: The Bizarro Morality of America’s Gun-Control Debate
