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Originally Posted by gargamel
Yes it will. It won't solve all the problems, but it will prevent a lot of these incidents. If I wanted to buy a gun to kill someone or shoot up a school and I couldn't walk into a store and buy one, I'd have no idea where to start. I'd probably do some google searches, post an add on craigslist, and get arrested.
Gang members and drug dealers probably have connections that would give them access to the existing guns even if gun sales were banned, but I doubt that a lot of these mass shooters would be able to.
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Gang members, drug dealers aren't the ones killing people in mass, theatrical events--the criminal element doesn't often take that violence into a public place, it doesn't drag innocent victims in huge numbers into their crossfire. Generally gang members are victims of violence from other gang members, drug lords/dealers/buyers are victims. There are, of course, innocent bystanders from time to time, but rarely in a gang related event are you going to have a body count of 27, and really rarely are 20 of them going to be children.
You aren't ever going to get rid of all guns in the US, it's not possible. But there's a big difference between a hunting rifle and an AK-47. And gun control doesn't stop everyone from getting weapons--it should just thin the herd.
Japan's laws for obtaining a weapon would be fantastic.
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To get a gun in Japan, first, you have to attend an all-day class and pass a written test, which are held only once per month. You also must take and pass a shooting range class. Then, head over to a hospital for a mental test and drug test (Japan is unusual in that potential gun owners must affirmatively prove their mental fitness), which you'll file with the police. Finally, pass a rigorous background check for any criminal record or association with criminal or extremist groups, and you will be the proud new owner of your shotgun or air rifle. Just don't forget to provide police with documentation on the specific location of the gun in your home, as well as the ammo, both of which must be locked and stored separately. And remember to have the police inspect the gun once per year and to re-take the class and exam every three years.
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From here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/internati...deaths/260189/
A lot of those rules are excessive--you'll never drop the gun culture to that level in the US, and even the necessity to tell police the specific location is probably excessive. But otherwise I love it.
And for God's sake, if we're supposedly living in the "best nation in the world" figure out a way to make health care--especially mental health care--affordable and accessible to all people.