Why is it that the government feels the need to take guns away from it's law abiding citizens, yes I know that there have been shooting related deaths but here's the thing criminals will get guns whether they're legal or not, sort of why they're criminals. With nothing to defend themselves your average John Q. Public on the streets has no protection. Think back to the 1920s everyone had at least one gun, many people had derringers that's the little pocket shooter for those of you who slept through history and there were almost no shootings you wouldn't give it a second thought walking through a ghetto at night. Because the thug if there was one lying in wait didn't know if you were packing or not. All criminals are at heart cowards and at the risk of a serious injury most will give you a wide berth. Now I'm not saying to give free access to fully automatic weapons but handguns and such are very much a crime deterrent. For example a county very close to where I've the name escapes me now but they required EVERY CITIZEN TO OWN A GUN within a month the violent crime rate dropped from about 6000 cases a week to about one or two hundred in short, Guns are a crime deterrent, they help secure our country in case of a war on our soil (I know I didn't bring it up in my argument, so sue me) and, they help keep the government honest.