I am not trying to discredit your gun knowledge or have a pissing match. I'm relatively new to guns myself I'll willingly admit. That's cool though--what guns do you own? Just curious.

However, my point was more that there is numerous other things we can do to prevent people from committing such acts than simply taking away freedoms they have now. I think we can have sensible regulations on guns and it's a matter of proper enforcement on those existing regulations.

In the case of semi-auto "killing machines" as you call them, how do you propose the government take guns away from those who already possess them? Something tells me citizens won't turn those over willingly, especially the more fringe right-wingers.

Beyond that, I don't see how this would solve the gun violence problem. I think the laws will inevitably hit gun owners that are doing nothing wrong.

Gangs will find ways to get weapons regardless. I think a black market for these "killing machines" would surge in America, much like drugs already are (and how's that working for us? ....).

I think rather than addressing the symptoms, we should be asking ourselves why people are becoming so alienated and helpless that the only way are relieved by this is to commit mass murder. I think (personally) that drugs have a lot to do with it, and capitalism itself, and politicians are deflecting real deep criticism such as this and pointing at guns as a scapegoat and are pushing at gun control as a band-aid solution to a much deeper phenomenon. After all, this isn't just a few mishaps, this is a well-defined trend. Many people are driven to drugs, theft, and depression as a result of the economic downturns, so I think my point at least has some validity.

Also, I feel even after getting rid of guns, mass killings could still easily happen. Boston is a great example of that. Building a bomb isn't hard if one is truly dedicated to committing terroristic acts in the event that guns aren't available.

Check out this essay for more: http://www.thepolemicist.net/2013/01/the-rifle-on-wall-left-argument-for-gun.html

Personally, I find it to be very well argued and it's quite comprehensive. It addresses a lot of my fundamental concerns with gun control as it is pushed in the United States.

For a while, I legitimately bought into the soft pro-gun control tactics of people like Diane Feinstein and I can now see that many of these people simply want to get rid of the 2nd Amendment, or at the very least, neuter it to the point of rendering it ineffective.

At some level, I think there's a balance we can achieve between respecting the personal freedom we've already granted people, and also promoting safety. I don't see them as diametrically opposed things, but it seems we differ on this.