Help for gun control enthusiasts

Obviously the atrocity in Connecticut has led to calls for gun control, specifically a lot of calls for stricter screening and even registration of guns, as well as outright bans on firearms with large "clips."  So in the interest of kindness, here are some tips for you.

First of all, the thing on the bottom of the firearm is called a "magazine," not a "clip", and it holds "cartridges," not bullets.  A cartridge consists of a brass or steel casing, a primer, powder, and the bullet.  Moreover, military-style semi-autos are not in general "high powered."  If they were, emptying a 30 round magazine quickly would send you to the doctor.   Ask anyone who has hunted elk or moose; the recoil on a large caliber hunting rifle dwarfs that of most "assault rifles." 

If you believe that gun control prevents crime, please explain the District of Columbia and Chicago to me. A University of Pennsylvania study found that the 1994 "assault weapons ban" had no measurable effect on crime.

Percentage of mass killings in the United States in zones ruled "gun-free" by law or property owner:  100%.

Percentage of 20th century genocides where gun control was used to disarm civilians prior to the genocide:  100%.

Partial list of mass shootings averted by a law-abiding private citizen, courtesy Mitch.

Partial list of mass shooting incidents where antidepressants and mental illness were involved.

Roving gangs of armed men on the streets which might make a large magazine firearm quite useful: Crips, Bloods, Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, Nortenos, Pagans, Gambinos, Columbos ......

Reasons why gun owners get very testy when the media simply "blames the gun," despite the fact that our guns have in general killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's Oldsmobile:  see above.  Recent tragedies are much more complicated than a lack of gun control, and it's arguable that more gun control would, by making more gun-free zones and reducing the ability of people to defend themselves, make the problem worse.