Can gun control reduce crime in the US? ALJAZEERA

The two best speakers on this show are David Hemenway of the Harvard School of Public Health and Executive Director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Robyn Thomas.

I thought that Adam Winkler's comments while good were not as informative and not very convincing. Mr. Winkler of the University of California pushed his book "Gun Fight-The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America".  He appeared to be on the show primarily to push his book. 

There is no "Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America". There is a battle over effective gun regulations. We have no effective gun regulations in the United States at the present time. 

Mr. Hemenway did not push his books. They were not even mentioned in the show.

AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0">

Harvard School of Public Health Firearms Research 

Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence

My personal opinion is that universal background checks of gun sales of ALL types would be the most effective legislation. Manufactures should also be required to use some type of firearm microstamping.  

Thirty round magazines have no use other than to kill large numbers of people very quickly.  

50 cal. sniper rifles are for sale in nearly every gun shop in the USA.  They have no use as a sporting rifle. They are for killing people at very long ranges and disabling vehicle armor at shorter ranges. 

Glock pistols carried by police usually carry up to 17 rounds. But 30 round magazines are only for killing large numbers of people quickly. 

The NRA appears to favor gun and ammunition sales of all types including straw sales to criminals,  gun runners, milita groups and white supremacists. The NRA represents firearm and ammunition corporations, not people.