Political debate begins on gun law reforms, page-7

Guns are the tools with which civil liberties are limited by persons without any personal power or authority. In almost every case of major gun violence, if you look at the person who held the gun you see that without it they were noone and had nothing. Some people feel that a gun will give them authority, power and respect which they otherwise lack (likely lacking the personal qualities or psychological resources to obtain these things in other ways).

We are a non-violent society that values peace and freedom. I don't see how widening the opportunity for aggressive, hostile, criminal types to obtain guns is going to ensure a continuance of our peaceful way of life. I also think that at present we have the right balance re: gun laws. It is not overly difficult to obtain a licence (provided you have no criminal history and can demonstrate competency through training); and the conditions of owning a weapon are entirely reasonable, ensuring these are safely stowed. Perhaps all we really need is more sophisticated systems for vetting those who wish to obtain gun licences. Some psychological testing would not go astray.