Guns kill more in America than wars.

"Guns don't kill people, people kill people" is one of the favorite mantras of the gun nuts in the U.S. But like so many things that conservatives like to say - it is superficial reasoning and it appeals to the simple minded who can't think more than one step deep into any problem.

Since we moved out of the forests, mankind has developed tools to help us do the things we need to do to survive. The sophistication of those tools is one of the things that distinguishes us from the lower life forms on the planet. Simple tools, like hammers and saws allow us to build more sophisticated shelters. More complex tools like automobiles and airplanes allow us to travel farther and more quickly. Sometimes these tools can be used for other purposes, including as weapons. It's unfortunate, but the less civil of our species could harm someone else with a spoon. Hammers, cars, spoons - in fact any tool, even our bare hands, can be used to harm another individual - but that's not the intent of these tools and it is awkward to use them in such a manner.

Guns, on the other hand, are tools that are designed to kill. We use them to kill animals to feed our families and we use them in war to kill other people. They serve no other purpose. Some among us claim that we use them for self-defense, but in using them for self-defense, we aim to kill. Guns are killing machines and it is NOT awkward to use them for that purpose.

So, yes, guns don't kill people without human operation, but they are in fact tools of human invention whose sole purpose is to kill. Guns are killing tools and they are very effective at what they do whether they are in the hands of the good guys, or in the hands of the bad guys. It is imperative, if we care about one another, that we control who owns guns and which guns they can own.