The Elliot Roger Massacre, which saw 22-year-old Elliot Roger kill six people and wound 13, was inevitably going to reignite the debate regarding gun legislation in America, and as expected, the firearm fans are coming up with some pretty illogical excuses for their case.

The gun-nuts are arguing that if firearms are banned, then knives and cars (both as murderous weapons equal to that of guns, apparently) must be banned too.

Their knee-jerk reaction comes across as a little unsound, as knives and cars have other purposes than killing. Guns, do not.

Perhaps the clearest comparison between gun violence and knife violence is provided by looking at the attack that occurred at a Chinese school in Henen Province the very same day as the Newtown Massacre. Twenty-three students were attacked in Henen and none died—as opposed to 20 murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary. Or how about the 22 injured in a knife attack at a school in Pittsburgh this past April? Nobody died there, either.

Of course, to the family of a victim, one stabbing death is too many. But clearly knives can’t kill as impersonally, as many, as fast or as at far a distance. Which might be why there haven’t been presidents knifed from book depositories (or grassy knolls, whatever your preference), there aren’t drive-by knifings, and we didn’t storm Omaha Beach throwing knives.

Another point made in favour for gun-control was the fact that weapons are sold to individuals who don’t have their full background checked and their past psychological well-being and records being examined. Due to this, a stricter and more moniotred gun law is suggested.

If lax guns laws and more guns overall made people safer, the United States would be the safest place in the world. Instead, that designation goes to countries like Japan and England, which have actually taken on this problem with the seriousness it deserves. And then there is the special case of Australia, which was heading down the same path as us until 1996, when they had their own Newtown, known a the Port Arthur Massacre. They passed not weak-tea gun laws, but a comprehensive package (passed by their Conservative Party). The results have been stunning, as not only has there not been a mass shooting since then (there were 11 in the 10 years before they passed this legislation), but their suicides and gun-related deaths have gone way down too.

[source: The Daily Beast]