In the United States, private ownership of handguns ought to be banned.

You're pretty bossy toward the voters. ... 1. Handguns may kill but there is absolutely NO evidence saying that handguns are the firearm of choice in crimes. You provide no evidence except a biased source that's not credible. "The Violence Policy Center" is not a reliable source, often stating exaggerated information regarding handguns. http://www.justfacts.com... I posted the FBI site on guns, that's very credible and also gives you accurate information. Sub A....Do you have any studies more recent than 20 years ago? 1996 is hardly now. In fact, the pdf file you pulled that from does not even mention handguns. The FBI site does show the most deaths with handguns. I won't deny that. People will still kill even if handguns are banned, there are murders happening without the use of handguns. Knives are used, drowning, fire, fists....should we ban water, knives, matches, and fists as well? Funny enough there are fewer homicides today than in 96. Sub B....Your facts on suicide are taken from a study done in 1991 in one state. Which make them pretty irrelevant today. However, suicide is done in many ways. There is no current evidence for handguns in suicide. All firearms, yes but not handguns. Connecticut's suicide-by-firearm rate declined after permits were required to purchase guns. In Missouri after the permits were declined by the state, the suicide rate went up. It makes far more sense to require a permit to purchase a handgun than ban them completely. Suicide will happen anyway, with or without a gun, just like murder. Can't ban ropes, people use those to commit suicide as well. Your second point about owning handguns promotes violence, that's pure speculation you can not say that a parent owning a handgun promotes violence. There could be many other factors for a child to be numb to violence such as Internet and television. Also, the irresponsible gun owners are at fault here. Children should not have access to a handgun or any weapon. Banning guns because a few people are idiots seems irrational. That's like saying ban cars because there are car crashes or there are bad drivers. As for my rebuttal 1. This is a sheriff in Maryland *just one person*, watch what he says about taking his guns away. http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com... Marijuana is illegal in several states is it not? Yet people still get it, how does that happen. You think when they "take the handguns" they'll get them all? That's just naive. A criminal and non-criminals will find a way to get what they want. Look at drug abusers. All you have to do is what will happen if we hate guns away. Every insane blog, website, gun toting crazy is on there saying what they'll do. It's pretty scary actually. 2. 90% of people who commit suicide have depression which is a mental illness. Not all mentally ill are accounted for. 3. You enforce it easily, they can't purchase a handgun or any gun without taking a safety class. Permits in all states should be mandatory as well. This should have already been a mandatory item in place. Gun safety should always be a top priority. It would cost the person wanting to obtain the handgun. Why should the government or our tax dollars pay for someone who wants to own a gun? It's not a necessity, if they really want a handgun they'll pay. Would create more jobs as well for people training gun owners. 4. Kind of an overkill people will kill with or without guns. If someone wants to murder someone they will do it by any means necessary. I guess we agree to disagree here because they'll just use a shotgun or a knife or any other means. 5. This is not false actually I was off by 20k, homicides than I posted which actually hurt your case. Check the CDC for all deaths related to anything but murder almost 2.6 million deaths Then look at the FBI site 5,782 murders by handgun. Total homicides in 2013 were 12,253. If you look at the FBI chart, handgun homicide is down. It seems it's improving. https://www.fbi.gov... 6. The evidence is there, homicides are not only committed by handguns... Handguns6,5016,1156,2516,4045,782 Rifles351367332298285 Shotguns423366362310308 Other guns969397116123 Firearms, type not stated1,8281,9331,6111,7691,956 Knives or cutting instruments1,8361,7321,7161,6041,490 Blunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.)623549502522428 Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.)1817769751707687 Poison71151311 Explosives24682 Fire9878768794 Narcotics5245333853 Drowning81015144 Strangulation122122889085 Asphyxiation84989210695 Other weapons or weapons not stated904872858802850 People will still get handguns if they're banned, but it won't matter because handguns are not the only way to kill someone. Guns are out there already, there is no going back now. This is also covered under our second amendment the right to bear arms. It's entirely too late, guns are out there already. This is why I'm against taking handguns from people. It will cause more problems than the country is prepared to deal with at this time.