On the contrary, we wish to involve them in a joint effort to eliminate the criminal and deadly misuse of handguns. We are, of course, concerned about the rights of the individual, as these rights are grounded in the Constitution and in the universal design of our creator. We are convinced that our position is entirely in accord with the rights guaranteed by our Constitution, and particularly with the Second Amendment to the Constitution as these rights have been clarified by the United States Supreme Court. We affirm the traditional principle that individual rights to private property are limited by universal demands of social order and human safety as well as the common good. Estimate of the Division of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Handgun refers to a firearm held and fired by the hand, usually a pistol or revolver.
It does not include rifles, shotguns, long guns or other shoulder arms. And approximately 13,317 people committed suicide with firearms according to the National Center for Health Statistics. A 1968-1972 study of the medical school of Case Western University.