This pursuit of modest politically attractive but largely ineffective programs has been ingrained in advocates during the past two decades. Since the 1968 Gun Control Act, Vizzard notes, almost every legislative effort has taken an incremental approach. The reasons why comprehensive bills haven't been pushed go beyond the NRA's clout and the tendency of gun control groups to look for winnable battles. Vizzard observes that there are guns in about 40 percent of American households and that most are used for recreation and sporting activities. These are wise words that gun control advocates should heed if they want to have a decent chance at passing comprehensive restrictions on guns.
R especting the rights of law-abiding gun owners is one thing.
Dealing with the flood of handguns used in crime is another. He presents a strong case that in the long run gun control advocates must set their sights on getting rid of handguns. Sugarmann details how and why handguns have proliferated in the United States, and he documents the toll they have taken in human lives. To go after handguns, the movement needs to be bolder. Instead, trapped by their perception of the politically achievable, gun control advocates are always on the defensive.