-Guns don't kill people; people kill people.-
-When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.-
-An armed society is a polite society.-
Who hasn't heard these engaging assertions, time and time again? Burned into the national consciousness by years of targeted, disciplined messaging by the National Rifle Association and others, they are just a few of the bumper-sticker slogans that have defined the gun control debate in America. Long ridiculed by gun control advocates, they are the first words that come to mind for most Americans when the gun issue is discussed.
This is...