garycrum, I agree with what you've posted. Two things that might help in alleviating the problem of violent crime, gun related and otherwise, would be to fix the background check system to assure names of people who should be on it are present and the names of those who should not be on it are absent and an effective  means of enforcement. Then there's the evolving psychology of violence. From an article I read recently, part of the problem appears to be genetically linked to those young persons with XY chromosomes. Put simply, it's the urge to procreate with as many (desirable) females as possible. The path to that requires status among male peers. That status is gained through outlandish, dangerous, and often violent behavior. Without older "bulls" present to guide and tone down the behavior of the young "bulls," the natural tendency toward status and violence goes unchecked. So specifically, we need fatherly influence present in more families with children, both male and female.