I'm not sure why we shouldn't let the facts speak for themselves by just doing a simple comparison of the USA and the UK, both fairly populous places and with a similar culture, with the exception of gun laws and the attitude to firearms (which I think is perhaps more significant).

In the USA, for 2010, there were a total of 12,996 murdered people. With a population of 308,745,538, this amounts to 40.2 per million murdered with 67.5% (8,775) of these being shot to death.

In the UK, for 2010, there were a total of 773 people murdered. With a population of 62,262,000, this amounts to 11.5 per million with loess than 9% (103) of these being shot to death.

If the number of people shot to death in the USA was reduced to the same level as in the UK, it would reduce the US murder rate to only about twice what it is in the UK instead of 4 times.

I think it would be wise for people in glass houses not to throw stones about UK gun laws.

Ian