'One, total numbers don't tell the whole story, as the rate per x number of population is a more telling figure. The US population is over 300 million, vs. quite a bit less for the UK. Plus, the "handgun murder rate" will differ from the overall murder rate (murders committed using any kind of weapon, including bare hands).'
Fair point - here's the figures for murders per capita with firearms. It doesn't help your argument either! :D
'Second, not all handgun deaths are innocent victims.'
The figures I quoted are for murders with firearms as defined by the police. I understand some of those people may have deserved to die, but probably not enough to explain the difference between 62 murders in a country of 60m versus 8259 in a country of 300m, unless 8197 of your murders were bad guys! :D
Bottom line Vect. Your government believes you can't be trusted with a firearm. What does that say?
Extending your logic, shouldn't murder rates have gone up following the liberalization of laws regarding concealed carry of firearms in state after state? The fact is: they didn't.