<p>Maryland's Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, has been hinting that restrictions on firearms ownership might have prevented the recent string of shootings that have terrorized the region and left at least six people dead. Although careful not to appear to be making political hay of the carnage, Mrs. Townsend nonetheless quipped not-so-elliptically the other day that there must be a new debate "about how best to protect our citizens," and that existing gun control laws "save lives."</p>