Although I agree that criminals and mentally ill peoples should not have access to guns, it would be efficient and beneficial to the american population if instead of only doing background checks for criminals and the mentally ill, there were deeper background checks and psychological tests to make sure no one had any motives that were previously unknown. Even then, people would still find loopholes, like buying from gun shows or illegally, which in that case, military grade guns and assault weapons, including automatics should not be sold to the public. Hunting and other recreational shooting can be enjoyed with other guns, and as for owning guns for protection: if the government were to attempt to attack their people, they would be asking their militaries to assault their innocent friends and families; something they would not agree to do. Even then, politicians and government officials don't want to give up their positions to attack the same people they want to support them, so having assault weapons for protection against our own government is unnecessary.