Regardless of how people feel about gun ownership, few can deny that the United States is capable of doing more to reduce gun violence. 

While the number of gun-related deaths has significantly declined since the early nineties, mass shooting are on the rise. 

While strong differences of opinion cause many conversations about gun control to quickly escalate, from the safety of their keyboards, Redditors offer their advice on how we should shift our perceptions about guns. 

READ MORE: Chicago Gun Control Policies Ruled Unconstitutional

1. I don't think guns are the problem, we have 300 million people there are going to be some bad apples. The few that are likely to commit these acts are just going for the easiest tool. The deadliest school massacre in the states was with dynamite. Guns sell news so we don't hear about knives. The real problem I believe to be a lack of care between individuals. If a friend or neighbor seems to be going down a dark mental slope, we just ignore them. Sick4747

2. I'd say that it would be more beneficial to reduce violence as a whole, dealing with poverty, bullying, aggression and education is a good place to start. Further teach people about guns, how they work, why they are dangerous and so forth. powpowpenguin

3. I'm Canadian, so my opinion might not be well received. But I think that if guns are allowed in any country, then there should be a mandatory course taught at school. Children can learn at an early age the proper way and times to use a gun. They don't need to be taught how to fire one, but if they can learn the realistic consequences of improper gun care, they'll hopefully be more cautious if they choose to own one later in life. rc1981

4. If you really want to fix the problem I'd say a good start would be to require a psychological evaluation to those looking to purchase a gun. msheahan99

5. If the weapon used was taken or stolen from another person, the gun owner should be forced to take responsibility for the gun's use as punishment for not being responsible enough to own a gun. -SkankBeard

6. In Australia we have strong laws on the storage and safekeeping of firearms. They must be stored away in safes/cabinets and always kept secure. The Police regularly audit the way firearms are stored and secured. Every single licensed gun holder is audited every two years to make sure kids and criminals can't get hold of legal firearms. If people breach the safe storage laws they are sent to court and fined. Drakqula

7. One of the best ways to reduce these shootings is simply keep the news out of the situation. Many times these shootings occur because the person doing it wants attention. With school shootings that have been covered by the news, its been proven that copycats appear more frequently after the coverage of the shooting has been displayed. If coverage from the news was stopped, or at least lowered, one of the biggest motives for those committing these atrocities would simply vanish. PuncherofPecans

8. Reduce the availability of guns? As someone from the UK, I don't think i will ever understand American attitudes to guns. -niggerlees

9. The best way to solve gun violence is by improving society in general. We need to stop pretending that gun violence is primarily due to the availability of guns and do our best to enhance education and socio-economic conditions. We need to refocus and rededicate our resources to the appropriate topics. -atticus-

10. Stop the worship of guns and the bending over backwards to make guns seem to be this ultimate tool for good. The whole point is to put holes in things. Personage1

11. Improved public education, mental health/counseling resources, as close to free as possible higher education, and everyone calming…down. So_Fantastical 

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