On Thursday, the Kansas Senate voted to lower the legal age to carry a concealed weapon from 21 to 18.
In reality it may not make a whit of difference. Kansas 18-year-olds already have the right to carry weapons out in the open.
The bill was passed strictly along party lines, 21 Republicans against 8 Democrats.
For many, gun ownership is the defining issue as to why they vote Republican or Democratic.
And by that measure, Republicans are winning hands down.
Today, just about anyone can own just about any kind of gun.
As proof, there are 120.5 guns per every 100 Americans.
Americans own an estimated 393 million guns; as many as those held by civilians in the next top 25 countries combined.
Private citizens own many times more firearms than the entire U.S. military or law enforcement agencies. As a whole, police officers and sheriff deputies oppose easing gun restrictions.
That’s because every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by guns.
The majority of deaths, 61%, are by suicide; upward of 30% are homicides.
Experts say that as a country we are not necessarily more suicidal, but that the simple prevalence of guns enables such action. In essence, guns are a very good means of taking one’s life, as opposed to drug overdoses, etc. 
In the past 15 years, the number of suicides has risen dramatically while homicides by firearms have decreased. Whites, both males and females, far outnumber Blacks or Hispanics dying by suicide, with men dramatically outnumbering women.
As for children, those 18 to 21 suffer the highest rate of fatalities from guns, with homicides edging out suicides.
So yes, this is a public health problem.
