2lane, I am not sure where you got your info on who still has the death penalty, but according to Amnesty International, "over half the countries of the world still have a death penalty in place". Granted, many have not used it for years, but that is no different than states here that have it, but don't use it.
I don't know what the use of owning an AK 47, or other assault weapon is, but the last job in the world I would want is being a cop in this country. We give em grief when they catch us speeding, but want to know where the heck they are when we need em.
"at least 41 of the 211 law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2001, were killed with assault weapons." Quoted from Washington DC press statement, 2002.
It really doesn't matter the numbers, we are in fact a violent nation, with overzealous attorneys, and a penal system that is understaffed and over crowded.
The solution is not more jails, but get to the kids and pay attention to their problems. Hell, if I ever acted toward an adult like the kids today tend to, I would have been whipped by the adult I disrespected and my old man when I got home from the whipping.
Today a kid can file "child abuse" charges against parents for a spanking, or in one case for being confined to their room! JMHO
Don't want to start a wildfire here. But my wife and I diciplined our kids when needed, and taught them repect, they aren't perfect, but they are a productive part of society. BTW, we didn't always have the way of life we have today, and the kids went without many times, but they also started working at 16, and they all were told that they had to get a way to get to college if they wanted to go, and they did. We are proud of them.
Anyone that ignores that we have become a dangerous society, needs to take their head out of the sand and recognize there is a segment of our population that believes that they have a right to what we have worked for, and if we resist, or even if we don't we can eat a bullet.
Other than overcrowding, what is the excuse for someone committing multiple felonies before they face some form of punishment. I agree with Ol' Joe. Maybe it is time we stop doing what is politically correct, and more of what is warranted.