One would think that this phenomenon, if really pronounced, would have weakened the gun lobby considerably by now, just based on sheer numbers. Although given the conservative confluence between religion and guns, maybe they're lobbying from the great here-after?

  We can only hope that these numbers are significant enough for natural selection to roll up its sleeves and get to work.    

  Maybe background checks could be of help here and do more than keep guns out of the hands of 'the wrong people'.

  In a few generation we may hear people complaining, "Too bad the Feds were so lax.  Uncle Joe planned on a big family and wanted his sons to be gun nuts too. But he was allowed to buy a gun and blew his brains out before his dreams came true. There should have been tighter regulations back then..."

I'm also interested in what percentage of homicides are committed by people with a documented history of mental illness? Add that to the suicide numbers, and they would provide compelling evidence for the validity of gun control measures prohibiting people with severe mental illness from purchasing guns.

Keep in mind that somewhere between 40 percent and half of American households have a firearm. The "gun lobby" represents no more than a couple million hardcore enthusiasts/ideologues. Most gun owners, therefore, are pretty middle-of-the-road on gun issues; they basically don't want the government to ban their gun or to make it more difficult to buy and possess the guns they think they might want to buy and possess.

And here's the thing: The "gun nut" minority is actually the least likely to be the victims of accidents or suicide. Say what you will about NRA members, but for the most part they do take firearms safety seriously. It's the ideologically moderate gun owners who are the threat to themselves and others. Witness the recent TNR story on Taylor March, in which Ms. March waves a loaded gun around, even pointing it at the correspondent. NRA-type gun nuts don't do that kind of thing.

So any "herd thinning" being done is being done to the herd of middle-of-the-road gun owners who can be persuaded to favor some restrictions or to support progressive candidates on other grounds. The hardcore gun-extremist right just isn't offing itself.

"I'm also interested in what percentage of homicides are committed by people with a documented history of mental illness? Add that to the suicide numbers, and they would provide compelling evidence for the validity of gun control measures prohibiting people with severe mental illness from purchasing guns."

Do we really NEED "compelling evidence" to suggest that people with "severe mental illness" shouldn't be buying guns?