Originally Posted by Galant
Understanding the US gun culture has been a process, but perhaps the simplest understanding is that the USA is a country forged out of persecution - people seeking a better life away from authorities - often autocratic - dictating things to them. They instead sought to create a nation of the people, with a government not of nobles or better people, but of the people. As such, the idea is that the people are the government. To suggest that there are some, especially the government, who are better than others and should hold all the cards goes against the history and idea of the nation.
Therefore, there's no reason why citizens can't own guns. The government are only elected citizens, chosen to do specific tasks, not take over life. Those who support gunownership believe they have a right to protect themselves - not rely on the government to do it, and also protect themselves from the government if it turns on the people, as has happened in the past.
As for crimes - choose your weapon! Knife, home made bomb, car...where there's a will there's a way. The point is that most people are responsible and aren't about to kill anyone - gun or not - guns don't make people want to kill people. Adding a decent licensing process reduces the chance of criminal action.
Finally, as for shooting people in the leg, forget about it. If the police are armed and they have to shoot it's shoot to kill every time. Only in Hollywood do you have quick moving marksman with dead-eye accuracy. Pistol marksmanship is difficult, even under calm circumstances. Having fired a few pistols I know. All this running jumping, spin and shoot them in the leg nonsense doesn't work. When in circumstances where you have to react and shoot, or with a tricky target, you just shoot to kill, ff they survive then good, but you shoot to kill.