Want to Keep Gun Rights? Strengthen the Social Fabric

Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock killed more people in 15 minutes than Islamist terrorists did in Western Europe this year: 59 people in Las Vegas compared with 57 killed in attacks in London, Stockholm, Paris, Manchester, London again, and Barcelona. So the backlash against guns in the U.S. is understandable: In Western European countries, with their tough gun laws, most attacks -- using vehicles, knives or self-made bombs -- tend to be less deadly. Tightening gun regulation is one possible answer; but not one that gets much traction in the U.S. Many suspect, rightly, that this doesn't get at the core problem. That leaves another avenue, which gun rights advocates rarely consider though it offers an opportunity for them to find common ground with their opponents.

The U.S., of course, is the undisputed world champion in gun possession, with some 89 firearms per 100 residents. But some European countries also have strong gun cultures and relatively lax gun laws that allow for high possession rates. Switzerland and Finland are both in the global top five of firearm possession, with 46 and 45 guns per 100 people, respectively.