It because you are quoting meaningless stats. Numbers you are quoting has no merit because when the laws are applied in areas where it is needed the most, it does not work. See Neil, all you are saying is that most of Illinois is doing well under gun control and totally ignoring where most of the killings are taking place, in Chicago where gun control isn't working at all.  And if Chicago is where most of the killing are taking place, all the stats are doing is spreading out the ratio by numbers, diluting the real truth that despite of the gun control laws, it doesn't work one iota where it counts, in a high crime sections of the state of Illinois. And people who hide behind that, is probably the reason why, killing goes on and on because you think that 8.2 per cap spread out through out the population is a better number then murder spree that goes on