That phsychological evaluation goes hand in hand with training. I remember when I joined the military they ran physicals and psyche evaluations 6 months before I had joined and a day before I had joined. They took day-long background checks with finger print scanners. Basically the whole nine yards. Why can't a similar process be geared towards gun ownership? And in regards to the article, or post, I don't think what the op posted is an agreeable topic. He simply said that "if you are a gun owner, you have my respect". Why should the fact that you own a gun earn you respect? No, I don't agree with what he said. He respects me because I spent way more than I wanted to on things I don't even want. I didn't really want guns, but I have them because it makes me feel safe, so I'm not helpless should something happen. And I know you are going to run the chances of that happining through your head. The fact that it CAN happen is reason enough for me to have one. What your view comes down to in the end is that nobody should have guns. But they exist either way. People will find a way to get their hands on one through illegal means also. We can't just not sell sell them and expect the world to become less violent. There will still be killings, whether we have them or not. Plenty of other countries exhibit that fact.