RE:RE:100% OT - Or is it?Great questions.
I would add another. Why is the US so much worse than any other developed country in the world?
Part of the answer to this questions leads to possible answers to your questions.
So much of this in the US centres around Second Ammendment rights. Yet the SCOTUS in a number of decisions has shown a way forward but politicans refuse to follow this path.
For example, a National Gun Registry whereby all guns in the US would be registered combined with laws stating that all guns purchased have to vetted through this registry before a sale can be completed, along with restrictions on the type of gun that can be purchsed in certain areas would reduce some of the gun shootings. In this regard, the woman that shot the kids in Nashville bought SEVEN guns including two variants of AR15s. A national registry with companion laws would have prevented her from buying more than one gun and restrict purchsases of AR15s or variants in cities.
As for privacy, a national health database that would be checked before a gun purchase can be completed would have helped in the Nashville case. The data itself could protected and a search prior to a gun purchase could simply tell the gun shop owner that the purchase is rejected. The same goes for private gun shows.
As for the homework part, I have talked about this in many posts so if you haven't read my past posts then your first homework assignment is to read them.