Effective gun control will never happen in America, for two reasons. First, the political system will never allow it, due to the identification of guns with the core values of the Republican Party, the filibuster, and the Supreme Court’s view of the Second Amendment. Second, even if you could somehow overcome all of the political hurdles, there is no practical way to enforce any such regulations. There are just too many guns, they are too easy to conceal, and their owners would respond with violence.
So, if you’re a law-abiding person who fears violence, what options are left? The only plausible choice is to arm yourself, even if you object to guns on principle. And so, in the end, the GOP will win; the country will have to rely on good guys with guns to stop the bad guys with guns.
Of course, the GOP’s definition of a bad guy with a gun probably includes liberals as well as criminals. That part may not work out so well for them.