"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

Since one of the primary rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence is LIFE ITSELF, anything which permits the random, illegal TAKING of life should, under the Ninth Amendment, be considered unconstitutional. And the ridiculously broad reading of the Second Amendment insisted upon by some would definitely fall under this heading.

"...mental illness is a very insidious disease and difficult to detect during the screening process required for purchasing guns"

Well put. I would extend that to driving and a number of other activities that pose a danger to others, not just guns. What a sad event.

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But the gun does make it easier!

This is something that is often overlooked (deliberately or otherwise). What might be called "gun consciousness" in our society -- the constant, almost subliminal awareness of guns and gun violence -- makes guns the default setting.

One could as easily argue that without a gun, without that EASY way of doing it, this woman might have had reason to pause before taking action. It's easy enough to say "knife, poison, rope, hammer," etc, but these are things that, at least in terms of their normal household use, are not directly associated with killing other human beings. With guns -- handguns especially -- there is no OTHER association.

It is interesting to note, I think, that the United States is 24th in the world, in terms of its murder rate, but fourth when it comes to gun relate deaths.

It is also important to keep in mind that a gun is a very difficult weapon against which to defend oneself. It is, after all, a LONG RANGE weapon -- even if "long range" means "across the room".