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Further the uncertainty, we also must remember that correlation does not mean causation, so even if there is correlation one still cannot draw a conclusion. Can countries such as Canada & the US be accurately compared? They have very diffent population demographics, despite being right next to eachother.

Not an easy question in the least.

Indeed. But lack of correlation rules out causation, so, obviously, the problem in USA are not weapons themselves. Of course, in trying to figure out the causative factor(s), we run into danger of gross generalizations.... which can sometimes be useful, nevertheless.

For example, Miroslav Krleza ('z' has a 'hacek'; in Latin2: ž), a late Croatian poet and novelist, wrote some 80 years ago what typically makes Croat and Serb nationalist proud: to Serb it is "Glorious Serbian artillery" (which hardly ever won a war), to Croat "The First Croatian nail factory" (with 10 perhaps employees, being first an only for decades). Both pathetic and laughable, but differently so. You have to know us to understand how those generalizations hit the nail squarely on the head (or however the phrase goes ).

So, what would be comparable to USA vs. Canada?