Then why continue blaming an object? Why not make harsher penalties on those that commit violent acts? Why not push for better education since the more educated a person is the less likely they will commit a crime? Why not push for things that will actually reduce over all crime instead of blaming an object which millions of law abiding people use....a number which far exceeds the amount of people that commit violent crime with guns.
I personally do not think harshness of penalties is necessarily the answer. I think instead we should be rehabilitating those that break the law. In our current system we for the most part lock them away with other like minded people who often prey on one another and expect them to come out model citizens. I feel we should put education and motivational tools in place to help them understandwhy their behavior is unacceptable instead of just telling them that it is and then making their life hell. Until they understand the why I believe all harsher sentences would do is encourage them not to get caught and not discourage the crime.