Commentary An almost obsessive focus on the weapons used in acts of violence rather than the underlying causes of violence will hinder efforts to prevent violent crimes. Barely a week goes by when we don’t hear from politicians or activists demanding a ban on firearms as a means to combat violence. It’s easy to villainize firearms. We see guns used by criminals on television and in movies all the time. Guns clearly are the weapon of choice in the realm of dramatized fiction. In reality, however, firearms account for only a little more than a third of Canadian homicides. If we are going to tackle violent crime, we can’t ignore the method used in nearly two-thirds of the murders, can we? Stabbings account for a third of homicides but we don’t hear politicians calling for knife bans. A number of mayors from Quebec banded together last fall to demand federal …