( CNN ) -- Each year , about 30,000 people are killed and 300,000 violent crimes are committed with firearms . In economic terms , firearm violence -- for things such as medical care , police , criminal justice , lost productivity , pain and suffering -- costs $ 100 billion a year , according to studies by Johns Hopkins University and the Public Services Research Institute . This reality tears at the social fabric of the United States , and Americans pay the social and psychological consequences . But the gun debate will continue to be a one-sided fight until the American public chooses to take action . Most of the debate revolves around what government should do . But we can also look at the issue as a marketing problem . American consumers are the central part of a vast aggregate marketing system , and the central issue as it pertains to guns is power . The gun lobby has wielded its power effectively , but the potentially powerful American consumer market has not . The gun lobby influences how guns are marketed and under which laws . The only difference between the gun lobby and concerned Americans is that the gun lobby -- and thus the politicians supporting the gun lobby -- pays attention to details . Opinion : In the gun control debate , logic goes out the window . It has made its primary goal to vehemently block any change to gun laws for fear that passage of even one law could lead to the eradication of firearms for all . But that is not the issue here . Many concerned citizens are not advocating the abolition of firearms for responsible gun owners . The problem is that there are too few and very limited laws to force manufacturers to safeguard their distribution channels , and manufacturers are not putting these safeguards into place . Our research found that about 45 % to 60 % of the guns traced to crime came from about 1 % of the nation 's gun dealers and that implementation of safeguards is associated with a smaller number of guns being diverted to crime or used in crime . Interestingly , many of the common sense distribution laws that would force a safer distribution of firearms are in place for other industries that sell products that can cause harm . Opinion : A father 's murder , a plea on gun control . Firearms product diversion involves the seepage of guns from legal channels of distribution into illegal hands . To prevent this from occurring , firearms manufacturers have the opportunity to implement distribution safeguards , common across many of the industries that manufacture products that can cause harm ( such as explosives , fireworks , and pharmaceuticals ) . Such safeguards include manufacturers training their dealers and distributors to identify and handle illegal purchasers at the point of sale , developing a code of conduct for distributors , and requiring them to implement record keeping measures in order to keep guns out of the wrong hands . Gabby and Mark : The new 'Bradys ' of gun control . The notion of safeguarding is important because a recent study found that 1 in 9 ( 11 % ) of handguns distributed into legal channels in 1996 were found to have been used in crime by 2000 . It was also found that one manufacturer had 55 % of its guns end up in crime during this time period ( the range was 2 % to 55 % for all manufacturers studied ) . This study also found that the number of safeguards used across the studied firms ( which accounted for over 90 % of the U.S. gun sales ) was very low , averaging less than one safeguard ( .77 ) per firm . Only a slight majority employed any recommended safeguards during that time . One reason the public has not been paying attention is that they think the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives can address enforcement for us . But at this point , the bureau needs our help -- it does not have the resources to combat this problem , because gun lobbies and the politicians who support them have tied its hands . So , Americans must act . The National Rifle Association grades political candidates on their voting history , giving high marks to those who vote for its policies . These ratings influence how guns are distributed in the United States . In response , concerned citizens should do the same thing . We should grade firearms manufacturers on how well they address distribution and the diversion of their guns to criminals . Americans should look at these grades and buy firearms accordingly . The group Mayors Against Illegal Guns suggests that if manufacturers do n't comply with set goals of safety , the nation 's mayors and municipalities will not do business with them . Concerned Americans should follow suit . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kevin Bradford .
Kevin Bradford : Each year 30,000 killed and 300,000 violent crimes committed with guns . It 's also a marketing problem , he says . Manufacturers are not monitoring distribution of guns . Bradford : Laws are minimal , manufacturers are not putting safeguards into place . He says use gun lobby tactic : Grade manufacturers on ability to keep guns from criminals .