United States
US Gun Lobby Vows to Spend $15m to Keep Obama Out of White House
Telegraph (UK)
3 July 2008
The National Rifle Association, long feared by Democrats as the most powerful lobby group in US politics, announced that it will spend $40 million during the campaign, $15 million specifically to persuade gun owners to vote against the Democratic party candidate. The issue of gun rights has been catapulted to the centre of the general election this year, with the Supreme Court last week upholding the second amendment of the Constitution's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Rights Ruling Will Cost Lives, Both in America and Canada
Red Deer Advocate (Alberta), Opinion
3 July 2008
It's amazing how well-educated, intelligent people can so often do stupid things. Consider, for instance, the United States Supreme Court's decision to shoot down the 32-year-old ban on handguns in Washington, D.C. last week -- declaring it unconstitutional. By a 5-4 margin, the nine justices effectively ruled every American has the right to own guns for self-defence and for hunting. Not surprisingly, supporters... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disintegration of US Democrats' Gun Control Push 'Pretty Much Complete'
New York Times / Campaign Stops, Blog
30 June 2008
The Obama campaign Web site's "In the News" section, which chronicles Barack Obama's recent statements on the 36th anniversary of the passage of Title IX and the Juneteenth holiday celebration, does not include his reaction to the United States Supreme Court decision last week to strike down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns. Though I couldn't find it on the Web site, the campaign did issue a statement -- albeit a fairly tepid one... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Plans to Spend $15m Opposing Barack Obama in US Election
Politico (Washington), Web Page
30 June 2008
The National Rifle Association plans to spend about $40 million on this year's presidential campaign, with $15 million of that devoted to portraying Barack Obama as a threat to the Second Amendment rights upheld last week by the Supreme Court. "Our members understand that if Barack Obama is elected president, and he has support in the Senate to confirm anti-gun Supreme Court nominees, [the District of Columbia v. Heller decision]... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Dodged Voicing an Opinion on DC Gun Ban, Then Applauded It
Washington Post, Column
30 June 2008
After months of claiming he had insufficient information to express an opinion on the District of Columbia's gun law, Barack Obama noted with apparent approval Thursday that the Supreme Court ruled that the 32-year ban on handguns "went too far." But what would he have said had the high court's 5 to 4 majority gone the other way and affirmed the law? Obama's strategists can only thank swing Justice Anthony Kennedy for enabling Justice Antonin... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama May Prove Biggest Winner in Wake of US Gun Rights Decision
Boston Globe, Column
29 June 2008
When it comes to gun control, the Democratic Party is a house divided against itself. That helps explain Barack Obama's dizzyingly inconsistent positions on District of Columbia v. Heller, the landmark Second Amendment case decided by the Supreme Court last week. As a candidate for the Illinois Legislature in the 1990s, Obama had supported legislation to "ban the manufacture, sale, and possession of handguns," so it wasn't surprising... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Court Decision Retains Wide Latitude for Restricting Gun Use in America
Press-Telegram (California), Editorial
28 June 2008
Some of the reaction to the Supreme Court's historic decision on gun control has been extreme, even to the point of laying thousands of future deaths directly at the court's door. More likely, in most places, it will make no immediate difference at all. Long Beach's police chief, Anthony Batts, had it mostly right last week when he said the court's decision wouldn't change much in California. (Actually, it will matter in places... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
DC Handgun Ban Decision 'Offered Something for Both Sides'
Sydney Morning Herald
28 June 2008
NEW YORK, WASHINGTON -- A fortnight ago the Mayor of Washington, Adrian Fenty, instructed his police to set up roadblocks and search everyone entering the suburb of Trinidad, three kilometres from the White House. There had been 22 murders in Trinidad in the first five months of this year. Most were drive-by shootings associated with the drug trade. On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that the District of Columbia's ban... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Close US Gun Show Loophole, Tighten Background Checks - Obama
Sydney Morning Herald
27 June 2008
American mayors and legislators are closely studying today's Supreme Court ruling which clarifies the constitutional right of an individual to have a gun and may make many cities' gun control efforts invalid.. The 5-4 landmark ruling is the first time the Supreme Court has clarified what the second amendment means. The majority concluded that the "right to bear arms" extends to the individual, not just the rights of states to maintain... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Conservatives Could Now Find it Harder to Whip Up US Election Gun Fear
Salon (USA), Web Page
27 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- "God, gays and guns" have been pretty good to Republicans over the last few campaigns. The Karl Rove playbook says not to worry if the war in Iraq has been a disaster or the economy is tanking -- just fire away at your opponent's liberal views on a few wedge issues and then waltz your way into Washington. To listen to John McCain's campaign, Thursday's 5-to-4 landmark Supreme Court ruling overturning a law banning... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Debate Pushed Back to the Forefront of America's Political Agenda
Washington Post
27 June 2008
With yesterday's decision, the Supreme Court pushed the gun issue back to the forefront of the nation's agenda, opening a new chapter in what has been one of the most contentious and divisive debates in American politics for the past four decades. Advocacy groups braced for new skirmishes, both in courts and in legislatures. Gun rights advocates, hailing what they called a historic milestone, immediately targeted other jurisdictions... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Law Decision 'Frightening,' Chicago Mayor Braces for NRA Attack
New York Times
27 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- Gun-control advocates across the country reacted with shock and outrage at the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns today, saying the ruling would threaten gun-control measures in other states. If there was any doubt that other bans would be in peril, the National Rifle Association quickly put those questions to rest when it announced shortly after the ruling that it would... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Ruling Reverberates in Presidential Campaign - McCain, Obama
Chicago Tribune
27 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama offered a guarded response Thursday to the Supreme Court ruling striking down the District of Columbia's prohibition on handguns and sidestepped providing a view on the 32-year-old local gun ban, leading Republican rival John McCain's campaign to accuse him of an "incredible flip-flop" on gun control. Obama issued a carefully worded written statement that applauded the court for providing "much-needed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
McCain Launches Anti-Obama Broadside Over 'Sacred' Right to Guns
Agence France Presse
27 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- Republican John McCain opened fire with a full-bore political attack on Democratic White House rival Barack Obama after the Supreme Court upheld individuals' right to bear arms Thursday. McCain, bidding to taint Obama's candidacy among gun-owners and rural voters, used the historic ruling to highlight how the Democrat's view of the US constitution's second amendment on gun rights had evolved down the years. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Political Impact of Gun Ruling on US Election Politics 'Has Been Immediate'
BBC News
27 June 2008
The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Washington DC handgun ban is likely to have legal and political consequences. The legal ones are not yet clear. Much depends on whether this federal ruling is seen as applying to other states or cities, which have similarly tough gun laws. In his majority brief, Justice Antonin Scalia predicted future, complex legal arguments about some of the restrictions, which the court had... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pundits Say US Supreme Court Made Gun Control an Election Non-issue
New York Magazine
27 June 2008
What were the candidates' reactions to yesterday's landmark decision on gun rights by the Supreme Court? John McCain supported it, and Barack Obama... kind of supported it. There's a paper trail suggesting Obama was for the D.C. ban, but yesterday he claimed to have "always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms" -- while also seeing the need for "common-sense, effective safety measures"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Justices 'Went Head to Head' in Narrow 5-4 Gun Opinion
New York Times
27 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Thursday embraced the long-disputed view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own a gun for personal use, ruling 5 to 4 that there is a constitutional right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-defense. The landmark ruling overturned the District of Columbia ban on handguns, the strictest gun-control law in the country, and appeared certain to usher in a new round of litigation... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Court 'Unwisely Opens Door to Legal Attacks on Effective Gun Control'
Los Angeles Times, Column
27 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for the first time that the 2nd Amendment explicitly protects Americans' right to own guns for self-defense -- resolving one of the Constitution's oldest disputes and reviving the debate over gun rights, crime and violence. The landmark decision struck down a District of Columbia ordinance, the strictest in the nation, that barred homeowners from keeping handguns. The ruling brought... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Republicans, NRA Vow to Make Gun Rights a Defining Election Issue
The Hill (Washington DC)
27 June 2008
Republicans believe Thursday's Supreme Court ruling striking down Washington D.C.'s handgun ban has revived gun rights as a campaign issue, benefiting the GOP up and down the November ticket. "The gun issue is not going away," said Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the Republican presidential candidate. "We are going to drive it. We are going to keep talking about this issue." Republicans will be... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Ideology 'Wiped Away Years of Lower Court Decisions'
Washington Post
27 June 2008
The Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handgun possession yesterday and decided for the first time in the nation's history that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to own a gun for self-defense. The court's landmark 5 to 4 decision split along ideological grounds and wiped away years of lower court decisions that had held that the intent of the amendment, ratified more than 200 years ago,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'Dangerous and Unusual' Guns Can Still Be Controlled in America
Economist
26 June 2008
After 217 years, the Supreme Court appears at last to have settled one of the most hotly disputed questions in American constitutional law: who has the right to pack heat? The second amendment says: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The odd punctuation makes it unclear what this means. Can anyone own a gun, or only those who... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
DC Gun Ruling: Conservative Majority Threw Originalism Out the Window
Washington Post, Column
26 June 2008
In knocking down the District's 32-year-old ban on handgun possession, the conservatives on the Supreme Court have again shown their willingness to abandon precedent in order to do whatever is necessary to further the agenda of the contemporary political right. The court's five most conservative members have demonstrated that for all of Justice Antonin Scalia's talk about "originalism" as a coherent constitutional doctrine, those... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illinois Lawmakers: DC Ruling Makes it Tougher to Pass Gun Restrictions
Chicago Tribune / Clout Street, Web Page
26 June 2008
State lawmakers said Thursday the Supreme Court opinion on gun control is likely to prompt a flurry of legislation in Springfield but at the same time will make it harder for any new gun restrictions to pass. Even before the decision, lawmakers struggled to find votes for bills aimed at reducing gun violence. Since 2004, when Congress allowed a 10-year federal ban on assault weapons to expire, lawmakers have been unable to muster... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Election Run-up, Obama Moves His Gun Control Views to the Centre
Time (USA)
26 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- When the Supreme Court issues rulings on hot-button issues like gun control and the death penalty in the middle of a presidential campaign, Republicans could be excused for thinking they'll have the perfect opportunity to paint their Democratic opponent as an out-of-touch social liberal. But while Barack Obama may be ranked as one of the Senate's most liberal members, his reactions to this week's controversial court decisions... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Joins Wide Range of Reaction to American Gun Law Decision
Bloomberg (USA)
26 June 2008
A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled for the first time that the Constitution protects individual gun rights, striking down the District of Columbia's handgun ban and raising questions about weapons restrictions elsewhere. The 5-4 ruling resolves a constitutional question that had lurked for two centuries: whether the Second Amendment covers people who aren't affiliated with a state-run militia. "The enshrinement of constitutional... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Reported Gun Control Positions of US Presidential Candidates
Reuters
26 June 2008
The Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday that Americans have the right to own guns for personal use could become an issue in the U.S. presidential race. Here are the positions of the two candidates in November's election: DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE SEN. BARACK OBAMA Wants tighter background checks on gun buyers, making gun locks mandatory and holding parents criminally responsible for children who injure someone with a... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Court Ruling 'Clear Victory for Gun Advocates,' But Debate Rages On
US News & World Report
26 June 2008
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling today upholding an individual right to bear arms is a clear victory for gun advocates. But the court's divided decision is unlikely to end debate over myriad other gun control proposals across the country. In a 5-to-4 decision, the majority opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, held for the first time that the Constitution provides an individual right to bear arms, such as for self-defense,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Right to Own Guns Remains Subject to 'Reasonable Limitations'
Dallas Morning News (Texas)
26 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court tossed out a handgun ban in the nation's capital on Thursday, holding for the first time that the Second Amendment does protect an individual right to self-defense and gun ownership. But in its first hard look at gun rights in nearly 70 years, the court also held -- in a narrow, 5-4 ruling -- that the right is subject to some reasonable limitations. "Like most rights, the Second Amendment... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Moderate US Hunter-shooter Lobby Joins NRA in Opposing DC Gun Ban
New West (Montana)
24 June 2008
Even when you're the biggest and toughest of them all there's always somebody there to challenge you, as the National Rifle Association (NRA) has learned. The NRA's two-year-old nemesis, the American Hunters and Shooters Association (ASHA) just won't go away. "I'm here to tell you we're alive and well and plan to continue being a viable alternative to the NRA," announced AHSA President Ray Schoenke at a news conference at the annual... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control 'Removed from US Agenda:' NRA's Political Clout is Waning
Los Angeles Times
14 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- Eight years after a national debate over gun control helped keep Democrat Al Gore out of the White House, the National Rifle Assn. and its Republican allies are launching a new campaign to defeat Barack Obama. But this time, the issue that GOP strategists once relied on to provide crucial votes in close elections has lost much of its political punch. Congress hasn't passed major legislation to restrict gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
UN Gun Control Boss Braces for Loss in Supreme Court, New Strategies
ABC News (USA)
12 June 2008
The nation's leading gun control group filed a "friend of the court" brief back in January defending the gun ban in Washington, D.C. But with the Supreme Court poised to hand down a potentially landmark decision in the case, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence fully expects to lose. "We've lost the battle on what the Second Amendment means," campaign president Paul Helmke told ABC News. "Seventy-five percent of the public... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama, McCain on Gun Control, Gun Shows and Banning Assault Weapons
Associated Press
3 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- A look at where Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain stand on a selection of issues as they go head-to-head for the presidency: ... GUN CONTROL McCain: Voted against ban on assault-type weapons but in favor of requiring background checks at gun shows. Voted to shield gun-makers and dealers from civil suits. "I believe the Second Amendment ought to be preserved -- which means no gun control."... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hillary Clinton No Longer Favours Handgun Registration, Owner Licensing
Billings Gazette (Montana)
31 May 2008
HELENA -- Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton told Montana reporters Friday that she no longer favors national handgun registration and licensing, even as she supports such measures in her adopted state of New York. "What I came out for was the New York law," the U.S. senator said in a noon conference call Friday. "I don't think there is any contradiction between defending Second Amendment rights and trying to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Missouri Dealer Sells 30 Vehicles in 'Buy Car, Get Free Handgun' Promotion
Reuters / Tales from the Trail
22 May 2008
KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- A Missouri car dealer has a message for Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama: Midwesterners love their guns. Mark Muller, the owner of Max Motors in Butler, Missouri south of Kansas City, on Thursday said sales have soared at his auto and truck business since launching a promotion this week that promises buyers a $250 credit for a handgun or a $250 gas card with every purchase. Every... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Fronts for Republicans, Fails its Members, Says Moderate Rival Group
Herald-Leader (Kentucky), Column
21 May 2008
Last weekend's National Rifle Association convention in Louisville could easily have been mistaken for a Republican campaign rally. "If either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk my friends -- and have no doubt about it," John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, told the crowd. Former Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Control's Political Backers Not Confident of Gains, Even in 2009
The Hill (Washington DC)
20 May 2008
Lawmakers who favor gun control are not optimistic about next year even though Democrats may be running Congress and the White House. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), the sponsor of legislation that would reinstate the expired federal assault weapons ban, dismissed the idea that her bill might pass in the 111th Congress. "It's a pro-gun House, a pro-gun Senate and [Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Fears Disaster for American Gun Owners if Democrat Wins Election
Herald-Leader (Kentucky)
19 May 2008
LOUISVILLE -- Using Kentucky as a stage, a string of high-profile speakers at the National Rifle Association's 137th annual meeting painted the 2008 presidential race as a showdown over the right to bear arms. But the fall election also could prove to be a key test of the NRA's political muscle. The group focused much of its meeting this weekend on gearing up its members, especially the 60,000 who traveled to Louisville,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'Sense of Siege' as US Gun Owners Voice Fear of Presidential Candidates
Toronto Star (Ontario)
19 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- They stood in long lines to pay homage to icons such as Ted Nugent and Oliver North, they got emotional during a tribute to their fallen hero, Charlton Heston, and they vowed to fight to the death for their cherished right to bear arms. But there was a sense of siege hanging over the annual National Rifle Association convention here this weekend. It didn't all stem from booth after booth advertising... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Weighs In on White House Race, Targets Obama, Clinton
Agence France Presse
18 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- The powerful US gun lobby has painted the 2008 presidential race as a showdown over the right to bear arms, but the election could also prove to be a key test of its political firepower. At its annual meeting in Kentucky this weekend, the National Rifle Association focused most of its energy on gearing up its members to defeat the Democratic nominee in November, whether it is Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
McCain Says He Doesn't Own a Gun, Then Strongly Courts US Gun Lobby
New York Times
17 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Senator John McCain reached out to the National Rifle Association on Friday and warned 6,000 people at the group's annual convention that a President Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton would put the rights of "law-abiding" gun owners at risk. In a speech in one of two states where political primaries are to be held on Tuesday, Mr. McCain mocked Mr. Obama before the gun lobbying group he has tangled with... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
McCain Shows Strong Pro-Gun Side, Tries to Mend Fences with Gun Lobby
Washington Post
17 May 2008
LOUISVILLE -- Sen. John McCain, once derided as one of the "premier flag-carriers for the enemies of the Second Amendment" by the National Rifle Association, enthusiastically embraced the group's pro-gun agenda at its annual convention here Friday. In front of a crowd of about 6,000 people who gave him two standing ovations, McCain also mocked Democratic Sen. Barack Obama as a liberal, anti-gun politician and made a direct appeal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Secret Service Strips NRA of Guns, Hundreds of Knives at McCain Speech
New York Daily News, Column
17 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- A small but startling sign welcomed the gun lovers who arrived at the National Rifle Association's annual gathering Friday. "Firearms WILL NOT be allowed in Hall A during the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum." Beyond this sign at the Kentucky Exposition Center was a row of 10 metal detectors. They were manned by uniformed Secret Service officers deployed because the scheduled speakers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Trying to Mend Fences with US Gun Lobby, McCain Attacks Democrats
Los Angeles Times
17 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Sen. John McCain, working to mend a frayed relationship with some of the Republican Party's most dedicated foot soldiers, went to the National Rifle Assn.'s annual conference here Friday to assure wary members he is a friend of the 2nd Amendment. The Arizona senator and presumptive GOP presidential nominee may still have some work to do. McCain, who asked to speak to the group despite past battles... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
McCain Courts US Pro-gun Lobby, Visits Gun Shop Before NRA Speech
Associated Press
16 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Courting his sometime critics within the gun lobby, John McCain told the National Rifle Association on Friday that Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton would both undermine the rights of gun owners. "If either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk my friends -- and have no doubt about it," the Republican nominee-in-waiting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
McCain Says Obama and Clinton Threaten Americans' Right to Bear Arms
Reuters
16 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain warned gun owners on Friday that his Democratic opponents Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would threaten their right to bear arms, as he sought to rally conservatives' support in the November election. The right to bear arms in the Constitution's second amendment is considered sacred by many U.S. gun owners. Both Obama and Clinton tout their support for it, although... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
McCain Tells US Gun Lobby Members They Should Fear Obama and Clinton
Los Angeles Times
16 May 2008
Sen. John McCain moved to mend some political fences today, reaching out to reassure gun rights supporters that he will make a better president than his possible Democratic opponents. At a stop at the annual meeting of National Rifle Assn. in Louisville, Ky., McCain acknowledged that he had differed with the group on some forms of gun regulation and on campaign financing. But the presumptive GOP presidential nominee insisted that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Mayors Air Gun Control TV Ads Just as McCain Courts NRA in Kentucky
New York Times / City Room, Blog
15 May 2008
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition founded by Mayors Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and Thomas M. Menino of Boston, announced today that it was placing a television advertisement in Kentucky, which is holding Democratic and Republican presidential primaries on May 20. But anyone who expected the nonpartisan group to take a stand that could affect the fortunes of Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain is likely to be... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US NRA Chief Stresses Common Ground with Republican John McCain
Washington Post / AP
13 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- A top official of the National Rifle Association said Republican John McCain has been a reliable ally of gun owners despite divisions with the powerful lobbying group on some issues. "We've had our disagreements, everybody knows it," NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. "I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on those. We're not foolish enough... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fearing an 'Anti-gun' President, Rush of Texans Apply for Hidden Handguns
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
8 May 2008
AUSTIN -- Demand for concealed handgun licenses has risen nearly 40 percent in Texas in a year, an increase being attributed to many factors, even presidential politics. Though the exact cause may be unclear, what's certain is that the spike in applications has caught the Department of Public Safety unprepared. The state is taking a month longer than the 60 days allowed by law to process original applications and 80 days... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Assault Rifle Cop Killing, Easy Access to Guns Has Philadelphia Reeling
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Editorial
6 May 2008
The cold-blooded killing of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski is yet another sad reminder of the violence that rages on the streets, thanks to the easy access of guns and a disregard for human life. Sgt. Liczbinski should be celebrating his 40th birthday today with his wife and three children. Instead, his family is preparing for his funeral. Sgt. Liczbinski was gunned down Saturday while trying to stop a band... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Nashville Gun Dealer Applauds Mayors Trying to Close Gun Show Loophole
City Paper (Nashville)
27 April 2008
A national movement among urban mayors against illegal guns and the so-called "gun show loophole" has made its way to Knoxville and Memphis. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said he is exploring joining that cause. Over 250 mayors from 40 states have signed on to the coalition, which seeks to cut down on the illegal purchasing and selling of guns. The first battlefront is eliminating the so-called "gun show loophole," which allows individual... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Barack Obama Lists the Tighter Gun Control Measures He Supports
Chicago Sun-Times
25 April 2008
In a sit-down interview with the Sun-Times, White House hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday he has been following with great concern the gun violence that has plagued the city in recent weeks. "The news has just been heart-breaking," Obama said after a speech to union members at McCormick Place. "I've asked my staff to contact the Chicago Police Department, and I'm going to put in a call to the mayor just to find out just what is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Owners, Bowlers Back Clinton: Beer Drinkers Back Obama - Poll
Editor & Publisher (USA)
21 April 2008
NEW YORK -- Apparently, the presidential race -- at least in Pennsylvania -- is no longer just about who leads among men, women, church-goers or union members. In a poll released this past weekend by McClatchy Newspapers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and MSNBC, gun owners, bowlers and even beer drinkers are playing a part. The Mason-Dixon poll, which questioned 625 "likely Pennsylvania voters" on April 17-18, found Hillary Clinton... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Spent 9 Years as Board Member on US Charity Funding Gun Control
United Press International
20 April 2008
CHICAGO -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's time on the board of a gun-control group doesn't mean he wants to eradicate handguns, a spokesman said. Sen. Obama, D-Ill., served nine years on the board of directors of the Joyce Foundation in Chicago that claimed the Second Amendment protects state militias, but not the individual right to bear arms, the Politico reports. The Joyce Foundation supported grants... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama's 9yrs on Board of 'Pro-gun Control' Joyce Foundation Dissected
Politico (Washington, DC)
19 April 2008
Barack Obama's presidential campaign has worked to assure uneasy gun owners that he believes the Constitution protects their rights and that he doesn't want to take away their guns. But before he became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions. The foundation funded legal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Polls Show US Gun Owners Not Bitter, But More Giving, Happy, Self Reliant
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
19 April 2008
In words that he has come to regret, Barack Obama opined as to why he was having a hard time winning over many blue-collar voters: "They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or antitrade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." It was a throwaway line to a private audience at a San Francisco fund-raiser. And it was made public on a liberal Internet... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Clinton, Obama Campaign for Tough, Untrusting Crowd of US Gun Owners
Chicago Tribune
18 April 2008
ALBURTIS, Pennsylvania -- Their passion is on display, table by table, row by row. Six-shooter revolvers, World War II-era rifles, plastic automatics, AK-47s, knives as long as your forearm, Nazi memorabilia, sniper scopes, hunting shotguns, bullets, shells, stickers ("If You Come In This Door, You Will Be Killed"). It's a drizzly, chilly morning in this tiny eastern Pennsylvania town, but the muddy parking lot outside... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Executive Wayne LaPierre Blasts Obama, Clinton in Tennessee Visit
Kingsport Times-News (Tennessee)
18 April 2008
KINGSPORT -- National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre took aim Friday night at Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's recent comment that people in small-town America are "bitter about their lives and that's why they cling to their guns and their religion." LaPierre, speaking to about 200 people at an event organized by the Tennessee Conservative Political Action Committee, claimed Obama's remark... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Democrat Hopefuls in 'Silly Spectacle' as They Compete for US Gun Vote
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
17 April 2008
Imagine an election race of Pat Robertson versus James Dobson, each of them appearing at organic grocery stores and Starbucks throughout Massachusetts, with each candidate insisting that he alone deserves the vote of gay-marriage advocates. An equally silly spectacle is taking place these days in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky, as Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama compete for the pro-gun vote. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Baltimore, Boston, New York Mayors in US Election TV Ads for Gun Control
Baltimore Sun (Maryland)
16 April 2008
Mayor Sheila Dixon appears in a TV ad that's running around the country. In it, she's identified as a Barack Obama supporter. But the Illinois senator isn't likely to welcome the gesture. Appearing in the same ad are Jacksonville, Fla., Mayor John Peyton, who backs John McCain, and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who's in Hillary Clinton's camp. All three mayors urge the presidential candidates to support closing a loophole that allows... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hunters & Shooters Endorse Obama: Group Says He Supports Gun Rights
Raw Story (USA)
16 April 2008
Less than a week after coming under fire for saying small-town Pennsylvanians "cling to" gun rights, Barack Obama picked up the endorsement of a pro-gun association that has backed Democratic candidates in the past. The American Hunters & Shooters Association said Obama's views of the 2nd Amendment have been unfairly criticized and its endorsement comes as Obama's opponents are characterizing him as an "elitist" and condescending... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama's 'Bittergate' Comment Triggers Candidates to Court Gun Owners
CNN
15 April 2008
WASHINGTON -- The battle over the word "bitter" between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has sparked a new look at the candidates and their stance on the Second Amendment. At a closed-door fundraiser just over a week ago, the Illinois senator referred to some small-town Pennsylvanians as "bitter" people who "cling to guns and religion." "I didn't say it as well as I should have," Obama admitted in Muncie, Indiana,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Democratic Candidates Avoid Gun Debate 'To the Point of Pandering'
International Herald Tribune / AP
15 April 2008
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania -- Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are gingerly threading their way between two of the most politically charged numbers in Pennsylvania: the state's almost 1 million licensed hunters and Philadelphia's nearly one-a-day rate of gun murders. Gun control arouses deep emotions here. Deadly shootings have earned the state's largest city the ominous nickname: "Killadelphia." One of the strongest anti-gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Wal-Mart, US Mayors Pressure Presidential Hopefuls on Gun Trafficking
New York Times
15 April 2008
A coalition of mayors in favor of gun control, led by Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and Thomas M. Menino of Boston, said on Monday that it had reached a 10-point agreement with Wal-Mart, the country's largest seller of guns, to track the sale of firearms more closely. The agreement between Wal-Mart and the group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which Mr. Bloomberg helped to organize in 2006, calls for turning a more watchful eye... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Big-City US Mayors Dare Presidential Hopefuls to Stop Avoiding Gun Control
ABC News (USA)
14 April 2008
A group of 300 mayors from across the nation have banded together to produce an advertisement aimed at forcing the three remaining presidential hopefuls -- Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain -- to tackle gun control. The ad is being released nationwide today and will appear on television, radio and the Internet. The release coincides with the third annual Mayors Coalition Against Illegal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Clinton, Republicans Alike 'Thrilled' by Obama's Belittling of Gun Owners
The Hill (Washington, DC)
14 April 2008
Guns are expected to be a focal point in Wednesday's debate between Democratic rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), which is set for Philadelphia just days after controversial comments by Obama about gun owners. Campaign news over the weekend was dominated by recently surfaced remarks by Obama that painted small-town gun enthusiasts as "bitter." Clinton repeatedly criticized her rival for the remarks,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Declared Policies of Three US Presidential Candidates on Gun Control - AP
Associated Press
14 April 2008
A look at some of the presidential candidates' positions on gun control: - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY: Voted for ban on assault-type weapons and to require background checks at gun shows. Calls for renewing the ban, which expired in 2004. Favored leaving gun-makers and dealers open to civil suits. In 2000, supported proposals for a federal requirement for state-issued photo gun licenses, as well as a national registry for... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Mayor Corners All 3 US Presidential Hopefuls on Gun Show Sales
Washington Post / The Trail, Blog
14 April 2008
A coalition of big-city mayors is using the words of the three presidential candidates as backing for their mission to enforce stricter gun control. The group, called Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has released a television ad that shows Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain each calling for legislation to close the loophole that allows guns to be sold at gun shows without the same checks as in a store. The release coincided... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Belittles Gun Owners, 'Annie Oakley' Clinton Jumps to Their Defence
Associated Press
14 April 2008
STEELTON, Pennsylvania -- Accused of being elitist, a defiant Sen. Barack Obama lashed out at rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying "Shame on her" and mocking her vocal support for gun rights as their political tempest threatened to consume the Democratic presidential race. It was a startling twist Sunday to the three-day controversy that erupted after the publication of comments the Illinois senator made at a San Francisco... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Wal-Mart Toughens Gun Sale Policies, Joins US Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Associated Press
14 April 2008
WASHINGTON -- Wal-Mart, the nation's largest seller of firearms, announced Monday it will toughen rules for gun sales, from storing video of purchases to creating an internal log of which guns they sell that are later used in crimes. J.P. Suarez, the chief compliance officer for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., appeared with outspoken gun control advocate Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York to announce the changes at a gathering of Bloomberg's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Clinton Name 'Synonymous with Gun Control, Like Rosie O'Donnell' - NRA
ABC News (USA), Blog
13 April 2008
Given the new "Second Amendment" rhetoric of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, (see the New York Times' Julie Bosman's "Clinton Portrays Herself as a Pro-Gun Churchgoer" ) I thought it might behoove hunters to hear what the NRA thinks about all Clinton trying to "out-gun" Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois. "I'm not surprised by this," says Chris Cox, the chief lobbyist of the NRA. "They know that its bad politics to be on the wrong side of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Clinton Vows Assault Weapon Ban, Overturn of Gun Trafficking Secrecy Bill
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania)
11 April 2008
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is to announce in West Philadelphia today a crime-fighting plan that she boldly says will halve homicide rates in cities over five years. Clinton will unveil the plan -- "Solutions for Safe and Secure Communities Now" -- at the Westside YMCA, 51st and Chestnut streets. Mayor Nutter will be at her side. "We wanted to deliver the speech in a place where people need to know help is on the way," said Clinton... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
McCain Must Please US Gun Owners in 'Most Important Year in NRA History'
The Hill (Washington, DC)
9 April 2008
If Sen. John McCain expects the support of gun owners in this year's presidential race, the Arizona Republican must make an effort to overcome some decisions the National Rifle Association (NRA) has found troubling. "John McCain still has some work to do to give them a comfort level," Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA, said during an interview with The Hill. "Truth be told, he's not there yet." Cox said McCain and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Owners, Politicians, Lobbyists Rally to Decry Gun Control
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
8 April 2008
HARRISBURG -- When the subject of handguns arises at the state Capitol, most of the recent attention has focused on Gov. Ed Rendell and other gun-control Democrats from Philadelphia who are trying to reduce the plague of deaths from gun violence in their streets. They'd like to limit gun purchases to just one per month, and require gun owners to report to police within 72 hours after they discover one of their guns lost or stolen.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Aims for Pro-gun Vote, Courts Firearm Owners in US Heartland
Politico (Washington, DC) / Capitol News
7 April 2008
Barack Obama did not hunt or fish as a child. He lives in a big city. And as an Illinois state legislator and a U.S. senator, he consistently backed gun control legislation. But he is nevertheless making a play for pro-gun voters in rural Pennsylvania. By highlighting his background in constitutional law and downplaying his voting record, Obama is engaging in a quiet but targeted drive to win over an important constituency... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama, Once-Radical Lawmaker, Now Does the Democrat Gun Dance
Washington Post, Column
7 April 2008
Barack Obama, who informs campaign audiences that he taught constitutional law for 10 years, might be expected to weigh in on the historic Second Amendment case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices are pondering whether the 1976 District of Columbia law effectively prohibiting personal gun ownership in the nation's capital is constitutional. But Obama has not stated his position. Obama, disagreeing with the D.C. government... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Charlton Heston Led US Gun Lobby in Crucial Moment of Political Intimidation
Associated Press
6 April 2008
WASHINGTON -- As Moses, Charlton Heston thunderously rallied his people with the Ten Commandments in hand. The tablet of his political life was carved with something else -- the Second Amendment. Heston was not just the public face of the gun-rights movement but a good deal of the fire in its belly during a transformational time in the decades-old debate. He lived to see Democrats running away from a cause they once embraced,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Enlists Pro-gun Help to Woo Pennsylvania's 2nd Amendment Voters
United Press International
6 April 2008
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is trying to woo pro-gun voters in Pennsylvania, which is home to a large number of gun owners, observers say. The Politico reported Sunday that rather than touting gun control legislation he has consistently backed, the Illinois senator instead is highlighting his constitutional law experience. Pennsylvania, which holds its primary April 22, has the nation's highest per-capita... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Barack Obama Comes Out Against Hidden Handguns, Gun Law Loopholes
Townhall (USA), Web Page
3 April 2008
Barack Obama is embracing anti-gun policies in the run-up to a Democratic presidential debate scheduled on the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings. "I am not in favor of concealed weapons," Obama told the Pittsburgh Tribune. "I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations." These remarks break from Obama's previous moderate rhetoric on gun control.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Presidential Hopefuls' Gun Control Positions May Count in Pennsylvania Vote
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
2 April 2008
Chad Ramsey likes what he sees. That worries Kim Stolfer. Ramsey, the associate director of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, says each of the three presidential candidates has, to some degree, supported the center's efforts to regulate the gun trade. That hasn't been the case in an election year for a long time. Stolfer says gun rights advocates such as himself shouldn't seriously consider Democratic Sens.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Vows 'Common-sense' Gun Laws,'Tightened' Background Checks
Wall St Journal / Washington Wire, Blog
1 April 2008
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania -- Barack Obama usually gets friendly questions from the supporters that turn out to cheer him on at town hall forums. But in Pennsylvania, where the Democratic Party has a conservative streak on social issues, that hasn't always been the case. At a Tuesday afternoon forum, the Illinois senator was pressed how he would address illegal immigration. "Send them back," yelled one audience member. Obama... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Barack Obama, 1996: 'Ban Manufacture, Sale, Possession of Handguns'
CBS News (USA) / Politico
31 March 2008
During his first run for elected office, Barack Obama played a greater role than his aides now acknowledge in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the death penalty and abortion -- positions that appear at odds with the more moderate image he's projected during his presidential campaign. The evidence comes from an amended version of an Illinois voter group's detailed questionnaire, filed under his name during his 1996 bid for... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
It's Obama Over Clinton for Pennsylvania Gun Owners - US Shooters' Group
US News & World Report / Washington Whispers, Blog
31 March 2008
Gun owners in Pennsylvania, which has the highest per capita National Rifle Association membership in the nation, could provide Sen. Barack Obama with a key inroad to rural white voters who have so far backed Sen. Hillary Clinton, according to gun advocates. "The gun vote matters," says Ray Schoenke, founding president of the American Hunters and Shooters Association. And in Pennsylvania, he says, gun owners who follow... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control Could Get Sticky for US Democratic Hopefuls In Pennsylvania
National Journal (Washington, DC)
25 March 2008
When Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton square off in an April 16 debate in Philadelphia, they may be forced to spend time discussing an issue neither has talked much about in this campaign: gun control. April 16 will mark one year since the murder of 32 students at Virginia Tech, the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence will stage events around the country that day calling for stronger... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Why Have Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Ducked the Gun Control Issue?
McClatchy Newspapers (USA)
25 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- When Supreme Court justices debate the legality of the District of Columbia's ban on handguns in coming weeks, their file will include a legal brief from Vice President Dick Cheney, Arizona Sen. John McCain and 54 other senators asking that the law be overturned. But they won't find anything from Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York or Barack Obama of Illinois. They didn't sign the rival brief from other members... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Ignores Racist Origins, Purpose of White Gun Ownership
Mother Jones (USA)
20 March 2008
Racial politics dominated the talk in Washington this week as Barack Obama called on Americans to stop ignoring the country's racist past and move forward. The message, apparently, didn't reach the U.S. Supreme Court, where the justices were busy ignoring race during a hearing on the biggest case of the year. On Tuesday, at the same time Obama gave his big speech, the court heard oral arguments in D.C. v. Heller, a case challenging the District... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US High Court Fails to Join Clamour for Pro-gun Reading of 2nd Amendment
International Herald Tribune / Boston Globe
19 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court took up the politically charged issue of gun-control laws for the first time in 69 years, as a Washington man asked the justices to strike down a local law that prevents him from keeping a handgun in his home. In one of the most closely watched cases of the term, Dick Heller, a security guard who carries a gun while on duty but cannot bring it home at night under a 1976 handgun ban, on Tuesday... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Landmark Gun Control Case Re-opens Right/Left Split in US Supreme Court
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
18 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The opening shots in a gun law case that may pepper this year's presidential race were fired yesterday when the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments about whether the constitutional right to bear arms means Americans can keep handguns at home. In an unusually long oral argument session, several of the nine justices seemed to hint at their differing positions on the meaning of the Second Amendment to the Constitution,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Weighs Individual Gun Rights Against Community's Right to Public Safety
Agence France Presse
18 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The US Supreme Court will Tuesday begin weighing an individual's right to bear arms against a community's right to restrict gun ownership for public safety, an emotional issue that has long divided Americans. The conservative-leaning court's first decision on gun ownership in almost 70 years is expected to have a far reaching impact on US gun control laws, experts say. Since 1939, the high court has not ruled... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Will US Supreme Court Accept or Overturn the DC Gun Ban? - BBC Q&A
BBC News
18 March 2008
The US Supreme Court is grasping the thorny issue of Americans' right to bear arms for the first time in almost 70 years. At issue is a challenge to one of the nation's toughest gun laws -- but the justices' ruling could have far wider ramifications. What is the case before the Supreme Court? The nine justices are to hear a challenge to one of the toughest gun laws in the nation - a virtual ban on private handgun ownership... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control Should Be, But Is Not a Hot Topic for US Presidential Aspirants
International Herald Tribune / Bloomberg News
16 March 2008
This Tuesday is a rare one in the United States, without a presidential primary. The political fireworks instead will be at the Supreme Court, which will hear a case on whether the government can limit firearms. In a country racked by gun violence, this should be a hot topic among presidential aspirants. It isn't. The Democratic candidates, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, and, less... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Historic Gun Control Case to Be Heard Tuesday by US Supreme Court
Chicago Tribune
16 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- It's a shooting war, for certain. Democrats versus Republicans, cities versus states, cops versus cops, scholars versus scholars, and most bizarrely, the Bush administration against itself. The root of the conflict lies in a case that will be argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, one as dramatic as any in recent memory. For the first time in almost 70 years, the court will consider whether the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Case May Set Broad Precedent for Gun Control in America
Washington Post
16 March 2008
Despite mountains of scholarly research, enough books to fill a library shelf and decades of political battles about gun control, the Supreme Court will have an opportunity this week that is almost unique for a modern court when it examines whether the District's handgun ban violates the Second Amendment. The nine justices, none of whom has ever ruled directly on the amendment's meaning, will consider a part of the Bill of Rights... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Control Advocates, Opponents Ready for Supreme Court Argument
Fox News (USA)
16 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The nine justices of the highest court in the land will meet Tuesday to hear arguments on who the Founders Fathers intended when they called for the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms: a well regulated militia or all individuals. Tuesday's arguments in front of the Supreme Court -- the focal point for gun rights advocates and foes alike -- will be the first significant Second Amendment case in front of the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Nears 'Up-or-down Vote on the Limits of Gun Control'
Washington Times
16 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia's fight to preserve its nearly 32-year-old ban on handguns before the U.S. Supreme Court has drawn nationwide attention as an up-or-down vote on the limits of gun control. "Regardless of who wins and loses, the crucial thing is really going to be what [the justices] are going to say about the Second Amendment," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Combat Gun Violence. "It will... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Bush, Cheney, US Solicitor-General All Join White House Battle Over Guns
Washington Post, Opinion
12 March 2008
In preparation for oral arguments Tuesday on the extent of gun rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court has before it a brief signed by Vice President Cheney opposing the Bush administration's stance. Even more remarkably, Cheney is faithfully reflecting the views of President Bush. The government position filed with the Supreme Court by U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement stunned gun advocates by opposing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control - Stated Positions of US Presidential Candidates
Reuters
11 March 2008
Following are the positions of the leading U.S. presidential candidates on gun control. Democrats Sen. Hillary Clinton She has said law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns but laws are needed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. She cosponsored legislation to reinstate for 10 years a ban on assault weapons. The National Rifle Association gives her a failing grade of F for her position on... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Why It's Been Years Since US Politicians Supported Any Real Gun Control
US News & World Report
6 March 2008
The scenario is all too familiar: A disturbed gunman opens fire in a school, an office, or a shopping center and, before horrified spectators, slaughters innocent men, women, and even children. After the massacres at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and Omaha's Westroads Mall, the question is always the same: How could this tragedy have been prevented? Inevitably, there are calls for tougher gun control, and routinely they... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Close US Gun Show Loophole, Ban Assault Weapons - Hillary Clinton
Dallas Morning News (Texas)
3 March 2008
AUSTIN -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, locked in a fierce battle for Texas, said Monday that as president, she would not try to impose New York-like gun restrictions at the national level. Mrs. Clinton said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News that she would like to see bans on assault weapons and the end of loopholes that allow weapons to be sold at gun shows without required background checks. "There can be a meeting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US: Close Gun Show Loophole, Ban Assault Weapons, Limit 1-gun-a-month
New York Times, Editorial
1 March 2008
The Valentine's Day massacre at Northern Illinois University, like the killings at places such as Columbine High School and Virginia Tech, has evoked expressions of horror and sympathy and familiar questions about the killer's motives and mental health. Atrocities like these make Americans feel angry and perhaps helpless. Our political leaders are not helpless. They could match public shock with prompt, concerted and effective action... ( gunpolicy.org )
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