United Kingdom
New UK Law 'Doesn't Seem to Change Anything' on Retribution, Gun Use
Guardian (UK)
21 July 2008
"New law backs 'have-a-go' heroes," the Ministry of Justice proclaimed in its press release. Much of the media followed with references to homeowners being given, for the first time, the legal right to defend their property and person with violence. A new law on that subject came into force last week -- section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. But does it really give the householder a new legal right? That is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, World
UN Small Arms Process 'Back on Track' - 134 Votes to Nil for Gun Control
Disarmament Insight (Geneva), Blog
21 July 2008
NEW YORK -- UN Member States met in New York all last week to examine, as they do every two years, how the 2001 Programme of Action to curb the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is being implemented. A lot was at stake in this meeting. Guns are used to take the lives of about 300,000 people every year. They injure and disable about three times that number and commit millions more to living in perpetual poverty and fear. As some... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Losing the Battle to Encourage Guns on College Campuses
Toledo Blade (Ohio), Column
21 July 2008
The national Rifle Association is a lobbying colossus in this country, and it doesn't like to lose a political battle. Fortunately, the NRA is losing one that makes you scratch your head and ask yourself, "what were they thinking?" What they were thinking is this: The gun lobby believes America's college campuses are dangerous places for your children to be and wants the states to enact laws that would forbid any attempts to keep... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Hidden Handguns at Airport, Churches
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
20 July 2008
Their relationship started on the Internet -- like-minded people bemoaning what they considered restrictive Georgia gun laws. Attorney Ed Stone, a former police officer in Union City and Peachtree City, and five others commiserated in the chat room of a now-defunct Web site. They'd exchanged numerous e-mails about what they called illegal limits on gun ownership and "everybody trying to make up their own law," Stone said. So... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Inactive Gun Dealer Makes Buying a New Gun Impossible in Washington, DC
Washington Post
18 July 2008
District residents in the market for handguns could face a long wait -- only one dealer has stepped up so far, and his license isn't active. Charles Sykes Jr. has been selling guns since 1994 to active and retired police officers and security companies out of an unmarked office in Anacostia. But right now his business, CS Exchange, is on hold because he recently changed locations on Good Hope Road SE and his permit needs to be amended.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Felons Now 'Have the Right' to Own Guns for Self Defence - Court Cases
Associated Press
18 July 2008
WASHINGTON -- Twice convicted of felonies, James Francis Barton Jr. faces charges of violating a federal law barring felons from owning guns after police found seven pistols, three shotguns, and five rifles at his home south of Pittsburgh. As a defense, Barton and several other defendants in federal gun cases argue that last month's Supreme Court ruling allows them to keep loaded handguns at home for self-defense. "Felons,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Plaintiff in US High Court Trial Applies for Gun Licence: Denied on First Day
Associated Press
17 July 2008
WASHINGTON -- The plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned Washington's 32-year-old handgun ban was the first to arrive Thursday as the city began registering firearms. But security guard Dick Heller was turned away from police headquarters because he didn't bring his weapon as required. Thursday marked the first day that District of Columbia residents could begin registering or applying for handguns since the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
DC Ends Strictest US Handgun Ban, Begins Strictest US Handgun Licensing
Washington Post
16 July 2008
The D.C. Council unanimously approved emergency legislation last night that ends the strictest handgun ban in the country... The emergency gun bill establishes regulations for residents to keep handguns in their homes legally, an effort to comply with last month's historic Supreme Court decision that found the city's 32-year prohibition of handguns unconstitutional. City leaders say the legislation goes as far as it can... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Opponents of Washington DC's Tough New Gun Law Vow Court Challenge
USA Today
16 July 2008
WASHINGTON -- The doors opened Thursday to post-handgun ban era here, with gun rights advocates vowing another legal challenge to the city's newly approved gun control law. Less than a month after the Supreme Court overturned the city's 32-year-old handgun ban -- the most restrictive in the nation -- the same litigant in the landmark case appeared at police headquarters and said he likely would wage a new fight. Dick Heller,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington DC Approves New Gun Laws Prompted by High Court Ruling
Associated Press
15 July 2008
WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia Council approved new firearms legislation Tuesday that will allow residents to begin applying for handgun permits this week. The council's unanimous vote comes as officials try to comply with last month's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the city's 32-year-old ban on handguns. The emergency legislation will allow handguns to be kept in the home if they are used only for self-defense... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington DC Imposes 'Strictest Controls Possible' in Revised Gun Law
Washington Post
15 July 2008
Within weeks, District residents could legally keep handguns in their homes under emergency legislation that goes to the D.C. Council today, as officials try to comply with the Supreme Court ruling rejecting the city's handgun ban. But District officials said yesterday that they are braced for the possibility of more legal wrangling as they try to respect the high court while maintaining the strictest controls possible. Residents... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington DC's Strict New Gun Regulations 'Reasonable and Necessary'
Washington Post, Editorial
15 July 2008
There was both a triumphal and defeatist cast to the news conference that D.C. officials held yesterday to unveil new firearms legislation. The agreement by the District's sometimes-fractured political leadership on a course of action was worthy of celebration. But it was hard to stomach the need to promulgate rules allowing ownership of handguns -- something the city had forbidden for decades until the Supreme Court's recent decision. Nonetheless,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
DC Votes to Retain Stringent Gun Control Despite Supreme Court Ruling
Associated Press
14 July 2008
WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia Council planned to vote Tuesday on emergency legislation to allow handguns if they are used only for self-defense in the home and carry fewer than 12 rounds of ammunition. The legislation announced Monday comes as officials scramble to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month striking down the city's 32-year-old ban. The proposal, which maintains some of the city's strict... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida's 'Take Your Guns to Work' Law Crosses Line of Common Sense
USA Today, Column
14 July 2008
Edwin Sotomayor is the crash-test dummy in an upcoming legal collision between the National Rifle Association and Disney World. The 36-year-old was fired last week from his job as an unarmed security guard at the Orlando theme park after he took his .45-caliber handgun to work, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Under a new Florida law, people in the Sunshine State can carry their "legally owned firearms" to work as long as they leave... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns Should Be Allowed in Busiest US Airport, Says Georgia Governor
Associated Press
14 July 2008
ATLANTA -- Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said Monday that guns should be allowed in public areas of the nation's busiest airport. And he suggested his own wife might want to pack a firearm for long walks between the parking lot and the terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. "If my wife wanted to carry a gun, if she was going from the parking lot, walking from one of those far parking lots to pick up a grandchild... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Claims That Guns Raise Suicide Risk in US Don't Stand Up Well to Scrutiny
Chicago Tribune, Opinion
13 July 2008
Americans often buy guns for self-defense, a purpose that now has Supreme Court validation. But according to advocates of gun control, those purchasers overlook the people who pose the greatest threat: themselves. Anyone who acquires a firearm, we are told, is inviting a bloody death by suicide. So says Matthew Miller, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If you bought a gun today, I could tell you the risk of suicide... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Students Lobby For, Against Carrying Hidden Handguns on Campus
Houston Chronicle (Texas) / AP
12 July 2008
BLANCO, Texas -- College students in Texas are pushing for legislation that grants the right to bear arms on campus in the wake of last year's massacre at Virginia Tech. Currently, Utah is the only state that specifically allows the carrying of concealed weapons at public universities. A 2003 Colorado law allowed universities to adopt their own policies, and Colorado State decided not to ban licensees from carrying weapons into... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Movement Lobbies for Students, Staff to Carry More Guns on Campus
Houston Chronicle (Texas) / AP
12 July 2008
BLANCO, Texas -- Cameron Schober, a 22-year-old Texas State University student, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at the outline of a man's torso just as a gust of wind blew down the target. "Everybody hold up!" hollered instructor Mike Cox. As six other shooters lowered their weapons, Schober scrambled to brace the cardboard target at a makeshift range on a deserted Hill Country ranch. Schober and fellow student Bill Downs... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disney Florida Bans Guns, Employees Demand Right to Take Guns to Work
Miami Herald (Florida)
10 July 2008
TALLAHASSEE -- Chip and Dale's boss wants to pack heat. It's not that Susan Fiore's worried about her fur-suited Disney World workers -- it's those outside the Orlando-area theme park who worry her. Although a new and controversial National Rifle Association-backed law sought to give Floridians like her the peace of mind to carry a piece almost anywhere in their cars, Disney World has found what it says is an out tucked... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Jury Clears Man Who Killed Two Burglars with Shots to the Back
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
4 July 2008
The voice of Joe Horn on the infamous 911 tape, the one telling police he wasn't going to let the men burglarizing his neighbors' house get away, that he was "gonna shoot" them, is not the voice of the real Joe Horn, he told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday. Nor is the man who grabbed his shotgun, left his house against a 911 operator's orders, pumped a shell into the chamber and shot the men down after shouting "move, you're dead,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Will Guns in Cars Deter Crime in Florida? No, Says Criminologist
Treasure Coast Newspapers / Scripps (Florida), Opinion
4 July 2008
On April 15, Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a bill allowing Floridians to leave their guns in their vehicles at work. Florida is again at the forefront of states promoting the use of armed force for the purpose of self-defense. In 1987, Florida became the first state to make it a right of residents to carry concealed handguns -- currently about half a million Floridians have such a license. In 2005, the "Stand Your Ground" statute was... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disney Says It's Exempt From Florida's New 'Bring Your Gun to Work' Law
Associated Press
3 July 2008
ORLANDO, Florida -- Walt Disney World believes it is exempt from a new state law that allows Florida residents to keep firearms in their vehicles while at work, according to an internal memo obtained by a newspaper. Under the bill, which took effect Tuesday, businesses cannot prohibit employees or customers from keeping a legally owned gun locked inside their cars, as long as the owner has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Killer of Texas Burglars Absolved as 'Make My Day' Laws Sweep America
Time (USA)
3 July 2008
The 911 tape offered up a few clues that Joe Horn had every intention of killing the men who were breaking into the house next door. For example, there was that time, six minutes into the phone call, when he told the dispatcher, "I'm gonna kill 'em." And "kill 'em" he did, stepping outside his house to shoot the men with three shotgun blasts in the back as they retreated across his lawn with a bag of stolen goods from next door.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Non-Lethal Guns May Consign US Ruling to 'Status of an Odd Little Opinion'
New York Times, Opinion
2 July 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- A narrowly divided Supreme Court ruled last week that the Second Amendment gives Americans the right to keep a loaded gun at home for their personal use. Presumably, citizens can use these weapons to defend themselves from intruders. But given the growing effectiveness and availability of less lethal weapons, it is likely that state laws will increasingly keep people from actually using their guns for self-defense. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Courts Across America 'Opening Pandora's Box of New Gun Litigation'
Indianapolis Star (Indiana), Column
1 July 2008
The gun lobby at last holds its Holy Grail: a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that the oddly worded Second Amendment, which speaks of a "well regulated militia" in the same sentence as "the right of the people to keep and bear arms," does, in fact, bestow upon individuals a constitutional right to own weapons. Yet it seems that the most extreme crusaders of the right were not sufficiently careful in what they wished for. Even... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Jury Clears Man Who Shot Suspected Burglar in the Back, Killed 2
Los Angeles Times
1 July 2008
HOUSTON -- A grand jury here Monday cleared a Pasadena, Texas, man in the shooting deaths of two suspected burglars as they left his neighbor's house -- a case that stirred a national debate over whether he was a vigilante or a hero. Joe Horn, 62, shot the men on Nov. 14 after he called authorities and declared his intention to open fire on the suspects with his 12-gauge shotgun. The 911 audiotape captured multiple warnings... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, World
Impact of Gun Control Laws is Tough to Determine: Some Say Few Work
New York Times
29 June 2008
Lurking behind the Supreme Court's ruling last week that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms were a series of fascinating, disputed and now in many ways irrelevant questions. Do gun control laws reduce crime? Do they save lives? Is it possible they even cost lives? Justice Stephen G. Breyer, one of the dissenters in the 5-to-4 decision, surveyed a quite substantial body of empirical research on... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns for Safety? Dream On, Conservative Justices of the Supreme Court
Washington Post
28 June 2008
The Supreme Court has spoken: Thanks to the court's blockbuster 5 to 4 decision Thursday, Washingtonians now have the right to own a gun for self-defense. I leave the law to lawyers, but the public health lesson is crystal clear: The legal ruling that the District's citizens can keep loaded handguns in their homes doesn't mean that they should. In his majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia explicitly endorsed the wisdom of keeping... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Historic 5 to 4 Supreme Court Decision Enshrines American Gun Rights
Christian Science Monitor
27 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- Americans have an individual right to possess and use firearms, even when the guns are not related to service in a government militia. In a historic ruling, the US Supreme Court on Thursday declared 5 to 4 that the Second Amendment's guarantee of a right to "keep and bear arms" means that the government cannot enact an outright ban on certain commonly held weapons or otherwise prevent citizens from having a gun at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Big Business Up In Arms Over Florida's 'Take Your Guns to Work' Law
News-Journal (Florida)
26 June 2008
TALLAHASSEE -- Wading into a battle about guns and property rights, a federal judge heard arguments Wednesday about the constitutionality of a new law that would force businesses to allow firearms in their parking lots. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Retail Federation are seeking an injunction against the law, which state lawmakers passed in April after lobbying by the National Rifle Association. The measure,... ( 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, World
DC Gun Law Voided: Individual Gun Right, Self Defence 'In the Home' OK
Associated Press
26 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court says Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history. The court's 5-4 ruling strikes down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision goes further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Factbox: US Capital's Strict Gun-control Law Struck Down
Reuters
26 June 2008
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, for the first time in the country's history, that individual Americans have the right to own guns for personal use, and struck down a strict gun control law in the U.S. capital, Washington. Following are some facts about the case. - It marks the first time in nearly 70 years that the Supreme Court has taken up the meaning of the Second Amendment, the portion of the U.S. Constitution... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, World
High Court Strikes Down Washington DC Gun Ban as 'Unconstitutional'
CNN
26 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Washington D.C.'s sweeping ban on handguns is unconstitutional. The justices voted 5-4 against the ban with Justice Antonin Scalia writing the opinion for the majority. At issue in District of Columbia v. Heller was whether the city's ban violated the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms" by preventing individuals -- as opposed to state militias -- from having... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Jersey's Tough Gun Laws 'Not Threatened' by High Court Ruling
Newsday (New York) / AP
26 June 2008
NEWARK, New Jersey -- The New Jersey attorney general and a gun control advocate said the state's tough firearms laws are not threatened by Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a handgun ban in the District of Columbia. "We believe the court affirmed the right of states to regulate gun ownership to protect public safety and endorsed commonsense licensing of firearms and concealed-weapons restrictions like we have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Moves to Strike Weapon Bans in San Francisco, Chicago
Associated Press
26 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a constitutional right to keep guns in their homes for self-defense, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun control in U.S. history. The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably... ( 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
Federal Judge Calls Florida's New Workplace Gun Law 'Stupid'
Times-Union (Florida) / AP
25 June 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A new Florida law intended to prohibit public and private employers alike from banning guns locked inside cars in their parking lots is so badly written it's "stupid," a federal judge declared Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declined, however, to rule on a request for a preliminary injunction before the law takes effect next Tuesday. Hinkle said he needed more time to study the issue... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
New Law Allows Israeli Gun Owners to Inflict 'Immediate Death Sentence'
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
24 June 2008
A license to kill or a leg up for law enforcement -- the verdict may still be out, but the Knesset approved the "Shai Dromi Bill" on Tuesday, an amendment to the Penal Law aimed at giving property owners more freedom to use fatal force against people who break into their homes, businesses or farms. The legislation, named for the Negev farmer who in January 2007 shot at a group of people who broke into his farm to steal livestock,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Out-of-state No-shows Hold 1 in 3 of Utah's Hidden Handgun Permits
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah), Editorial
23 June 2008
There's a gunfight shaping up in the Utah Legislature. Gun advocates who want Utah to continue to arm the nation versus government bureaucrats and gun-control advocates who see the dangers in Utah's permissive concealed-carry permitting system. Utah permits are the Tootsie Pops of concealed-carry permits: easily obtained, inexpensive, long-lasting and unhealthy, for Utahns and the nation as a whole. More than a third of Utah's 100,000-plus... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texan Gun Owners Chafe at Rare Restriction: Handguns Must be Hidden
Star-Telegram (Dallas-Forth Worth)
23 June 2008
If Duane Suddeth had his way, he could strap on a handgun and wear it -- anytime, anywhere -- without concealing it. That day has not come in Texas, but the 42-year-old Bedford man is among thousands hoping it is on its way. "This is the public's right," Suddeth said. "Whether they choose to exercise that or not is up to them." Texas, despite its independence and frontier reputation, is one of only six states where... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Chicago, Only Politicians and Criminals Are Allowed to Carry Guns
Chicago Tribune, Column
20 June 2008
That Washington, D.C., gun ban that the Supreme Court should toss out any day now because it is unconstitutional is often compared to the handgun ban in Chicago. But what's not often reported by the decidedly pro-gun-control media is that since Chicago's anti-handgun law went into effect in 1982, only two classes of people have had ready access to firearms: The criminals. And the politicians. Cynics who scoff at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Utah Lobbyists Wear Loaded Guns, Complain Police Stop Them on Street
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
18 June 2008
WEST VALLEY CITY -- With his Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic holstered on his right hip, Travis Deveraux addressed the mayor and City Council on Tuesday. Deveraux says he has been harassed by West Valley City police for carrying that gun and treated like a criminal. "A criminal does not want [police] attention, and they will not openly carry a gun," Deveraux said. With 10 other gun-toting civilians --... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
iPods, Guns as the Norm in American Street Wear - Get Used To It
Boston Globe, Column
16 June 2008
Imagine a child barely tall enough to reach the top drawer of the bedroom dresser. Imagine the child on tip-toes opening the drawer because the forbidden object is hidden there. The naughty thrill of reaching under the socks, the shock of actually touching the thing, finding it cold, as if on ice. Such is my memory of furtive encounters with my father's handgun. At the time, Dad was an FBI agent. Where he stowed his weapon when off-duty... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Legal Gun Owner Acquitted of Killing Canadian Policeman in Drug Raid
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
15 June 2008
Awakened before dawn by police officers who battered down the door to his home, Basil Parasiris said he acted in self-defence when he shot at a stranger at his bedroom door. A jury agreed yesterday, acquitting the Montreal-area businessman of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Constable Daniel Tessier, a father of two. The verdict was the latest slap in this case for the Laval police. The trial had revealed that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns in US National Parks: Congress Gives to NRA in Election Year Deal
CNN / Behind the Scenes
13 June 2008
CHANTILLY, Virginia -- I'm at the Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly, Virginia, the biggest gun store in northern Virginia. I'm looking at a holster on the hip of Arsenal's John Summer in which a black .22-caliber Glock pistol sits snugly. I didn't notice it before because Summer is wearing a large plaid shirt, not tucked in, covering his navy blue polo shirt. But he sweeps the big shirt back and tells me, "I've been to 7-Eleven,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Business Lobby Beats Back NRA 'Take Your Guns to Work' Bill
Associated Press
12 June 2008
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Pro-business lobbyists gained an edge in their fight with the National Rifle Association when the House blocked a floor vote on an NRA-backed bill as time ran out in the legislative session today. The bill by Senator Joe McPherson of Woodworth would give employees the right to keep a legally owned firearm locked in their car in a parking lot at their workplace. Under the bill, the employer would get some... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Fearful New Zealand Shop Owners Push for Guns After Robbery Killing
ABC News (Australia)
10 June 2008
The death of an Indian shop owner during an armed robbery in Auckland has led to a call for shop owners to carry guns. Thirty-year-old father of three Navtej Sing had his hands in the air when he was shot by one of three men robbing his South Auckland shop. He died yesterday in hospital. Gang violence has escalated in the area and Indian shop owners say they are an easy target, and some want to be allowed to have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Becomes 16th US State to Repel 'Guns on Campus' Law
Shreveport Times (Louisiana)
10 June 2008
BATON ROUGE -- The possibility of carrying concealed weapons on Louisiana's college campuses was laid to rest Monday when the bill's author decided not to push it to a vote. Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, said he had the support of 45 House members but since 53 votes are needed to pass a bill in the House, he chose not to go forward. "Put the bill on the calendar until next year," Wooton asked House Clerk Butch Speer,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ohio 'Shoot First' Law Permits Gun Owners to Fire, Injure, Kill if Fearful
Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
10 June 2008
Over the objections of law enforcement groups, Gov. Ted Strickland today signed into law a bill that relaxes certain gun restrictions and establishes a new "castle doctrine" for shooting an intruder in self-defense. The legislation, Senate Bill 184, takes effect in 90 days. It was backed by the National Rifle Association to establish a presumption that a person acted in self-defense when shooting someone who unlawfully... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Students Packing Heat Surely Would Liven Up American Campus Life
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh), Column
10 June 2008
Before classes adjourned for the academic year, students at the University of Pittsburgh squared off over whether guns should be legally carried on campus. Although the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus have yet to convince lawmakers to allow them to pack .45s alongside their copies of Roget's Thesaurus, I hear the pro-gunplay group plans a major offensive aimed -- pardon the pun -- at overturning the campus anti-gun policy.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American Gun Owners Call for Loaded Handguns to Be Worn Openly
Telegraph (UK)
9 June 2008
NEW YORK -- A growing number of Americans are exercising their right not just to own guns but to carry them around in public. As a debate continues in Washington over the constitutional right to gun ownership, supporters of the so-called "open carry" movement argue that sidearms should be precisely that -- a common accessory to be worn freely. Their right to wear their gun, usually on a holster at their hip, as they go... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
English Publican Gets 3 Years' Jail for Sawn-off Shotgun Beside His Bed
BBC News
9 June 2008
A pub landlord has been jailed for three years for keeping a sawn-off shotgun by his Carlisle bedside. Armed police swooped on Michael Charlton's home in Richmond Green, following a tip-off in March. He told officers he needed the weapon to defend himself after a masked gang had raided his house in 2002. The 44-year-old, who until arrest ran the Golden Lion in Botchergate, was jailed at Carlisle Crown Court after... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fledgling US Movement Urges Gun Owners to Openly Carry Handguns
Los Angeles Times
7 June 2008
PROVO, Utah -- For years, Kevin Jensen carried a pistol everywhere he went, tucked in a shoulder holster beneath his clothes. In hot weather the holster was almost unbearable. Pressed against Jensen's skin, the firearm was heavy and uncomfortable. Hiding the weapon made him feel like a criminal. Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged gun owners to do something revolutionary: Carry your gun openly for the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Shooter Prompts Seattle to Clamp Down on Hidden Handguns
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington)
6 June 2008
Two weeks after a shooting at Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival, Mayor Greg Nickels reportedly plans to announce restrictions Monday on concealed weapons on city property. Nickels' office declined to offer any details about the executive order. A news conference was scheduled at the Police Department with Nickels, Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske and state legislators. In a news release, the initiative was described as... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Pushes for Rule Change to Permit Guns in National Parks
New York Times
30 May 2008
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming -- The federal government is considering a proposal to allow visitors to carry loaded, concealed weapons in some national parks, wildlife refuges and monuments. The National Rifle Association favors the proposed rule, arguing that it would help keep crime down and protect visitors from potentially dangerous wildlife. "You read stories about people attacked by animals or who stumble upon... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Indian Authorities Award 'Status Symbol' Gun Licences to Empower Women
India News Portal / Sify
27 May 2008
BHOPAL -- Earlier, they were known as a broomstick weilding women in their villages, but now they are recognised as a gun-toting women in dacoity-infested Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, where carrying a gun is considered a status symbol. "A total of 19 women -- nine belonging to 'Nirmal Grams' (clean villages) for their role in ensuring villages to be clean and hygiene under the 'Total Sanitation Campaign' and the rest members... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Encouraging More Hidden Handguns on US Campuses Is a Bad Idea
Times-Picayune (Louisiana), Editorial
26 May 2008
Rep. Ernest Wooton keeps threatening to revive his bill to allow guns on college campuses. He shouldn't. Lifting gun prohibitions from colleges, universities and vocational-technical schools is a bad idea. Rep. Wooton delayed a vote by the House May 12 in the face of opposition to the bill. He said then that he would bring House Bill 199 back up in two weeks, which would be this week. "I intend to stay with this bill,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Control Campaigner Weathers 2-hour TV Grilling by Stephen Colbert
News-Sentinel (Indiana)
15 May 2008
Second Amendment. Great amendment or best amendment ever? That question never made the final cut of Paul Helmke's Tuesday night interview on "The Colbert Report," but the former Fort Wayne mayor and president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence had plenty to answer in a nearly two-hour session that was edited into a six-and-a-half minute segment. Stephen Colbert, the lefty provocateur on the Comedy Central network whose... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handguns Now Allowed in Georgia Eateries, Parks, Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
14 May 2008
Georgians with carry licenses can tote their concealed guns on public transportation, in restaurants that serve alcohol and in state parks under legislation signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue Wednesday. Perdue inked the controversial gun bill on the final day for him to sign or veto legislation. He also signed a $21 billion state budget that will give 200,000 teachers and state employees 2.5 percent pay raises, and approved a bill allowing... ( gunpolicy.org )
Liberia
As Gun Crime Rises, Liberian Civilians Form Groups to Defend Themselves
IRIN (UN News)
7 May 2008
MONROVIA -- The current police force in the Liberian capital Monrovia is unable to combat an increase in violent crime, according to a recent independent report and many of the city's residents have created their own civil defence groups. "Armed robbery is on the increase in Monrovia and we are not convinced that our police force can handle this type of crime," said Eric Stewart, a community leader in the crime-prone suburb of Paynesville... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia
Namibian Gun Law Allows Self Defence Shootings Only Under Real Threat
New Era (Windhoek), Opinion
7 May 2008
If you carry a weapon, especially a gun, you run the risk of over-reacting in some cases. You might misread a situation and become the aggressor. Another important point to remember is that if you threaten an intruder with a weapon, he can disarm you and use the weapon against you. The chances are that you will end up more seriously injured or even killed than if no weapon was involved. Also take note of the laws of the country.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Must Reject Bill to Allow Guns in Restaurants, on Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
2 May 2008
In a letter to Gov. Sonny Perdue, Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques opposes House Bill 89, which would allow permitted gun holders to take their weapons in public parks, restaurants and on public transit. Here are excerpts: In this legislative session our elected delegates addressed many issues with typical spirit and competency and I am again honored to be associated with the men and women who dedicate their lives to public office.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Shows Gun Lobby is Wrong: Tough Gun Laws Curb Shootings
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Editorial
1 May 2008
The gun lobby contends that Georgia will be a safer place if Gov. Sonny Perdue signs House Bill 89, which allows those with permits to carry concealed weapons on MARTA trains, in state parks and in restaurants that serve alcohol. But, of course, those lobbyists offer no facts to support their position, only the bumper-sticker argument that when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Fortunately, that statement... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Some Floridians Earned Hidden Handgun Permits 'Firing' Toy Plastic Guns
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
30 April 2008
Some of the 500,000 people holding concealed-weapons permits in Florida qualified by using toy guns. Recent complaints to state officials pointed out that almost anyone who wants to carry a handgun to the movies, mall or church can do so. The shortcomings they cited include training that allows firing bullets without gunpowder, and passing students for merely pulling the trigger once or twice without ever loading or unloading a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Give Kenyans Guns: AK-47s Maintain Social, Economic, Political Equilibrium
Nation (Nairobi), Opinion
26 April 2008
NAIROBI -- For decades, Kerio Valley and the adjoining areas have been rocked by intermittent ethnic violence but they have never produced an internal refugee. Yet Eldoret, Kericho, Kuresoi, Molo, Nakuru and the surrounding areas produced hundreds of thousands of displaced people after less than six weeks of post-election violence. What is the difference between these two sets of volatile regions in the Rift Valley? The answer is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Bill to Allow Hidden Handguns on Trains, Buses and in Restaurants
Los Angeles Times
25 April 2008
ATLANTA -- Scores of Atlanta's law enforcement, transit and business leaders joined Mayor Shirley Franklin on Thursday to urge Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto a bill that would allow Georgians to carry concealed handguns onto trains and buses and into restaurants that serve alcohol. "This is not about the right to bear arms," Franklin, a Democrat, said at a news conference at City Hall. "This is about public safety ... There is a direct... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgians Wake up to Law Encouraging Guns in Eateries, Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
25 April 2008
Three weeks after is slipped through the legislature, a bill to permit licensed owners to carry concealed firearms in parks, on public transportation and in booze-serving restaurants has resulted in a delayed storm of protest urging Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto the measure. MARTA bus drivers already have 1,000 signatures on a petition demanding bulletproof shields, should HB 89 be signed into law. The Georgia Restaurant Association,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
More and More US States Pass Laws to Conceal Hidden Handgun Permits
USA Today
25 April 2008
South Carolina last week became the latest in a growing number of states to make the names of people who have a license to carry a concealed weapon a state secret. Five other states might not be far behind in a battle that pits a public policy of open government against the right of people to keep their gun ownership records private. Bills that would make concealed gun permit records confidential have been introduced in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Shootings, Gun Crime Bring Calls for Urgent Firearm Seizures in Kenya
Nation (Nairobi)
25 April 2008
NAIROBI -- Residents and leaders in the larger Laikipia district have appealed to the Government to mop up illegal firearms in the area following a fresh wave of killings by bandits. The call follows increased cases of murder, robbery and stock theft. Residents have been killed by bandits and cattle rustlers and hundreds of cattle, sheep and goats stolen. Laikipia West district commissioner, Fredrick Shisia estimates the number... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Corporations Have No Right to Keep Guns Away From the Workplace
Tampa Tribune (Florida), Opinion
25 April 2008
While clowning around with my grandchildren one day, I suddenly shouted, "Look at the sky, it has turned from blue to green." Try as I might, I could never convince them that it was true, because they could see and couldn't be fooled. So it is with Robert Levy's column ("Employers Must Pull The Trigger," Our Opinion, April 22). Levy claims that our right to have firearms locked in our cars in a parking lot is not about... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Sold to Campus Killers, Touts Cheap Guns at Virginia Tech
CNN
24 April 2008
The owner of a company that sold firearm merchandise to both the Virginia Tech University and Northern Illinois University shooters said he will sell his guns at cost for the next two weeks in hopes that "law-abiding" citizens will buy them to prevent similar tragedies. A gunman killed 32 people in April 2007 at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg. "I want to help people save lives," Eric Thompson said Thursday. He was... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Tech Gun Dealer Offers Student Discount, Touts Pistols on Campus
ABC News (USA)
24 April 2008
The owner of an Internet-based firearms store that sold a gun to Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho says he is now offering a discount for students who want to carry guns on campus to protect themselves. The company, TGSCOM Inc., also sold two 9mm Glock magazines to Steven Kazmierczak, who killed five people at Northern Illinois University earlier this year. The owner of TGSCOM, Eric Thompson, announced today that for the next... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Dealer Armed Campus Shooters, Touts More Guns to Make US Safer
Green Bay Press Gazette (Wisconsin)
23 April 2008
A Green Bay-based online gun dealer linked to deadly shooting rampages on two college campuses today announced he'll sell guns at cost for two weeks in an effort to arm citizens and prevent future tragedies. Eric Thompson said his company TGSCOM will offer guns to customers April 23 through May 7 for the same price he pays for them. That could mean a savings of $100 on a $500 gun purchase, he said. "I'm not making a dime... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida's New 'Take Your Guns to Work' Law Faces Heavy Legal Challenge
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)
22 April 2008
Florida's so-called "guns-to-work" law is the target of a lawsuit filed Monday in federal district court in Tallahassee by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation against Florida's attorney general. The law, signed April 15 by Gov. Charlie Crist and effective in July, allows employees with concealed-weapons permits to keep guns locked in their vehicles at work. The business groups are challenging... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Rights Trample All Others as Florida Passes 'Take Guns to Work' Law
Tampa Tribune (Florida), Editorial
22 April 2008
Like a majority of lawmakers, Gov. Charlie Crist places gun rights above all others. By signing a bill that allows people to keep guns in their cars at work, he ignored the private property rights of business owners, who must pay the price for any gun-related incidents on their land. The guns-at-work law also allows a secret group of citizens to buy constitutional protection by obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Lawmaker Claims Support for More Hidden Handguns in US Schools
Augusta Chronicle (Georgia)
19 April 2008
In light of some shootings on college campuses in the past year, some students and faculty in Georgia are pushing for the right to carry handguns on campus. A proposal in the Georgia Legislature earlier this year that would have allowed gun-toting students and faculty on college campuses failed, but part of the legislation remained allowing permitted gun holders on public transit and in restaurants. Some still hold out... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Should Floridians Be Allowed to Take Guns in Cars to Work? Yes and No
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Pro-Con, Opinion
18 April 2008
PRO-CON: Should employees be allowed to keep guns in cars at work? No After years of wimping around, Florida lawmakers finally passed a law that will allow you to bring your favorite firearm to work, providing you leave it locked in your vehicle. In the past, deranged employees who wanted to mow down their boss and colleagues had to drive all the way home to fetch their guns. It was the waste of a perfectly good lunch hour,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Michigan Students Rally to Oppose 'Guns on Campus' Policy Change
Grand Rapids Press (Michigan)
17 April 2008
GRAND RAPIDS -- About 65 Calvin College students are marching on campus this afternoon to protest a plan to have campus safety supervisors carry handguns. Students carried "no guns" signs and chanted "No more weaponry. We want community," as they walked peacefully from the campus green to the president's home. School leaders plan to begin the gun policy this fall. The board is expected to approve the plan next month, making... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ohio Law Now Allows Gun Owners to Shoot First, Avoid Prosecution Later
Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
17 April 2008
If a man's home is his castle, then that man has every right to shoot an intruder who would dare to break in. That's the gist of Senate Bill 184, the so-called Castle Doctrine. It presumes that a resident acted in self-defense if he or she used force against someone who unlawfully enters the person's home or occupied vehicle. Pushed by the National Rifle Association, the bill passed the Senate unanimously yesterday and now moves... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Americans Have Institutionalized the Idiocy of Gun Worship - Victim's Father
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
16 April 2008
Today, as I write, House Bill 89 rests on Gov. Sonny Perdue's desk awaiting his signature. It will permit those with concealed-carry permits to take their firearms onto public transportation, into state parks and into restaurants that earn more than 50 percent of their income from food. Perdue should veto this bill. And he shouldn't dilly-dally doing it. The gun issue nowadays isn't ultimately a Republican vs. Democrat... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fearing Attack, Gun Owners Push Tennessee Library to Remove Gun Ban
Jackson Sun (Tennessee)
15 April 2008
Notices of a gun ban have been removed at the Jackson-Madison County Library's north branch, said Richard Salmons, library director. Salmons said the signs were taken down over the weekend, though he did not know specifically why. Firearms, however, are still banned under library policy, he said. Arlene Griffin, who manages the north branch, was not immediately available for comment this afternoon. There will still... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pro-gun US Students Lobby to Carry Hidden Handguns on Campus, in Class
CNN
15 April 2008
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- "Would you rather just sit there and cower underneath a desk when someone executes you or would you rather have a chance to defend your life? That's what it really boils down to." Michael Flitcraft, a 23-year-old sophomore at the University of Cincinnati, has become a leading advocate for college students to carry weapons on campus. He's an organizer for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a grass-roots organization... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
One Year After Virginia Tech Killings, Search For a Solution Remains Elusive
International Herald Tribune / AP
13 April 2008
NARROWS, Virginia -- Allen Neely eases his Chrysler Pacifica onto the bridge named in honor of Jarrett Lane, who grew up in this tiny town near the West Virginia border. Jarrett, Neely says quietly, always wanted to build a bridge. Under the back seat are two pistols. Neely keeps them close these days. He and his construction crew were in Virginia Tech's Norris Hall on April 16 when a mentally ill student went on a rampage -- killing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Growing Numbers Seeking Permits for Concealed Handguns in Virginia
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
12 April 2008
SUFFOLK -- Christopher Corbett exercised one of his new rights soon after turning 21: He applied for a concealed-handgun permit. He said his father, a police officer who has "seen the worst of the worst," was adamant. "People should be able to protect themselves without worrying if the police are going to get here in time," Corbett said. The number of applications for concealed-handgun permits is soaring across... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Republicans Want McCain, So Florida Suffers 'Take Your Gun to Work' Bill
Palm Beach Post (Florida), Editorial
12 April 2008
Florida will have Take Your Gun To Work Day because Republicans want John McCain to be president. Twice before, the National Rifle Association demanded that the Legislature prevent private businesses from making their property firearms-free. Both times, the NRA failed. But this election year, with most NRA members likely McCain voters, the bill whizzed through. Gov. Crist, who for weeks has paid more attention to Sen. McCain than... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Since Campus Mass Shooting, Virginia Grants 60% More Permits for Guns
Washington Post
12 April 2008
The number of Virginians who obtained a permit to carry a concealed weapon jumped 60 percent last year over 2006, an increase that many gun experts say was a reaction to the fatal shootings of 32 students and professors at Virginia Tech. In Northern Virginia, the numbers were much the same. In Fairfax County, there were 2,471 concealed-carry permits issued in 2007, a 64 percent increase. In Prince William County, the number rose... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fear Prompts 60 Percent Increase in Virginians Packing Hidden Handguns
Associated Press
11 April 2008
RICHMOND, Virginia -- Doug and Cheryl Camden were raised around guns but agreed not to keep them in their house after they got married and began raising five children of their own. Then violent crime began to dominate daily news reports. Several businesses near their Chester restaurant were robbed, home invasions seemed to increase and the world just seemed to be getting much more dangerous. "It's to the point where you... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Firearm Violence Debate, Gun Control Draw Crowd to Pittsburgh Campus
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
10 April 2008
Two weeks before he was killed in the Columbine High School shootings, Daniel Mauser asked his father a question that Tom Mauser now considers fundamental to the debate on guns and handgun violence in America: "Dad, did you know there are loopholes in the Brady [Handgun Violence Prevention] Act?" Mr. Mauser repeated that question yesterday at the National Symposium on Handgun Violence at Duquesne University's Power Center.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Threatened Judges in Philippines Given Interest-free Loans to Buy Guns
Agence France Presse
6 April 2008
MANILA -- Judges in the Philippines are to be given interest-free loans to buy guns for self-protection, following a rash of attacks on members of the judiciary, the Supreme Court said Saturday. Under the guidelines, approved as part of new security measures, 10 million pesos ($240,000) has been allocated for the programme. Judges will be able to borrow up to 50,000 pesos and can pay it back in 36 monthly payments or forfeit... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Judge Rules Accused Killer Must Have Anti-gun control Lawyer
Nunatsiaq News (Nunavut)
4 April 2008
In a judgement that harshly criticizes the practices of the Nunavut Legal Service Board, Justice Beverly Browne ruled this week that accused killer Chris Bishop must be represented by Calvin Martin, an anti-gun-control lawyer from Toronto who advocates the right to use firearms for self-defence. Bishop, a former Cambridge Bay resident, faces three counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Punjab Issues Free Firearm Licences, Glock Handguns to Top Civil Servants
Daily Times (Lahore)
4 April 2008
LAHORE -- The Punjab Home Department has issued Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) gratis licences (free of cost weapon licences) to 60 top bureaucrats from the administrative hierarchy of the province for their self-protection. The Punjab government will import Glock-17s, an Austrian-made handgun that costs between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000, to be given to the 60 officers. Of the 60, 15 are administrative and special secretaries... ( 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
Campaign for Students, Staff to Carry Guns on Campus Fizzles in Oklahoma
Associated Press
31 March 2008
Oklahoma City -- After strong protests, Oklahoma Senate leaders decided Monday to shelve a bill to allow military veterans and others with firearms training to carry concealed weapons on college campuses. Sen. Mike Johnson, a Republican, said he and Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, a Democrat, made a joint decision to leave the bill off the agenda of the committee that would debate the measure. According to Crutchfield, he and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
More Than 10% of US Pilots Allowed to Fly Armed: 15% of Pilots Carry Guns
USA Today
31 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- More than one in 10 of the nation's airline pilots are cleared to carry a handgun while flying, and the number will continue to grow, according to a Transportation Security Administration projection. The TSA, which has declined to disclose the number of armed pilots, revealed in a recent budget document that 10.8% of airline crewmembers were authorized to carry guns. The Federal Air Marshal Service, a TSA... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Oklahoma Legislators Encourage Students, Staff to Carry Guns on Campus
Bloomberg (USA)
27 March 2008
Oklahoma lawmakers have a plan to prevent violent outbreaks at colleges: let students carry guns. The state's House of Representatives voted March 13 to allow students and employees who have law-enforcement or military backgrounds, or who undergo training, to carry concealed weapons on public campuses. If the measure is enacted, Oklahoma will be the fourth state where collegians can be armed legally, as a result of legislative,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Armed 2 School Shooters, Now Lobbies for Guns on Campus
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
24 March 2008
MILWAUKEE -- If gun dealer Eric Thompson had his way, college students would carry more than just books. In his vision, the next college shooter is thwarted by a student armed with one of Thompson's guns -- averting a massacre, saving lives. Thompson's Internet-based business TGSCOM Inc. sold weapons to the shooters at both Northern Illinois and Virginia Tech universities. First, he said, he felt grief for the victims.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supremes Display Laissez-faire Attitudes to Gun Safety in the Home
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
23 March 2008
The dust is only beginning to settle in the wake of oral arguments heard before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 18 in the historic case of Heller v. District of Columbia. The day featured several lively exchanges, as both the justices and the attorneys for the two sides in the case sought to divine the historical context and present-day implications of the Second Amendment. At issue in the Heller case are the District's tough gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supremes Should Rule that Communities Can Enact their Own Gun Laws
Washington Post, Opinion
22 March 2008
Nearly 135 years ago, the United States experienced what may have been the worst one-day slaughter of blacks by whites in its history. On April 13, 1873, in the tiny village of Colfax, La., white paramilitaries attacked a lightly armed force of freedmen assembled in a local courthouse. By the time the Colfax Massacre was over, more than 60 African American men lay shot, burned or stabbed to death. Most were killed after they had surrendered.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia
Russian Priests Told to Carry Guns, Fight Armed Thieves of Religious Icons
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
19 March 2008
MOSCOW -- Police in a central Russian region have advised priests to apply for firearms licences so they can defend their churches from marauding thieves who have been stealing religious icons at gunpoint. But a cleric with the Russian Orthodox diocese of Kostroma said the guns would probably be wielded by church wardens because the biblical commandment "Thou shalt not kill" prohibited priests from bearing arms. Police... ( gunpolicy.org )
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