United States
Small Print of US Supreme Court Ruling 'Comes Very Close to Status Quo'
St Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri), Editorial
4 July 2008
Two hundred and seventeen years after the Second Amendment was ratified, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided what it means. To bear arms, it turns out, you don't have to belong to a militia after all. In most places, it's been that way all along. On Thursday, a slender 5-4 majority of the court made it official, ruling that the Constitution empowers individuals to own and carry weapons. The ruling is being cheered by gun... ( 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 )
Canada
Alberta Police Try to Seize Guns, Take Licence from Ex-Crown Prosecutor
Red Deer Advocate (Alberta)
3 July 2008
Police are trying to stop a longtime Red Deer Crown prosecutor from possessing guns. Red Deer RCMP have applied for a prohibition order to be placed on Morrey Ferries, the chief Crown prosecutor said on Wednesday. "If police feel that there's a basis to believe that someone shouldn't have firearms, they can make an application to the court," Anders Quist said. Police have also applied through the courts to dispose... ( 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 )
India
Global Gun Trade Treaty Should be Actively Supported by India
My News Network (India)
3 July 2008
NEW DELHI -- India should become an active member the International Arms Trade Treaty to put a check on the illegal trade of weapons which is helping in fuelling armed violence that takes around 3,50,000 lives across the world, an International Affairs expert said today. "India should sign the "United Nations global Arms Trade Treaty' and become its active member to create a legally binding agreement to regularise arms trade," said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
High Court Ruling Revives Gun Control as a Political Issue - George Will
Star-Telegram (Dallas-Forth Worth), Column
3 July 2008
WASHINGTON -- By striking down the District of Columbia's extraordinarily strict gun control law, which essentially bans guns, a federal appeals court may have revived gun control as a political issue. It has been mostly dormant since autumn 2000, when Al Gore decided he was less interested in it than in carrying states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania: "Gore Tables Gun Issue As He Courts Midwest" (The New York Times, Sept. 20,... ( 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
US Gun Owners Emboldened, Demand Firearms at Work, on Their Belts
Economist
3 July 2008
On June 26th the Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia's handgun ban and asserted that individuals have the right to own guns. Gun enthusiasts rejoiced. But as they move to capitalise on this favourable judgment, they may run into new problems. Consider two developing gun-rights controversies. On July 1st Florida became the fourth state to allow people to bring their guns to work. The gun has to stay... ( 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
4 New Gun Laws Would Make Americans Safer, Still Fit High Court Ruling
Chicago Sun-Times, Editorial
2 July 2008
If Charlton Heston were alive, he'd be beaming. The man who filled the silver screen with chariot races and a parting of the sea played another prominent role in later years -- president of the National Rifle Association. Heston treasured his constitutional right to own a gun and was fond of intoning at NRA conventions, with his rifle held aloft, that his weapon would be taken only "from my cold dead hands." Now, thousands... ( gunpolicy.org )
East Timor
Fight Over New Gun Law in East Timor Parliament 'Almost Physical'
Australian (Sydney) / AAP
2 July 2008
East Timor's Prime Minister is supporting a new law that would allow civilians to own guns, less than five months after illegally armed rebel soldiers tried to kill him and the president The proposal has sparked heated scenes in parliament, with MPs almost coming to blows over what some say is a dangerous development that could threaten the nation's fragile security. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao last week introduced the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Guns at Atlanta Airport: Could Set US Precedent
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
2 July 2008
Guns were the issue. But words and federal lawsuits became the weapons of choice Tuesday as Atlanta officials declared Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport a "gun-free zone," and gun advocates immediately retaliated by suing them. The fight over a new state law -- one that permits licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons in more public places -- began at Atlanta's city-run airport, the world's busiest with 89 million passengers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Unanimous Vote, Washington DC Passes Bill to End Its Handgun Ban
Washington Post
2 July 2008
With the unanimous support of his 12 D.C. Council colleagues, Phil Mendelson introduced a bill that would end the city's handgun ban and make it legal for residents to keep firearms in their homes without requirements that trigger locks be used or that they be disassembled. The bill is in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to strike down the ban as unconstitutional and is meant to address the ruling's assertion... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Wake of New Law, Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Firearms at Atlanta Airport
New York Times
2 July 2008
A decision by Georgia legislators to relax the state's gun laws has led to a dispute over whether people can legally carry concealed firearms in the nation's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. A Georgia gun rights group filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Atlanta on Tuesday after airport officials said they would continue to enforce a ban on concealed weapons in the terminal despite the changes to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Overturning Washington's Handgun Ban May Make US Cities Safer
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
2 July 2008
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Washington's ban on handguns, our beloved mayor warned this would add to gun violence in Toronto. The mayor is out to lunch -- fear mongering. Again. Under Mayor David Miller's prodding, city council recently voted 31-9 to ban gun clubs in Toronto, hopefully en route to making Toronto a gun-free city. Superficially, it's convenient for those who blame guns for the violence that has been blossoming... ( 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 )
Canada
Toronto, Ontario Poll Shows 50% Want Total Ban on Handguns
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
1 July 2008
It may soon be time for gun owners to bid their weapons adieu if the federal government takes heed of mounting public opinion that favours a firearms ban. According to a poll conducted last month by Angus Reid Strategies, half of Ontarians surveyed think gun bans are justified, and 9-in-10 think mandatory jail terms will reduce gun-related crimes. Though handguns are already banned -- except for police and security officers,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Yemen
209 Gun Shops Shut, 148 Dealers Jailed, 160,000 Guns Seized in Yemen
Yemen Post
30 June 2008
Two weeks ago, Yemen took its biggest step yet in fighting the existence of weapons as a nationwide campaign begun with a goal to close down all weapon shops throughout the country. Until today, 209 weapon shops have been closed down. The government's policy in its campaign was to close down the shops and reimburse weapons dealers by buying their weapons from them, therefore causing the dealers no losses. However, over 148 shop owners refused... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'At Last, Gun Rules We Can All Agree On,' Says Group of 300 US Mayors
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
30 June 2008
Finally. After decades of ideological debates over the meaning of every word and comma contained in the U.S. Constitution's one-sentence Second Amendment, the Supreme Court has issued a ruling that should largely settle the matter. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the court found that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to bear arms, while also affirming the constitutionality of reasonable restrictions aimed at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
DC Ruling Highlights Failure of US Congress to Control Gun Trafficking
Sacramento Bee (California), Editorial
30 June 2008
A sharply divided Supreme Court has settled the issue for now. The Second Amendment to the Constitution does confer upon individuals the right to bear arms. In the wake of the ruling, big-city mayors across the country are expressing alarm that their gun-control ordinances will be set aside, unleashing a new wave of urban gun violence. That may be an exaggeration. Local gun ordinances have had limited impact. As crime statistics... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
FBI Chief Says High Court Gun Ruling Makes US Campuses Less Secure
Associated Press
30 June 2008
HARTFORD, Connecticut -- FBI Director Robert Mueller on Monday criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, saying it may harm efforts to deter violent crime. Speaking at a convention of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators in Hartford, Mueller said the ruling "does throw a lot of things up in the air." By a 5-4... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Ban on Seattle City Property Goes Up for Challenge - by Democrats
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington)
30 June 2008
OLYMPIA -- A U.S. Supreme Court decision on a Washington, D.C., gun ban combined with Seattle's attempt to restrict guns on city property has sparked a legislative discussion about an issue Washington Democrats have consistently avoided. On Monday, six Democrats from rural state legislative districts called on Attorney General Rob McKenna to issue an opinion on a city's authority to ban people who legally possess firearms from city... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Lobby Pressure for American-style Laws 'Wrong Path' for Australia
Advertiser (Adelaide), Editorial
30 June 2008
Almost anyone who wants a firearm in Australia can get one. It is possible, and legal, to buy a gun and obtain a licence to use it. While most gun dealers are scrupulously honest, it is also possible to obtain weapons on the black market. One dealer appeared last week in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on charges of possessing illegal gun parts. The case has yet to be heard and the dealer has not entered a plea,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Ruling Should Have No Effect on Connecticut's Gun Control Laws
Hartford Courant (Connecticut), Editorial
30 June 2008
Count us among those who believe the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution means what it plainly says. A common-sense reading of that famous single sentence -- "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" -- construes it as creating a collective, not individual, right to possess firearms. But a 5-4 majority of the Supreme... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Shops In, Around Washington DC Refuse Sales, Await New Rules
Washington Post
30 June 2008
D.C. resident Anthony Mason walked into Atlantic Guns in Silver Spring on Friday afternoon and asked a question the staff had heard all day: "How can I buy a small handgun?" "With the overturn of the gun ban," the retired Metrobus driver began to explain to the sales associate behind the counter. "We're telling everyone to wait 30 days," said Atlantic manager Dale Metta, something he's repeated dozens of times in the past... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Law Sets Stage for Gun Showdown at World's Busiest Airport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
30 June 2008
You could call it the Atlanta version of "High Noon." Top city officials will announce Tuesday that despite a new state gun law that went into effect at midnight, they will have anyone carrying a weapon at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport arrested. The state lawmaker who sponsored the new gun law says if they do, the city will immediately be sued. And state Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica) said the plaintiff in the lawsuit... ( 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
US High Court Ruling Really a 'Breakthrough to Sensible Gun Control?'
Cox Newspapers (USA), Column
30 June 2008
The gun lobby has finally won its dream ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, but could it be that this is just the breakthrough which can finally lead to sensible gun control? Going beyond even what the Bush administration had asked of it, a 5-4 majority of the justices has held that "the right to bear arms" is a personal right and not, as federal courts have largely ruled since 1939, a provisional right pegged to maintaining public... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington Faces Hard Fight, Congress Overruling Revised Gun Law
Washington Post, Editorial
30 June 2008
In appealing to the Supreme Court to save the D.C. handgun ban, local officials rightly thought of what was best for the people of Washington, D.C. A lower court had already invalidated the ban, and there was a chance -- albeit limited -- of prevailing. Instead, the high court agreed that the ban is unconstitutional. Officials again must think of those citizens in fashioning the strongest legal protections against gun violence. Even... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
When US Lawmakers 'Rubber-stamp Whatever the NRA Sends Up'
Palm Beach Post (Florida), Editorial
30 June 2008
Last week, the Supreme Court gave the National Rifle Association a split decision. By a vote of 5-4, the court ruled that firearm ownership is an individual right, even though the Second Amendment links that right to service in a militia. But beyond that rewriting of the Constitution's clear "original intent" that most of the justices in the majority usually stress, the ruling does not mean that anyone can carry a Glock wherever... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Advocates Say Illinois Handgun Bans Won't Survive New Law Suits
Associated Press
29 June 2008
CHICAGO -- Mayor Richard Daley and gun control advocates have lined up predicting more innocent lives lost if the city's handgun ban is overturned, but David Sigale isn't buying it. "I don't know for whom the gun ban has made the city safer," said Sigale, one of the attorneys who filed a lawsuit to overturn Chicago's 26-year-old handgun ban just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Washington, D.C.'s gun ban. "It doesn't... ( 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
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 Kingdom
Overall UK Gun Crime Falling, Violence Has 'Direct Correlation' to Poverty
BBC News
29 June 2008
Policies on gun crime are flawed because ministers overlook its root causes -- poverty and inequality, a report by criminologists claims. There is "no compelling evidence" that enforcement strategies would cut firearms-related offending, the King's College London researchers warned. The study authors said much gun crime was probably unreported because people were scared of calling the police. The Home Office said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Decision 'Stunning Defeat for Advocates of Gun Control'
Town Hall (USA), Column
29 June 2008
Thomas Jefferson once wrote, pessimistically, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." He would probably not have been surprised to see the proliferation of gun control laws in our time. But he might not have anticipated that the water would run back uphill. Thursday's Supreme Court decision affirming that the Second Amendment recognizes an individual right to own firearms for self-defense... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US High Court's Ruling Doesn't Endanger Sensible Gun Control
Capital (Maryland), Editorial
29 June 2008
We have long supported reasonable gun control. There's nothing wrong in principle with licensing and registration. Government has an obligation to keep guns out of the grasp of felons and the mentally ill. And just as the Constitution's First Amendment free speech protection doesn't confer a right to commit libel or sell pornography, the Second Amendment doesn't confer a right to own an assault weapon -- or a howitzer. For all that,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Against Backdrop of US Gun Ruling, Another Young Victim is Buried
Washington Post
28 June 2008
Walter Robinson was buried yesterday, a week after he died and a day after the Supreme Court ruled that the District's gun ban is unconstitutional. He was 16, and he was shot in the head June 20 in Ward 8, a part of the city where far too many boys have died before reaching adulthood. A student at Ballou High School, he was killed in an apparent accident. The suspect is a 14-year-old friend who appeared yesterday in juvenile court,... ( 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
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
80 Americans Die Every Day by Gunshot: 'This Ruling Won't Change That'
Boston Globe, Editorial
27 June 2008
The US Supreme Court has ended 69 years of speculation and ruled that the Second Amendment to the Constitution confers an individual right of Americans to own and use guns. To arrive at this decision, the court performed a grammatical parsing that would confound the best English teacher, deciding that the first 13 words are merely "prefatory" to the "operative clause" of the one-sentence amendment, thus conveniently tossing aside the importance... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
America's Gun Control Advocates Aren't Done by a Long Shot
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
27 June 2008
The Supreme Court's decision in the District of Columbia vs. Heller case settles a long, heated debate, finding the 2nd Amendment protects an individual right to own weapons for self-defense -- not merely a right related to membership in a "well-regulated militia." But the ruling doesn't end the struggle over gun control, nor does it mean gun regulations have been eliminated. The court lists a number of laws the decision does not... ( 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
DC Gun Ban Majority and Dissent Both Clearly Wrong: Nothing Is Clear
FindLaw (USA)
27 June 2008
Before adjourning for the summer yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, that the Second Amendment protects a personal right to possess firearms for, among other purposes, self-defense. Accordingly, in District of Columbia v. Heller, the Court invalidated a D.C. law that bans private handgun possession and requires long guns (rifles and shotguns) to be stored either disassembled or under trigger lock. The majority opinion by Justice... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
DC Prepares Licensing, Registration: 'Strictest Handgun Laws Allowed'
Washington Post
27 June 2008
Thirty-two years after enacting the nation's toughest restrictions on firearms ownership, the D.C. government suddenly faces a new reality, forced by the U.S. Supreme Court to draft regulations that will permit city residents to keep weapons, including handguns, readily available in their homes. "I am disappointed in the court's ruling and believe that more handguns in the District of Columbia will only lead to more handgun violence,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Despite High Court's 'Misguided Ruling,' DC May Have Some Gun Options
Washington Post, Editorial
27 June 2008
It is deeply disappointing, though not surprising, that the Supreme Court yesterday struck down the District's gun laws after finding that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. Writing for the four justices in dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens offered a persuasive case that the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms only in relation to service in a state militia. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, World
Gun Control in Most Countries More Stringent than in America
Washington Times
27 June 2008
Few countries go as far as the District of Columbia government did in effectively banning handgun ownership, but gun control abroad tends to be far stricter and more intrusive than in the United States. In Britain, it is a crime to manufacture or import even realistic-looking imitation guns, while in Canada, handguns must be registered and potential buyers must undergo training, a personal-risk assessment and a criminal background... ( 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: Conservative US Justices Are Activists If it Serves Their Politics
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
27 June 2008
The Supreme Court's invalidation of the District of Columbia's handgun ban powerfully shows that the conservative rhetoric about judicial restraint is a lie. In striking down the law, Justice Antonin Scalia's majority opinion, joined by the court's four other most conservative justices, is quite activist in pursuing the conservative political agenda of protecting gun owners. If the terms "judicial activism" and "judicial restraint"... ( 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 Licensing, Registration, Background Checks OK - US High Court
USA Today, Editorial
27 June 2008
On hot-button cultural issues, the Supreme Court typically doesn't stray far from public opinion. So that's where the court found itself Thursday with its landmark Second Amendment ruling, right where the majority of Americans are on the issue: for gun ownership, but with limits. The court straddled that line. It said for the first time that the Constitution bars "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense... ( 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
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
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
NRA Sues to Overturn Ban on Guns in San Francisco City Housing
Associated Press
27 June 2008
SAN FRANCISCO -- The National Rifle Association sued the city of San Francisco on Friday to overturn its ban on handguns in public housing, a day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a handgun ban in the nation's capital. The legal action follows a similar lawsuit against the city of Chicago over its handgun ban, filed within hours of Thursday's high court ruling. In San Francisco, the NRA was joined by the Washington... ( 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
Repeal the 2nd Amendment - for Chicago, it's an Anachronism
Chicago Tribune, Editorial
27 June 2008
No, we don't suppose that's going to happen any time soon. But it should. The 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is evidence that, while the founding fathers were brilliant men, they could have used an editor. "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." If the founders had limited themselves to the final... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Residents of Washington DC Hate, Love Supreme Court Ruling
Washington Post
27 June 2008
Gun control, for many D.C. residents, has always been more personal than ideological, regardless of where they stand on the issue. Take Maurice Benton, who hates yesterday's Supreme Court decision, and Sandra Seegars, who loves it. Each lives in a Southeast Washington community -- he in Barry Farm, she in Congress Park -- where it's difficult to find someone who doesn't know someone who has been shot or robbed at gunpoint. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Decision Shows Way to Stronger Controls on Handguns
Baltimore Sun (Maryland), Editorial
27 June 2008
Thousands of citizens in Baltimore and other American cities have died in recent years in an epidemic of gun violence. The contagion is carried by a flood of weapons, legal and illegal, that presents a frustrating challenge to police, prosecutors and politicians attempting to calm the cities. Yesterday, the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court significantly complicated that effort to control violence with a 5-4 decision that struck... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Gun Ban Veto Triggers Review of Massachusetts Law
Boston Herald
27 June 2008
Yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns will force Massachusetts officials to review the state's gun laws, long considered among the toughest in the nation. In the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights, the court ruled 5-4 that Washington's ban was incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha... ( 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 2nd Amendment 'Came Within Single Vote of Becoming Dead Letter'
Wall Street Journal, Editorial
27 June 2008
The 2008 Supreme Court term ended with a bang yesterday as the Justices issued their most important ruling ever in upholding an individual right to bear arms. The dismaying surprise is that the Second Amendment came within a single vote of becoming a dead Constitutional letter. That's the larger meaning of yesterday's landmark 5-4 ruling in D.C. v. Heller, the first gun control case to come before the Court in 70 years. Richard... ( 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 Gun Lobby Boss Warns: 'Monumental Decision Just Opening Salvo'
USA Today, Opinion
27 June 2008
The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm for any lawful purpose. Period. The Founding Fathers meant it, 4 million NRA members defend it, and the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed it. For three decades, lawful residents of the District of Columbia had no right to possess a handgun in their own homes. Today, they do. That's a good thing, because good people should be able to protect themselves, especially... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US High Court Decision Means 'Rethinking Local Gun Control Laws'
Daily American (Illinois) / Gatehouse News
27 June 2008
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois -- A U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the District of Columbia's handgun ban won't have a direct, immediate effect on existing gun-control laws in Illinois, according to legal experts. But the high court's ruling could affect what happens here in the future when state and local officials grapple with restrictions on guns. "When you see the gnashing of teeth by the anti-gun types, there's a good... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Justice Fears 'Unknown Number of Dominoes' to Fall in Gun Control
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Editorial
27 June 2008
Few sentences in the English language have been parsed more intently than "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." On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court settled the argument over the definition of the Second Amendment, ruling that the right to bear arms extends beyond states to individual gun owners. Written by the Founding... ( 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 Ensures Even More Americans Will Die by Gunshot
New York Times, Editorial
27 June 2008
Thirty-thousand Americans are killed by guns every year -- on the job, walking to school, at the shopping mall. The Supreme Court on Thursday all but ensured that even more Americans will die senselessly with its wrongheaded and dangerous ruling striking down key parts of the District of Columbia's gun-control law. In a radical break from 70 years of Supreme Court precedent, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, declared... ( 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
Wilmette, Illinois Suspends Enforcement of 19yr-old Town Handgun Ban
Pioneer Press (Illinois)
27 June 2008
Wilmette has suspended enforcement of its 19-year-old ordinance banning handgun possession in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that appears to invalidate such bans. In a 5-4 decision, the court's majority struck down Washington, D.C.'s ban on handguns, a prohibition similar to those used in several major cities, including Chicago, and a handful of suburbs including Wilmette, Evanston, Winnetka and Oak Park. "The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American 'Gun Rights' Celebration Obscures Nuanced Legal Decision
Time (USA)
26 June 2008
The U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision overturning Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban is the biggest gun rights ruling since the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791. The Court had not waded into this divisive issue since 1939, when it declared, "We cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear" arms. But on Thursday the Court broke its silence to do just that, ruling for the first time that the Constitution confers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Americans Brace for Supreme Court Ruling on Right to Bear Arms
Washington Post
26 June 2008
With its term coming to an end, the U.S. Supreme Court this morning is expected to issue its ruling on the District's handgun-ownership ban in a case that could result in a landmark interpretation of the Second Amendment. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the city is challenging an appellate ruling that its 32-year-old handgun ban is unconstitutional. Advocates on both sides of the gun control debate have been bracing for the decision... ( 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
Chicago's Handgun Ban Language Mirrors Law Overruled in Washington
Associated Press
26 June 2008
Chicago's handgun ban mirrors the Washington, D.C. ban struck down by the Supreme Court Thursday. Both require gun owners to register all firearms but prohibit certain firearms, including handguns, to be registered. The D.C. code states, "no person or organization in the District of Columbia ('District') shall receive, possess, control, transfer, offer for sale, sell, give, or deliver any ... firearm, unless the person or organization... ( 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
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
DC Handgun Ruling Could Spark Challenges to Gun Control Across US
BBC News
26 June 2008
The US Supreme Court is expected to deliver a ruling shortly that could have a far-reaching effect on gun control laws in the United States. The nine justices have been considering whether a 32-year-old ban on handguns in Washington DC is unconstitutional. It is the first time in nearly 70 years that Americans' right to keep and bear arms, set out in the US Constitution, has been considered by the court. Debate... ( 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 )
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa
Gun Laws in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Australia, South Africa
Associated Press
26 June 2008
GERMANY: Requires license to obtain and use firearms and stipulates a check on the "reliability and suitability" of holders at least once every three years. Under-25s must undergo psychological screening. Buyers must justify why they need a gun. Would-be buyers of recreational firearms must produce proof of regular membership in shooting club for at least one year. Legal age for owning recreational firearms is 21. That... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Immediately Launches Challenge to San Francisco Gun Law
Los Angeles Times
26 June 2008
Emboldened by today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming an individual's right to possess a firearm, gun advocates said they would immediately challenge a San Francisco law that prohibits guns in public housing. The lawsuit, which the National Rifle Assn. said it would file Friday, was one of several legal challenges gun groups said they would file around the country to enforce the court decision and determine its scope. "I... ( 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
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
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
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
San Francisco, California Brace for Legal Challenges to Their Gun Laws
San Francisco Chronicle
26 June 2008
SAN FRANCISCO -- Americans have a constitutional right to own guns, the Supreme Court declared Thursday in a ruling that resoundingly endorsed the ability of an armed populace to resist tyranny but appeared to allow bans on military-style weapons and regulations on other firearms. The National Rifle Association immediately said it would use the ruling for a new round of legal challenges to gun-control laws, including a ban on handgun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Handgun Ruling Could Weaken Chicago's Gun Ban
CBS2 TV News (Chicago) / AP
26 June 2008
CHICAGO -- Chicago officials will be watching the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday as the justices issue their ruling on a Second Amendment challenge to the gun ban in Washington, D.C. As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, the decision Thursday could yield the first concrete definition of the meaning of the Second Amendment in the Supreme Court's 216 years. The decision Thursday could have effects across the country, including in... ( 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 Federal Agents Raid Blackwater Armoury in Assault Weapon Probe
Associated Press
26 June 2008
RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Federal agents raided Blackwater Worldwide this week as part of an investigation into whether the private security company sidestepped federal laws prohibiting the private purchase of automatic assault rifles, the company said Thursday. Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched Blackwater's armory at its corporate headquarters... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Feds Visit Blackwater 'Mercenary' Base, Seize 2 Dozen Assault Rifles
News & Observer (North Carolina)
26 June 2008
Agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have confiscated nearly two dozen automatic rifles from Blackwater Worldwide, the private security contractor and firearms training company in Moyock, N.C. The move came two days after a story in The News & Observer raised questions about the legality of Blackwater's deals to buy the guns for the Camden County Sheriff's Department. The security firm kept the... ( 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 Gun Makers Hail 'Moral Victory for Beleaguered Industry, Gun Owners'
Boston Globe / AP
26 June 2008
HARTFORD, Connecticut -- New England's prominent gun makers said Thursday's landmark Supreme Court ruling that affirms the right to keep guns at home for self-defense is a moral victory for their beleaguered industry and law-abiding gun owners. The 5-4 ruling affirms gun ownership at home as an individual right for self-defense. It overturned a 32-year-old ban in the District of Columbia, letting governments continue to set rules... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Mayors Vow to Uphold Gun Controls Despite Supreme Court Ruling
Associated Press
26 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- Washington's blanket ban on handguns will fall and tight gun laws in places like Chicago and San Francisco are sure to come under attack. But most of the nation's firearms regulations will probably stay on the books, and some politicians said Thursday's Supreme Court decision won't hinder their efforts to prevent bloodshed. The high court struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns, ruling that Americans... ( 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
Washington DC's Handgun Ban Prevents Training of Security Guards
Washington Post, Column
26 June 2008
Allan Lucas discovered his passion nearly four decades ago, in the Marine Corps. Assigned to target practice at the range, he suddenly realized that everyone else had stopped shooting their M-14s. "It gets real quiet and I'm the only one shooting, and the general and the corporal are watching me," Lucas remembers. "I'm building a little circle of holes around the bull's-eye." During a 30-plus-year career with D.C. police, the U.S.... ( gunpolicy.org )
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