United States
Supreme Court Gun Control Case Could Have Broad Impact - George Will
Washington Post, Column
8 March 2010
WASHINGTON -- It is said, more frequently than precisely, that the reasons the Supreme Court gives for doing whatever it does are as important as what it does. Actually, the court's reasons are what it does. Hence, the interest in the case the Supreme Court considered last week. It probably will result in a routine ruling that extends a 2008 decision and renders dubious many state and local gun control laws. What could -- but, judging... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Owners Flaunting Weapons in Public 'Expose Rifts' in US Gun Lobby
New York Times
8 March 2010
For years, being able to carry a concealed handgun has been a sacred right for many gun enthusiasts. In defending it, Charlton Heston, the actor and former president of the National Rifle Association, used to say that the flock is safer when the wolves cannot tell the difference between the lions and the lambs. But a grass-roots effort among some gun rights advocates is shifting attention to a different goal: exercising the right... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Weighs, Could Weaken US State, Local Gun Control Laws
San Francisco Chronicle
7 March 2010
WASHINGTON - Gun-control advocates think, if not pray, they can win by losing when the Supreme Court decides whether the constitutional right to possess guns serves as a check on state and local regulation of firearms. The justices will be deciding whether the Second Amendment - like much of the rest of the Bill of Rights - applies to states as well as the federal government. It's widely believed they will say it does. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pentagon Police Officers Shot, Gunman Killed in State with 'Lax Gun Law'
New York Times
4 March 2010
WASHINGTON -- Two police officers at the Pentagon were wounded Thursday evening when a man walked up to the entrance of the complex's subway station and, without a word, opened fire on them, Pentagon officials said. Police officers quickly returned fire, fatally shooting the gunman after hitting him once in the head and once in the shoulder. The gunman was identified as John Patrick Bedell, 36, according to a police official here... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago's Pointless Handgun Ban: Crime Weakens Case for Gun Control
Chicago Tribune, Column
4 March 2010
When Chicago passed a ban on handgun ownership in 1982, it was part of a trend. Washington, D.C., had done it in 1976, and a few Chicago suburbs took up the cause in the following years. They all expected to reduce the number of guns and thus curtail bloodshed. District of Columbia Attorney General Linda Singer told The Washington Post in 2007, "It's a pretty common-sense idea that the more guns there are around, the more gun violence... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Effort to Tighten Minnesota's Gun Show Law Getting Folks Riled Up
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
3 March 2010
From Virginia to Arizona, federal and state gun laws are loosening everywhere from national parks to Amtrak trains. But in St. Paul, a proposal that would send Minnesota in the opposite direction is headed toward its first hearing Friday -- a bill requiring background checks on the purchaser of any firearm sold at a gun show. The proposal pits its DFL sponsor, St. Paul Rep. Michael Paymar, against the mighty arsenal of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Constitutional Bookends Close In, Corral US Gun Control Movement
Atlantic (USA), Column
3 March 2010
The second Constitutional bookend corralling the modern American gun control movement is just about in place. The Supreme Court's oral argument Tuesday morning strongly suggests that a majority of the justices intend to extend onto the state and local scene the Second Amendment's individual gun rights. Once such a ruling is in place (bet the house on the last week of June) we'll see a sea change in the way gun ordinances are written, enacted,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Bill Would Stop Florida Using Hidden Handgun Money for Public Projects
Associated Press
3 March 2010
TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The Florida Senate has passed a bill that will force lawmakers to keep their hands off a trust fund that covers the costs of the state's concealed weapons permitting program. The bill (SB 1158), a top priority for the National Rifle Association, passed Tuesday. It now goes to the House where a similar measure (HB 651) has cleared committee and awaits floor action. The Legislature recently has been... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Allows Hidden Handguns in Bars - As Long As Owners Don't Drink
Washington Post, Blog
2 March 2010
Gun-rights supporters had reason to cheer Tuesday after the Virginia General Assembly gave final approval to a bill allowing concealed weapons permit holders to enter restaurants that serve alcohol. Two other bills friendly to gun owners also won final approval. On a day when the U.S. Supreme Court was hearing perhaps the most widely followed Second Amendment case in years, Virginia's House of Delegates gave final passage to a Senate... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Considers National Expansion of Right to Bear Arms
Reuters
2 March 2010
The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared likely to extend the federal right to own guns to state and local governments, but some justices said firearms still could face regulations and restrictions. In a legal challenge to Chicago's 28-year-old handgun ban, the high court seemed deeply divided along conservative and liberal lines in considering how broadly to extend its landmark 2008 ruling that individual Americans have a federal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Seems Ready to Up-end Gun Control in US Cities, States
Christian Science Monitor
2 March 2010
WASHINGTON - The US Supreme Court appears to be on verge of extending the constitutional protection of the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms to every jurisdiction in the nation. During an hour-long oral argument at the high court on Tuesday, several justices exhibited a willingness to enforce their landmark 2008 gun-rights decision at the state and local level. If they do so, the decision may doom not only... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Starbucks: Allowing American Customers to Wear Guns Is Just Business
Associated Press
2 March 2010
SEATTLE -- Coffee chain Starbucks said Wednesday it's sticking to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it's legal and is asking not to be put in the middle of a larger gun-control debate. The company's statement, issued Wednesday, stems from recent campaign by some gun owners, who have walked into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws that allow gun owners to carry weapons openly in public places. Now,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Learning from DC Handgun Ban: Less Gun Control Leads to Less Crime
Washington Times, Editorial
2 March 2010
The year after the Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia's handgun ban and gun-lock requirements, the capital city's murder rate plummeted 25 percent. The high court should keep that in mind today as it hears oral arguments about a Chicago handgun ban. Gun controllers screamed to high heaven that impending disaster would follow the court's decision to junk some of the district's gun controls. One of those screaming... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
High Court Justices Suggest They May Overturn More US Gun Control Laws
Associated Press
2 March 2010
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court suggested Tuesday it will strike down U.S. cities' outright bans on handguns, a ruling that could establish a nationwide ownership right fervently sought by gun advocates. But the justices indicated less severe limits could survive, continuing disputes over the "right to keep and bear arms." Chicago area residents who want handguns for protection in their homes are asking the court to extend its 2008... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
At Least 5 US Supreme Court Justices Poised to Relax US Gun Controls
New York Times
2 March 2010
WASHINGTON -- At least five justices appeared poised to expand the scope of the Second Amendment's protection of the right to bear arms on Tuesday, judging from comments at an unusually intense Supreme Court argument. By its conclusion, it seemed plain that the court would extend a 2008 decision that first identified an individual right to own guns to strike down Chicago's gun control law, widely considered the most restrictive... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Second Amendment Has Become a Frivolous Challenge to Gun Law
San Francisco Chronicle, Opinion
1 March 2010
In 2006, Harvey Jackson pleaded guilty to illegal drug distribution and firearm possession after he was caught selling cocaine out of his home. Two years later, when the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment protects a right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense, however, Jackson challenged his conviction, arguing that the amendment guaranteed his right to keep a gun to protect himself while conducting his home drug... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Tories Used 'Every Trick in the Book' to Stall Police Gun Registry Report
Toronto Star (Ontario), Editorial
1 March 2010
As Parliament resumes sitting this week, among the issues on the order paper will be gun control - specifically, a private member's bill to abolish the long-gun registry. The bill passed second reading last fall by a vote of 164-137 as some Liberals and New Democrats joined the Conservatives in supporting it. Critics of the long-gun registry insisted that it is of little use to the police and not worth maintaining. This argument... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Handpicked Gun Owners the 'Face' of Drive to Lobby US Supreme Court
Associated Press
1 March 2010
CHICAGO -- A couple worries that burglars who tried to break in when the wife was home alone will return. A retiree fears the drug dealers and junkies just outside his window will attempt -- again -- to steal what he spent a lifetime earning. And a businessman wants to protect himself as he could when he was a police officer. Together, they are the face of the most serious challenge yet to Chicago's 28-year-old handgun ban. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Handgun Ban Presents Quandary for US Supreme Court Justices
Washington Post
1 March 2010
As a member of the Junior ROTC, teenager Antonin Scalia toted his rifle on the subway ride back and forth to Queens. As a hunter, he speaks lyrically of stalking wild turkeys. And as a justice, he may have reached the pinnacle of his more than two decades on the Supreme Court when he wrote the majority opinion that said the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own a firearm. But when the justices on Tuesday confront... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Peaceful Disarmament 'Failed,' Uganda Army Goes for Karimojong Guns
New Vision (Kampala)
28 February 2010
KAMPALA, Uganda -- Karimojong warriors who do not voluntarily surrender their guns risk being court-martialled, the Government has warned. Information minister Kabakumba Masiko said about 70 warriors who refused to surrender their guns had been tried in the Court Martial. "The rustlers will be dealt with firmly and decisively and cattle rustling will be a thing of the past," she told a media briefing at the Kampala Media... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Campaign Grows as More US Gun Owners Flaunt Handguns in Starbucks
Associated Press
28 February 2010
Dale Welch recently walked into a Starbucks in Virginia, handgun strapped to his waist, and ordered a banana Frappuccino with a cinnamon bun. He says the firearm drew a double-take from at least one customer, but not a peep from the baristas. Welch's foray into the coffeehouse was part of an effort by some gun owners to exercise and advertise their rights in states that allow people to openly carry firearms. Even in some... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Tipped to Loosen Reins on City, State Gun Control
Associated Press
27 February 2010
WASHINGTON - Gun control advocates are hoping they can win by losing when the Supreme Court rules on state and local regulation of firearms. The justices will be deciding whether the right to possess guns guaranteed by the Second Amendment -- like much of the rest of the Bill of Rights -- applies to states as well as the federal government. It's widely believed they will say it does. But even if the court strikes down handgun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ohio Gun Owners Push Obama Fear Factor, Hidden Handgun Permits Soar
Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio)
27 February 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio issued a record 56,691 concealed handgun licenses in 2009, shattering the previous one-year high of 45,497 set in 2004, according to the state attorney general's office. That means Ohio is now approaching 200,000 concealed permits issued since 2004, when the state started handing out licenses to qualified people. And those for and against tougher gun control laws agree the smoking gun for the 2009... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Women's Groups Pressure Opposition MPs to Save Canada's Gun Registry
Canadian Press
26 February 2010
MONTREAL, Canada - Gun-control advocates pleaded with Ottawa's opposition parties to stand united against a move to shelve the gun registry when Parliament reconvenes next week. The call came Friday from a coalition that included police, politicians, women's groups, and Heidi Rathjen, a survivor of Montreal's 1989 Polytechnique massacre. They said they hold no hope of persuading the governing Conservatives to back away... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Thousands of Guns, Ammunition Surrendered in South African Amnesty
BuaNews (Tshwane)
26 February 2010
PRETORIA,South Africa -- Over 6 300 firearms and more than 90 000 rounds of ammunition have been surrendered to the South African Police Service to date. This is in line with the Ministerial Amnesty which expires on 11 April this year. Under the amnesty, anyone who has an illegal or unregistered gun, ammunition or firearm parts can hand them in without being prosecuted. The theme is "Together we can do more against crime.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Targets California Sheriff's Hidden Handgun Permit Policy
Orange County Register (California), Blog
25 February 2010
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens prompted guffaws from some Second Amendment stalwarts when she said at a Feb. 9 candidate forum that she's approved 90 percent of applications for concealed weapons permits. In fact, she's significantly tightened distribution criteria. There are 22 percent fewer CCW permits than when Hutchens was appointed to the job in 2008. And most permits she's approved come with restrictions absent from permits issued... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Oregon Lawmaker, Gun Lobby Fight to Allow Hidden Handguns for Felons
Oregonian (Portland)
24 February 2010
SALEM -- Lawmakers scrambled Wednesday to fix what they called a "mistake" in a bill from last year that vastly broadened rights of convicted felons to obtain a license to own a gun in Oregon. But opposition from the gun lobby quickly doused all but a single tweak: Felons must make their requests to a Circuit Court judge instead of a justice of the peace. Language in a 2009 bill inadvertently changed state law to allow... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Laws Loosen in US, Even as Gun Policy Changes Little Under Obama
CBS News (USA) / Political Hotsheet, Blog
24 February 2010
Gun rights advocates are pushing for a slew of new laws in numerous states to loosen gun control, the New York Times reports, in anticipation of stricter gun control laws from the Obama administration. Those policies, however, have yet to materialize. Because he campaigned on promises to make the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, to close the loophole that allows unlicensed dealers to sell firearms at gun shows without... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fearing Imagined Obama Agenda, US States Push to Loosen Gun Laws
New York Times
24 February 2010
When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition. And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past. In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Tories Delayed, Disputed Mounties' Report Showing Gun Registry Success
Toronto Star (Ontario)
22 February 2010
OTTAWA - The release of an annual firearms report last fall was delayed by testy officials in the public safety minister's office who demanded to know, among other things, details about an employee "celebration" of the program's 10th anniversary. That was just one of a series of questions posed to RCMP officials after the 2008 Commissioner of Firearms Report was delivered to the minister's office for tabling - a full seven weeks... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Karamoja Elder Betrayed by Gun Amnesty, Uganda Army 'Cattle Rustlers'
Monitor (Kampala)
21 February 2010
He has dedicated his life to peace, worked closely with the UPDF to disarm his clansmen and once secured surrender of 200 illegal guns in a day. Today, Mzee Aramutori Lokodo is an angry elder, temporary confined by the government at a top Kampala Hotel, after soldiers allegedly grabbed all his 350 cattle last month. He spoke to Sunday Monitor's Tabu Butagira (through an interpreter) about how the army has become what he called a "cattle-rustling... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Some US Coffee Chains Ban Gun-toting Customers, Starbucks Trembles
New York Times, Editorial
19 February 2010
It looked like a casting call for a Sam Pekinpah shoot-'em-up: 100 or so gun enthusiasts showed up at the Buckhorn Grill in Walnut Creek, Calif., this month with revolvers strapped on their hips. "We're not politically involved," the restaurant manager declared as he agreed to serve the supporters of Open Carry, a group that goes around flaunting gun owners' right -- under a benighted California law -- to pack weapons in public. Four... ( gunpolicy.org )
Hungary
Hungary PM Calls for Greater Gun Control, Crackdown on 'Sport' Shooters
Hungary Around the Clock (Budapest)
19 February 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai yesterday asked Justice and Law Enforcement Minister Imre Forgács to draft a decree on tightening gun control regulations within days. Bajnai spoke about crime as he assessed 2009 at a police conference. "The tragic or almost tragic shooting incidents of recent months have drawn attention to the need to tighten regulations on access to firearms," he said, adding "we cannot allow sick people who are... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control Defeat Inevitable in US Supreme Court Handgun Ban Case?
Bloomberg (USA)
19 February 2010
For gun-control advocates, defeat may be inevitable in the Chicago handgun-ban case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The question is whether they will get a consolation prize. The central issue in the case, set for argument March 2, is whether the Constitution's Second Amendment applies to state and local gun laws, in addition to those enacted by the federal government and District of Columbia. When the court in 2008 struck down D.C.'s... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Getting Rid of Gun Control: One-gun-a-month Limit Hurts the Law-abiding
Washington Times, Editorial
19 February 2010
Virginia finally is poised to repeal its unusual law that prohibits law-abiding citizens from buying more than one gun per month. It's about time, because the red tape has not had the desired effect in lowering crime. There is no academic research by criminologists or economists that shows that one-gun-a-month regulations reduce crime in either the states that pass them or their neighbors. The laws have merely inconvenienced honest Americans... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Report Ranks California Gun Control Law the Best, Utah Worst in America
Orange County Register (California)
18 February 2010
California has the strongest gun laws in the nation, according to a survey released today by a powerful gun-control group as it prods state Legislators to enact further precautions. The survey by the national Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence gave California high marks for making background checks mandatory for all gun purchases and limiting buyers to one handgun a month. It also applauded a new state law that regulates the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Professor Targeted by US Gun Lobby Over Her UN Human Rights Report
Minnesota Daily (Minneapolis)
18 February 2010
The polarizing and powerful emotions surrounding gun ownership hit close to home Friday for University of Minnesota Professor Barbara Frey. Frey, director of the University's Human Rights Program through the Institute for Global Studies, was a special rapporteur on small arms for the United Nations from 2002 to 2006 and advocated for tighter gun regulation. Last Friday, Frey started to receive "hate mail" from people, she... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Obama, Clinton Join UN Treaty Push to Set Global Gun Trade Controls
Defense News (USA)
18 February 2010
The United States is working with other countries and the United Nations to impose uniform controls on international sales of conventional arms. But the U.S. State Department said it is likely to be years before an Arms Trade Treaty takes effect. The United States is committed to pursuing a "robust treaty" that sets "the highest possible legally binding standards" for international sales of conventional weapons, U.S. Ambassador... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Wyoming Lawmakers Move to Allow Hidden Handguns Without Permits
Associated Press
17 February 2010
Wyoming citizens could carry concealed handguns without needing a state permit under a bill that passed its first committee on Tuesday. The House Judiciary Committee voted 6-2 to recommend approval of House Bill 113 after a testimony from pro-gun groups and other supporters. "I bring the bill here today because I do believe it is our right not only under the United States Constitution, but under the Wyoming Constitution,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Lawmakers Aim to Loosen Firearm Restrictions Even Further
Washington Post
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia - A little more than a year ago, Virginia gun owners joined millions of Americans who began stockpiling weapons for fear that Barack Obama would win the White House and push for new gun controls. Now that the former Illinois senator is president, the prophesied gun control measures have not come to pass, and Virginia's gun advocates are feeling almost giddy about their chances to loosen restrictions on buying... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Senator Aims to Jail NY Mayor's Men Who Uncover Illegal Gun Sales
New York Daily News
15 February 2010
West Virginia has a message for Mayor Bloomberg: Don't come 'round here to buy our guns. A legislator there wants to ban the type of undercover stings that Bloomberg has used to showcase illegal gun sales in other states - and throw the mayor's investigators in jail if necessary. "It's for us to handle within our own borders," said state Sen. Jeffrey Kessler, who is running for governor in 2012. "We jealously guard our... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Indian Campaigners Call for Global Gun Trade Treaty, Fewer Firearms
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
15 February 2010
NEW DELHI - Twenty-one organisations from across the country have come together to appeal to the Government to go for welfare instead of warfare. In a parallel event to the Defence Expo-2010 starting this Monday, these organisations, representing civil society, are gathering for "Delhi disarmament events and conference for an arms trade treaty," which will focus on the consequences of arms trade and the way military spending is... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia
Domestic Abuse Shootings Bring Namibia Closer to Tough Gun Control
Namibian (Windhoek)
15 February 2010
The issuing of firearm licences should be stricter, as there have been several reports of women being shot by their boyfriends or husbands, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Libertina Amathila said in Parliament on Thursday. Speaking on the debate on the draft defence policy tabled by Defence Minister Charles Namoloh, Amathila said: "Weapons [licences] are issued easily to the public, are people able to handle guns? Women are shot by their... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Is Barack Obama Really Anti-gun? No, He's Anti-gun Control
Chicago Tribune, Opinion
14 February 2010
Among the many groups that opposed Barack Obama's presidential race, few were more certain or vehement than gun-rights organizations. "Barack Obama would be the most anti-gun president in American history," the National Rifle Association announced. "Obama is a committed anti-gunner," warned Gun Owners of America. So it's no stunner that after a year in office, the president is getting hammered by people who have no use for his policy... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Control Group Petitions Starbucks to Ban Customers Carrying Guns
CBS News (USA)
10 February 2010
A national pro-gun-control organization wants Starbucks to take a firm stance on whether it allows customers to carry unconcealed firearms in its stores. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence wants its members to sign a petition telling the international coffee company to keep guns out of its locations, according to The Seattle Times. The petition has more than 15,000 signatures, the newspaper reported. The petition... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Bill Would End Federal Regulation of Utah Guns, Gut Background Checks
Associated Press
10 February 2010
SALT LAKE CITY - Guns made and kept in Utah would be exempt from federal regulations under a measure passed by the Utah Legislature Wednesday, despite concerns over an expensive legal fight at a time when the budget is already stretched thin. Senate Bill 11 was passed by the Utah House 56-17. The proposal mirrors one Montana signed into law last year that's intended to trigger a federal court battle. The measures would... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Congressman Opposes Flood of US-purchased AK-47s for American Wars
Star-Gazette (New York)
9 February 2010
U.S. Rep. Eric Massa said Tuesday he has additional concerns about the use of taxpayer money to buy foreign-made weapons. During his weekly teleconference with media from Washington, D.C., Massa, D-Corning, said the United States over the past six years has become the largest purchaser of Russian and Chinese small-arms exports to equip Iraqi and Afghan forces. "To spend these amounts of monies on Kalashnikov rifles and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Groups Fight for the Limelight in Crucial High Court Case
Washington Post
8 February 2010
The National Rifle Association was on the outside looking in when the Supreme Court handed gun rights activists a landmark victory in 2008. After the court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to gun ownership and that the District's handgun ban was unconstitutional, it was an upstart band of libertarian lawyers that celebrated on the marble steps and received the glory for the breakthrough decision. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
National Rifle Assn 'Being Duped' in North Dakota Hunting Squabble
Daily News (North Dakota)
8 February 2010
There's a scam going on in North Dakota and the National Rifle Association's (NRA) Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is being duped. Either that or they don't bother to research issues before they take a stand. Or, they're joined at the hip with the high-fence hunting lobby. On Jan. 29, the NRA-ILA issued an alert warning North Dakota residents that an anti-hunting organization was gathering signatures for... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Maine Aims to Ban Hidden Handguns in Parks, Declare Gun Free Zones
Bangor Daily News (Maine), Editorial
8 February 2010
A bill now before the Legislature would restore the decades-old policies regulating guns in Acadia National Park, the St. Croix International Historic Site and the state's portion of the Appalachian Trail. Specifically, it would require gun owners to keep their weapons unloaded, broken down and stowed away in vehicle trunks, glove boxes or other such compartments. LD 1737 should be passed, and legislators should not allow it to turn into... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Starbucks Supports Gun Lobby, Allows Firearms In American Coffee Shops
Contra Costa Times (California)
5 February 2010
Starbucks has brushed aside a request from a gun control advocacy group to ban the display of guns in its retail locations, saying it will abide by laws that allow patrons to openly carry unloaded weapons. The national Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence made the request in the wake of a series of meetings in local restaurants over the past few months by Bay Area Open Carry, a group that hopes to make it legal to carry loaded... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Argentina Gun Buyback 'Wildly Successful,' 102,000 Firearms Destroyed
Inter Press Service News Agency
3 February 2010
BUENOS AIRES - As a disarmament campaign launched 17 months ago in Argentina nears its end, the government and civil society groups involved in the initiative announced that it has far exceeded even the most optimistic projections, despite the lack of publicity. The Interior Ministry reported that the programme, in which people voluntarily swap their firearms for cash, has so far collected over 102,000 guns and 721,000 munitions,... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Lobby Groups Mobilise as Indian Gun Owners Imagine 'Right to Bear Arms'
Washington Post
1 February 2010
In the land of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian gun owners are coming out of the shadows for the first time to mobilize, U.S.-style, against proposed new curbs on bearing arms. When gunmen attacked 10 sites in Mumbai in November 2008, including two five-star hotels and a train station, Mumbai resident Kumar Verma sat at home glued to the television, feeling outraged and unsafe. Before the end of December, Verma and his friends had... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
47 US States Roll Back Law, in National Trend to Even Looser Gun Control
Associated Press
30 January 2010
PHOENIX -- Arizona's permissive gun laws gained national attention last year when a man openly carried an AR-15 rifle to a protest outside a speech by President Obama. Now, gun rights advocates are hoping for even fewer restrictions on where they can have a firearm. Among their top goals is to make Arizona the third state where it is legal to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Bills in the House and the Senate would also... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado University Faces Fight for Banning Hidden Handguns on Campus
Denver Post (Colorado)
27 January 2010
A gun-rights group says it will fight Colorado State University's proposal to ban concealed weapons on the Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses. Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which is based in Fort Collins, claims the gun ban is a clear violation of Colorado law. On Monday, the group will announce its protest plans, which may include legal action. "We are certainly going to pursue every opportunity to not let CSU wag its little... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mozambique
Mozambique Churches Collected, Destroyed 700,000 Guns Since 1995
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
26 January 2010
MAPUTO -- Under its project "Transforming Guns into Hoes" (TAE), the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM), the umbrella body for the mainstream protestant churches in the country, has, since 1995, collected and destroyed 700,000 guns held illegally, according to the CCM general secretary, Marcos Macamo, interviewed in Tuesday's issue of the independent daily "O Pais". TAE involves offering people holding illegal weapons useful... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Assault Weapon Ban Faces NRA Definition Argument in Washington State
King5 News (Washington)
26 January 2010
OLYMPIA, Washington -- State legislators heard arguments Tuesday for and against a ban on assault weapons. The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering a bill that would ban military-style assault weapons that can fire rapidly and carry a lot of ammunition. It's sponsored by Sen. Adam Kline of Seattle and faces stiff opposition in an election year. Supporters, including Washington Ceasefire and other gun control groups,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Communities Fight NRA to Decide Their Own Gun Controls
Express-Times (Pennsylvania)
25 January 2010
EASTON - Mayor Sal Panto Jr. may try to seize on the number of lost and stolen handgun reporting laws developing around the state by returning the idea to city council for a second chance. "I'm thinking about it, I can tell you that," Panto said last week. "I'd like to see Easton have it." But the mayor may have only one more vote than he did the first time, leaving him still at least one shy of approval. In November... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Man's Love Song for Firearms Becomes an Internet Hit
Sydney Morning Herald
25 January 2010
Steve Lee says he never set out to be an internet hit. He just loves guns - and thought he would write a song about it. He says he is as shocked as anyone that his YouTube clip 'I Like Guns' has been viewed more than 1.26 million times in the six weeks it has been online. The paean to guns, produced by Bill Chambers - father of Kasey - features Lee shooting at everything from watermelons to cars, and with everything from... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Support for Assault Weapon Ban, Gun Control Lags in Washington State
Associated Press
24 January 2010
OLYMPIA -- After 2009 ended in a hail of high-profile gun violence, Washington state's gun-control advocates are frustrated by an apparent lack of political support for an assault weapons ban, warning that the state will likely face more deadly shootings without it. The bill comes just weeks after a spate of deadly police shootings, and proponents of the ban say those killings should force politicians to confront gun violence. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control: If Not After Shooting Deaths of 6 US Police Officers, When?
Olympian (Washington), Opinion
22 January 2010
Enough. Neither gun manufacturers' profits and quasi-interpreted Second Amendment rights, nor the convenience of packing heat are valid reasons to endanger innocent lives any longer. Six police officers were shot and killed within two months in Puget Sound. A young man was shot over an iPod and two teenagers were shot in Burien at an apartment complex. Enough. We need gun control, and we need it now. There... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Big-city Mayors Defend Chicago's Handgun Ban in US Supreme Court
Chicago Sun-Times
22 January 2010
WASHINGTON -- Mayor Daley revved up a coalition of mayors Thursday to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Chicago's handgun ordinance in the wake of the Illinois State Rifle Association challenge to be argued March 2. Here for the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Daley also went to the White House with other mayors for a session with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. And in his role as the "mayor of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington Moves to Strike Montana's Secessionist 'Firearms Freedom Act'
Associated Press
21 January 2010
HELENA, Montana - Montana doesn't have the authority to exempt itself from national gun control laws, the federal government argued in new court filings, hoping to beat back a movement from states adopting the Firearms Freedom Act. The Department of Justice, in a brief filed this week in U.S. District Court in Missoula, said that federal gun control is a "valid exercise of Congress' commerce power under the Constitution." The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Industry Lobbies to Popularise, Sell More 'Sporting' Assault Rifles
ESPN (USA)
20 January 2010
LAS VEGAS -- If Jim Zumbo had the National Shooting Sports Foundation in his corner a few years ago, he might still be the hunting editor of Outdoor Life magazine. Zumbo was literally driven from the temple after expressing discouraging words in his web site blog about the viability of so-called "black rifles" or AR-15-style guns as hunting firearms. Unfortunately, Zumbo expressed his opinions just at the time black rifles were... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobbyists Encourage, Display 'Open Carry' Handguns in California
San Jose Mercury News (California)
20 January 2010
David LaTour rolled out of bed on a recent Saturday morning and prepared for a leisurely lunch: Wallet, check. Car keys, check. Springfield XD 9 mm pistol and ammunition, check. Springfield XD 9 mm pistol and ammunition? The Hayward resident is a member of an organization slowly gaining membership in the Bay Area. Open Carry aims to make it possible for Americans in every state to legally carry loaded guns in public. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Lawmakers Push 30 Bills to Make Hidden Handguns Easier to Carry
Associated Press
19 January 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia -- Those on both sides of the gun rights issue fired their first shots Monday, with battles being declared both inside and outside the state Capitol. Several hundred rallied for gun rights on the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, followed by an afternoon rally attended by dozens calling for stricter gun laws. Inside the Capitol, Democrats pushed through committee changes that will make it more difficult... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Utah Lawmakers Want to Allow Scared Gun Owners to 'Brandish' Weapons
Deseret News (Utah)
19 January 2010
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- More guns may be making appearances in confrontations across Utah, adding intensity, for better or worse. Newly proposed legislation would be a green light for concealed-gun owners to openly carry firearms and, if threatened, draw or exhibit their weapons and verbally threaten deadly force. Depending on whom you ask, that gun-induced intensity could defuse confrontations more quickly, or it could... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Brady Campaign Accuses Obama of 'Running Away from Gun Control'
The Hill (Washington DC)
19 January 2010
President Barack Obama on Monday received a failing grade from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence for running away from gun control. The group, which endorsed Obama in 2008, gave him an "F" on every issue it scored, including background checks, gun trafficking, guns in public, the federal assault weapons ban, standing up to the gun lobby and leadership. "It's been a very disappointing year for us, especially considering... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Police Chiefs Cite 'Alarming Increase' in Crime Using Assault Weapons
New York Times, Editorial
17 January 2010
The nation's police chiefs are finding an alarming increase in criminals' use of assault weapons -- the high-powered battlefield rifles that used to be banned, back when the federal government showed greater concern for public safety. The 10-year ban expired in 2004, despite the vows of presidential nominees from both parties to fight for renewal. Congress hasn't mustered the guts to try, preferring to roll over for the gun lobby. A... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Thousands of Mental Patients Allowed to Buy Guns in Alabama
Press-Register (Alabama)
17 January 2010
Less than a year after a court-ordered stay at a state mental hospital, David Otto Gluth Jr. went gun shopping. His involuntary commitment in 2008 to Searcy Hospital in Mount Vernon made him ineligible under federal law to have a gun. The instant background check run by the Bass Pro Shops store in Spanish Fort failed to flag Gluth, however, because Alabama reports only a tiny fraction of mental health commitments to a national... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lobbyists Work to Encourage Hidden Handguns in Georgia Churches, Bars
Athens Banner-Herald (Georgia)
17 January 2010
Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry doesn't know if someone breaks the law just by carrying a concealed firearm while talking with friends outside a convenience store. That's because current state law that forbids people with concealed weapons permits from bringing those weapons to public gatherings is too fuzzy, Berry said. "There's no clear definition of what a public gathering is, and the truth is. we're not going to enforce... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Police Destroy Another 80,611 Guns in South African Firearm Amnesty
South African Press Association
15 January 2010
JOHANNESBURG - Gun control campaigners welcomed the destruction of 80 611 guns by the SA Police Service on Friday. The weapons thrown into the furnace included guns recovered through the ongoing nationwide firearm amnesty, as well as obsolete police weapons and guns previously recovered by police from crime scenes. IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms) Africa said the destruction sent a positive signal to South... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permits Double, Assault Weapoin Sales Up in Michigan
WLUC-TV6 News (Michigan)
15 January 2010
NEGAUNEE, Michigan - Michigan State Police are reporting that more and more people want to carry a gun. During the 12 month period that ended in June of 2009, the number of applications to carry and conceal a weapon in the state of Michigan more than doubled from the year before. In 2001, Michigan became a "Shall Issue" state. That means the only people denied permits are convicted felons and those with mental illness.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Côte d'Ivoire
CĂ´te d'Ivoire Begins 'Election Without Gun Violence' Campaign [Francais]
Le Patriote (Abidjan)
15 January 2010
[Translated summary: 'Elections without Gun Violence' was launched in Abidjan at the National Commission on small arms, by Michele Pepe, president of the Cote d'Ivoire Action Network on Small Arms (RASALAO), an IANSA affiliate.] Les élections, on le sait, sont généralement sources de passion et de tension en Afrique. La Côte d'Ivoire, qui se prépare, pour l'élection présidentielle, n'échappe pas à la règle. C'est... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Police, Soldiers Arrested for Carrying Guns in Philippine Election Gun Ban
Time (USA)
13 January 2010
An off-duty policeman with a .45 caliber pistol casually tucked into his trousers was the first person to be arrested in the Philippines' new six-month ban on carrying firearms in public -- a measure aimed at reducing political killings during the election season that has only just started but is already violent. The hapless cop was reportedly stopped at a police checkpoint in the capital region's Quezon City just 30 minutes into... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
County Park Gun Ban Law to Visit Seattle State Court
Seattle Times
13 January 2010
Allowing guns in Snohomish County parks got no support from the Democratic majority on the County Council Wednesday -- even if state law suggests that the county's existing ban can't be legally enforced. The council's lone Republican, John Koster, said a 1971 county law that prohibits firearms and other weapons in parks is more restrictive than state law and should be repealed. He argued that state law doesn't allow cities or counties... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Lawyers Request Exemption from Philippine Election Gun Ban
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Editorial
12 January 2010
In insisting that they be included in the gun ban exemption, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu chapter noted that like judges, they face safety threats due to their handling of controversial cases. While safety is a paramount concern, so is the capacity of law enforcers to regulate or even clamp down on gun use. But Cebu lawyers, while admitting that the climate for lawyers in the province is peaceful compared to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Brazil Announces Amnesty to Reduce 5million Unregistered Guns
Global Insight
11 January 2010
The Brazilian government has launched a new disarmament campaign, according to the interim justice minister Luis Paulo Barreto, Agencia Brasil reports. The Justice Ministry has also released data on a campaign to register firearms that ended on 31 December. The campaign saw 1.2 million arms registered last year and 14,544 arms handed over to the police in return for compensation. Anyone found with a weapon that has not been registered faces... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Tiahrt Defends Own Amendment, Attacks Bloomberg
The Wichita Eagle (Kansas), Opinion
10 January 2010
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg knows a lot, and what he knows has helped bring him success on many levels. But when it comes to federal firearm laws and the Second Amendment, Bloomberg is either uninformed or intentionally deceptive. In recent weeks, Bloomberg and his organization, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, have used victims of the Fort Hood massacre as political tools to seek repeal of a law known as the Tiahrt amendment.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns in Locker Room Case, 'Misguided Joke' Taken Very Seriously
New York Times
10 January 2010
WASHINGTON -- The office of Peter Nickles, the District of Columbia's attorney general, is on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from the White House or the Verizon Center. The proximity of the three locations underlines how law, government, sports and the continuing threat of violence stand shoulder to shoulder in the nation's capital, creating a stark backdrop for Gilbert Arenas's decision to store several guns in a Verizon Center locker... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
America's Law Enforcers Shift Focus from War on Drugs to War on Guns
Christian Science Monitor
10 January 2010
In the roll call room of Baltimore's Northwestern District Police Headquarters, a squat building in a neighborhood of liquor stores and crumbling row houses, photos of the city's most wanted suspects flash on a new, flat-screen TV. They are not necessarily drug kingpins or murderers or even dealers. But to Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III, they are top priority in this city with one of the highest homicide rates in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Athletes Should Avoid Firearm Dispute-Resolution 2010
New York Times, Opinion
8 January 2010
In our search for comity and common ground this year, perhaps we can all agree that professional athletes should try to reduce the use of firearms to resolve personal disputes in 2010. You may have heard that the Washington Wizards are engulfed in a crisis over Gilbert Arenas, one of the team's star players. His fight with a teammate over a gambling debt led to a display of handguns in the Wizards locker room. Seldom have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Terror Watch-list Suspects Still Allowed to Bear Arms
My San Antonio, Editorial
7 January 2010
The news that someone on the U.S. government's terrorist watch list could buy a one-way ticket with cash and board a U.S.-bound aircraft with hidden explosives came as a shock to many Americans. Here's something equally shocking: Lawful residents of the U.S. who are on the watch list are permitted to buy or possess firearms under federal gun control laws. Felons can't legally buy guns. Neither can the mentally ill or nine... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Enthusiasts, 'Absolutists' Shoot Blanks Opposing Indiana Police Chief
Indianapolis Star (Indiana), Editorial
7 January 2010
The notion that a new public safety director from the East Coast has come here to disarm law-abiding Indianapolis residents certainly comes as news to Mayor Greg Ballard, who appointed him. The same reaction would appear to characterize the City-County Council, which is scheduled to vote Feb. 1 on whether to confirm Frank Straub. So far so good for common sense. But common sense always is under fire when absolutist opponents... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Wants a Voice at Chicago Supreme Court Case
SCOTUS Blog, Blog
6 January 2010
The National Rifle Association asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to allow its lawyer to take part in the oral argument March 2 in the case testing whether the Second Amendment restricts the power of state and local governments to pass gun control laws. It sought 10 minutes of time allotted to the individuals and groups that are pursuing the Amendment's extension, to put more stress on an alternative constitutional argument. The request,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Members of Congress Rally to Retain Chicago Handgun Ban
Chicago Sun-Times
6 January 2010
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, had 54 members of congress join his friend-of-the-court brief Wednesday that urged the court to leave Chicago's handgun ban in place. Chicago residents represented who challenged the city's gun ban in court say they would like to have handguns to defend themselves in their homes. Gun-rights activists back them up. The U.S. Supreme Court's majority threw out Washington D.C.'s handgun ban... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Lawmakers Plan 'Vast Roll-back of Handgun Regulations'
Washington Examiner
3 January 2010
Gun control opponents in Virginia's legislature are proposing what would amount to a vast roll-back of handgun regulations, hoping to capitalize on a friendlier administration in Richmond to undo long-standing firearms restrictions. Conservative lawmakers have filed a flurry of bills including abolishing the state's one-handgun-per-month rule and allowing college faculty to carry a concealed weapon on campus. Despite the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Latest Finland Shooting Spree Prompts New Gun Law
Agence France Presse
1 January 2010
Finland is in mourning after a jealous ex-lover shot dead his former girlfriend and four of her work colleagues in the latest armed rampage which has reignited debate on the country's gun controls. Ibrahim Shkupolli ended his killing spree on Thursday by turning his weapon on himself, bringing the overall toll from the tragedy in the normally sleepy Helsinki suburb of Espoo to six. As relatives of the victims tried to come... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Finland to Tighten 'Primitive' Gun Control Laws
Xinhua
1 January 2010
HELSINKI,Finland - Finnish Interior Minister Anne Holmlund said on Saturday that Finland will amend the gun law to tighten control on guns, Finnish media reported on Saturday. A 43-year-old man named Ibrahim Shkupolli, a Kosovo Albanian, shot and killed four employees at Sello shopping center in Espoo, southern Finland, as well as his ex-girlfriend at her home, who was also employed there, and finally himself on Thursday. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Extremist American 'Patriot' Groups Expand, Stockpile Guns and Ammo
Telegraph (UK)
31 December 2009
Extremist "patriot" groups and other armed militias have undergone a dramatic resurgence in America, their numbers more than doubling in the past year amid growing right-wing fears over expanding federal power and gun control. Such groups -- a mix of libertarians, gun rights advocates and survivalists -- appeared to be in terminal decline before the election of Barack Obama, according to monitoring bodies. The Southern Poverty Law... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
No Right to Bear Unlicensed Machine Guns, Says US Federal Court
Christian Science Monitor
30 December 2009
A former commander in the Tennessee State Guard has lost an appeal to overturn his conviction for trying to provide his soldiers with homemade machine guns for possible use in defending the state. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court in Cincinnati threw the case out of court. "Whatever the individual right to keep and bear arms might entail, it does not authorize an unlicensed individual to possess unregistered machine... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Illegal Guns Seized Frequently as Australian Police Turn Up Heat on Gangs
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
30 December 2009
Hundreds of illegal guns have been seized in Australia recently in a police crackdown on organised criminal groups such as bikie gangs. The confiscated guns range from rifles to pistols. Just where are the guns coming from? Police can't say for sure but there are several likely sources. Brendan Trembath prepared this report. BRENDAN TREMBATH: Police wrap up a raid in the New South Wales southern highlands. Twenty-five... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Surge in Hidden Handgun Permits, Guns for Women in Massachusetts
Boston Globe
20 December 2009
The number of gun permits issued in Massachusetts surged by more than 15 percent over the past two years, reversing nearly a decade of steady declines and marking a pronounced departure for a state known for its antigun sentiment. The magnitude of the rise, evident in nearly every corner of the state, surprised law enforcement officials, and gun advocates and opponents alike. Some saw it as an echo of similar spikes across... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Poll Finds Most NRA Members Favour 'Reasonable' US Gun Control
New York Times, Editorial
20 December 2009
The National Rifle Association has long fulminated in the gun control debate in Washington like the Great Oz in the Emerald City. Now along comes Frank Luntz, a conservative Republican pollster who, Toto-like, has snatched back Oz's curtain to reveal that gun owners favor much more reasonable gun controls than the gun lobby would ever allow the public to imagine. Mr. Luntz queried 832 gun owners, including 401 card-carrying N.R.A.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Yorkers 'Got Their Money's Worth' from Video Sting of Lax Gun Shows
New York Daily News
20 December 2009
Mayor Bloomberg's crusade against guns comes with a price tag attached. Bills obtained by the Daily News show the city Law Department has paid almost $1.5 million to Kroll Associates, a high-end detective firm, for its undercover probe of out-of-state gun sales. The mayor announced the results of that investigation with a big splash in October, playing secretly recorded videos of dealers improperly selling guns at gun shows.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Liverpool Police Christmas Card Warns Women Not to Hide Men's Guns
Telegraph (UK)
19 December 2009
Cards bearing the message 'Gun crime always ends in tears, make sure they're not yours', are being sent to the women by Merseyside Police and local councils to urge them to help stop the use of guns. The cards, showing a Christmas wreath on the front and a funeral wreath on the inside saying 'Make sure it is a Christmas to remember and not one to regret', are part of an anti-gun crime campaign targeting young people believed to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Assault Rifle Maker Applauds Bill, Utahns 'Entitled to Any Gun They Want'
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
19 December 2009
Alex Robinson wants his assault rifles on foreign battlefields and Utah gun racks alike, so a proposed Firearms Freedom Act exempting local-only sales from federal regulation isn't a game changer at his Salt Lake City machine shop. Then again, Utah is gun country. Armed self-defense true believers see life and death in every constitutional affront. Many applaud a message bill that would preclude federal regulation of any guns made,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pistols from Virginia Gun Shows Fuel New York Gang, Street Crime
Daily Press
17 December 2009
NEW YORK - Hundreds of guns are seized in New York City everyday by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Semi-automatic pistols are the most popular crime guns that are recovered on the streets of New York today. In fact, it was the same type of gun used in Times Square last Thursday, when a street peddler tried to take on a New York City police sergeant and lost. Raymond Martinez was killed in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Most NRA Members Want to Close Gun Show Loophole to Curb Trafficking
Los Angeles Times, Editorial
16 December 2009
Gun control is one of those culture-wars issues on which liberals and conservatives often don't even seem to be speaking the same language, let alone coming to consensus. Gun owners -- especially the hard-core enthusiasts who belong to the National Rifle Assn. -- are often thought to oppose any restriction on their 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. Except that, according to a recent poll, they don't. The gun-control debate is replete... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handguns Become Easier to Carry as US Gun Lobbies Relax Laws
Associated Press
12 December 2009
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- It's been the year of the gun in Tennessee. In a flurry of legislative action, handgun owners won the right to take their weapons onto sports fields and playgrounds and, at least briefly, into bars. A change in leadership at the state Capitol helped open the doors to the gun-related bills and put Tennessee at the forefront of a largely unnoticed trend: In much of the country, it is getting easier to carry... ( gunpolicy.org )
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