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Firearm violence prevention around the world
Canada: 'Gun Shy' Govt Hushed Up Firearm Registry Destruction Bash
21 April 2013
Calgary Herald (Alberta) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Public servants spent a full month, at the "urgent" request of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, preparing two splashy announcements heralding the destruction of the long-gun registry data — only to have the events cancelled at the last moment without explanation.
The final deletion of millions of registry records last October 31 could be seen as a crowning achievement for a Conservative government that had campaigned against the registry for more than a... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Aren't US Gun Control Advocates Focusing More on Online Sales?
17 April 2013
Atlantic (USA)
Despite clear demonstrations of the ease with which anonymous weapons transactions can occur online — including ties to mass shooting incidents — the issue has been largely sidelined during the political debate.
After all, the "gun show loophole" — the shorthand expression for exempting a number of gun buyers from background checks — is much more than a gun show loophole. The image of two guy shaking hands to finalize a sale in a crowded, well-lit conference... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,North Korea,Iran,United States
Expert Says Explaining Benefits of Arms Treaty will Boost US Support
11 April 2013
New York Times, Opinion
On April 2, the United States joined an overwhelming majority of countries at the United Nations in voting to adopt a treaty regulating the international trade in conventional weapons — a monumental achievement after seven years of diplomacy, lobbying and out-and-out arm-twisting.
The United States pushed for the General Assembly vote last week after securing, in a March conference, the treaty language its negotiators wanted.
Yet now, just days after the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Mayor Says NYC is Example on How to Combat Youth Gun Crime
5 April 2013
Washington Post
NEW YORK — New York City's mayor met Thursday with the parents of a Chicago girl killed just days after performing at President Barack Obama's inaugural festivities, then suggested that places interested in reducing gun violence might want to emulate the Big Apple, where studies have found teenagers are less likely to carry weapons than in any other major U.S. city.
The meeting between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the parents of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Running into Mexico on the Rise as US Admits Lack of Data on Guns
4 April 2013
San Marco Mercury
As the gun control debate swirls around issues like background checks and mental health, a new study reveals that gun running into Mexico remains a large-scale problem.
In their report, titled "The Way of the Gun," researchers at the University of San Diego's Trans-Border Institute estimated that as many as 253,000 firearms were purchased in the United States from 2010 to 2012 for the sole purpose of being trafficked across the border into Mexico. The figure is nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Controls a Political Template for US
3 April 2013
Reuters
Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard wore a bullet proof vest under his suit when he addressed an angry crowd of gun owners in 1996, telling them he was going to ban automatic and semi-automatic weapons for the safety of all Australians.
At other rallies, effigies of his deputy prime minister Tim Fischer were hanged by opponents of gun control.
The battle for gun control in Australia, after the country's worst massacre in which 35 people were shot dead, was... (GunPolicy.org)
US President Uses Executive Power to Advance Gun Control Agenda
29 March 2013
The Hill (Washington DC)
President Obama is quietly moving forward on gun control.
The president has used his executive powers to bolster the national background check system, jumpstart government research on the causes of gun violence and create a million-dollar ad campaign aimed at safe gun ownership.
The executive steps will give federal law enforcement officials access to more data about guns and their owners, help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, and lay the... (GunPolicy.org)
England & Wales,Germany,Guyana
Politicians Block Guyana Gun Control Laws Despite Arms Trade Treaty
28 March 2013
Guyana Times International
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has lamented that while critical steps are being taken in the international arena to hammer out an Arms Trade Treaty, locally the opposition has voted down a bill that seeks to strengthen this country's fight against illicit arms.
Negotiators from around 150 countries gathered in New York at the United Nations for a final push to hammer out a binding international treaty to end unregulated conventional arms sales, a pact that a... (GunPolicy.org)
Bloomberg Funds $12m US Gun Law Campaign
25 March 2013
BBC News
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is bankrolling a $12m (£7.8m) advertising campaign for tougher gun control laws.
The television adverts will run in 13 states and urge voters to persuade their senators to back comprehensive background checks for gun buyers.
Mr Bloomberg, a strong supporter of gun control, has said he is cautiously optimistic of winning over Congress, which votes on the issue next month.
But his campaign has been dismissed by the National Rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Lobbies for Domestic Abusers and Drinking, Disturbed Gun Owners
20 March 2013
al Jazeera
The National Rifle Association's guns-at-all-costs mentality and total disregard for public safety has already put it in the uncomfortable position of opposing the most basic laws to protect the public safety. It opposes the regulations that would help stop disturbed young men from going on shooting sprees in schools with weapons that are as easy to fire as video game controllers. It opposes the international Arms Trade Treaty, which according to the Washington Post... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global Gun Grabbers Team with UN to Prep African Countries for Arms Trade Treaty
15 March 2013
Fox News (USA)
A week before it opens a treaty conference to impose worldwide limitations on arms sales, the United Nations co-hosted and paid for a series of meetings involving 48 African nations and an anti-gun group that espouses much greater national and international control of firearms, including registration of small arms and ammunition.
The co-host of the gathering in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa was a multinational "civil society" network known as IANSA, which calls... (GunPolicy.org)
How Brazil Exploited Sexual Insecurity to Curb Guns
8 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
Brazil has a gun culture, a gun industry and a gun problem -- much like the U.S. In fact, more Brazilians than Americans died of gunfire in 2010.
Yet Brazil's 2010 tally, 34,300 deaths, was significantly lower than its gun fatalities in 2003 (39,284), when the government enacted major gun-control regulation. I asked Brazilian political scientist Antonio Bandeira, who coordinates the arms-control program of Viva Rio, a nongovernmental organization in Rio De Janeiro, how... (GunPolicy.org)
How the White House Silenced US Gun Control Groups
7 March 2013
Politico (Washington DC)
President Barack Obama's gun control agenda is looking more doomed by the day, but gun control advocates still haven't said a word to complain.
That's no accident.
The White House knew its post-Newtown effort would require bringing key gun control groups into the fold. So the White House offered a simple arrangement: the groups could have access and involvement, but they'd have to offer silence and support in exchange.
The implied rules, according to conversations... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Top Concern at UN Arms Trade Treaty: 'Protecting Gun Owners'
5 March 2013
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
OTTAWA — For nearly two weeks last year, diplomats from Canada and the rest of the world gathered at the United Nations in New York to discuss ways to crack down on the illicit trade in small arms and ammunition.
But rather than working to strengthen those efforts, newly released documents show Canadian officials were instructed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to "play a low-key, minimal role" — and that their main objective was safeguarding Canadian... (GunPolicy.org)
Comprehensive Study of Mass Shootings by US Gun Control Campaign
22 February 2013
Demand a Plan / Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Blog
Using new data from the FBI, Mayors Against Illegal Guns updated its comprehensive study of mass shootings. The 25 percent increase in incidents — to a total of 56 over the last four years, more than one per month — strengthens its conclusions about where mass shootings occur, what weapons are used, and what other factors are at play:
- Less than 1% of gun murder victims were killed as part of incidents with four or more victims.
- In at least 57 percent of the... (GunPolicy.org)
How the Gun-Control Movement in America Got Smart
7 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
Here is how advocates of gun control used to talk about their cause: They openly disputed that the Second Amendment conferred the right to own a gun. Their major policy goals were to make handguns illegal and enroll all U.S. gun owners in a federal database. The group now known as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was once known as Handgun Control Inc.; a 2001 book by the executive director of the Violence Policy Center was entitled Every Handgun Is Aimed at... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexicans Swap Over 3,000 Guns for Computers, Bikes in Amnesty
6 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico City authorities have received over 3,000 firearms in exchange for cash, bicycles, tablet computers and other goods, in new amnesty program aimed at tackling gun crime.
The program, "For your family, voluntarily disarmament" (Por tu familia, desarme voluntario), has been running in three of Mexico City's 16 districts for the last two months. El Capitalino reports that government officials associated with the program have visited nearly half a million homes in... (GunPolicy.org)
US Author: Australian Gun Deaths Fall After Ban, Buybacks
31 January 2013
PolitiFact
Author Stephen King once asked his publisher to pull one of his novels off the shelves.
Six people had died — in real life.
Four boys in 10 years brought guns to school. One killed a teacher and two students. Another shot five members of a prayer group, killing three. All four teenagers had read Rage, a book King wrote when he was a teen himself and published under another name.
King, in a blunt, impassioned essay, wrote that when he learned of the copycat crimes,... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica to Tighten Gun Control, as Gun Crime Rises
25 January 2013
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
Two years ago, 32 women, 48 children and 172 men were killed by firearms in Costa Rica.
Those statistics glow from backlit posters on Avenida Escazú, southwest of the capital, and overlook highways in Curridabat, east of the city, emblazoned on giant billboards.
"The goal is to inform people that firearms in general have a negative effect," said Randal Arias, director of the governance and justice program at Costa Rica's Peace and Democracy Foundation and manager of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Plans 'Gun Appreciation Day' as Tougher Controls Debated
15 January 2013
Time (USA)
Well, this is awkward: Some Americans are celebrating Gun Appreciation Day on Jan. 19 — two days before President Obama's second inauguration, nine days after a teenager opened fire at a California high school, the same week as the one-month anniversary of the Newtown, Conn. school shooting and the same month as the second anniversary of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in Tuscon, Ariz.
But Gun Appreciation Day isn't a long-standing tradition with poor timing. Nope,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Vice-President to Lead Meeting on Gun Control Measures
9 January 2013
New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Obama is planning a comprehensive effort to pass legislation and use executive orders to prevent gun violence, representatives of about a dozen gun control organizations were told Wednesday at a White House meeting.
"The president and I are determined to take action. This is not an exercise in photo opportunities," Vice President Joseph R. Biden said as photographers were given a chance to take pictures before the closed-door meeting.
During... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,United States,Americas,Oceania,Europe,Asia
US Gun Lobby Accused of Lying to Public About UN Arms Trade Treaty
28 December 2012
Reuters
The leading U.S. pro-gun group, the National Rifle Association, has vowed to fight a draft international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global arms trade and dismissed suggestions that a recent U.S. school shooting bolstered the case for such a pact.
The U.N. General Assembly voted on Monday to restart negotiations in mid-March on the first international treaty to regulate conventional arms trade after a drafting conference in July collapsed because the U.S. and... (GunPolicy.org)
US Stings Show Need for Controls on Online Gun Sales, Family Sues Site
12 December 2012
Guardian (UK)
The family of a woman who was murdered last year by a stalker wielding a .40-caliber handgun bought illegally on the internet is suing the gun website through which the firearm was procured for allegedly causing the shooting.
The legal action against Armslist.com, a web listing site that specialises in firearms, is the first of its kind and opens up a new front in the ongoing battle to tighten America's loose gun controls. It was filed in an Illinois court on Wednesday... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Attack Suspect Able to Access Guns Despite Stalking, Psych Issues
21 November 2012
New York Times / Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — A southwest Missouri man accused of plotting attacks at a movie theater and Walmart store legally bought the guns he allegedly planned to use, despite being forced to undergo a psychiatric exam three years ago after stalking a store clerk he said he planned to kill, authorities said.
Blaec Lammers, 20, was arrested last week after his mother told police she feared he was planning an attack. Authorities say Lammers told investigators he planned... (GunPolicy.org)
Authorities Worried About Gun Crime, Availability of Weapons Rising
7 November 2012
Gulf Times (Doha) / Agence France Presse
It was a classic bank heist in many ways. Armed men using a stolen car and motorbikes held up a van carrying cash in central New Delhi, shot a guard, and made off with the money.
While familiar in many countries and a set-piece of Hollywood films, it set alarm bells ringing in India where gun crime and armed robbery is still low by the standards of other developing countries in Latin America or Africa.
The daylight robbery in September and several mass shootings in... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines Police Seize Almost 5,000 Illegal Guns Ahead of Elections
5 November 2012
Balita
MANILA — Laying the groundwork for secure and fair elections in May 2013, the Philippine National Police reported on Sunday the confiscation of nearly 5,000 illegal firearms in the country during the first 10 months of this year.
In spite of the significant increase in the seizure of illegal guns, PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome ordered police units to step up operations to account for more loose firearms proliferating in the country.
"By taking away these... (GunPolicy.org)
Online Gun-Selling Network Busted in China, Seize Over 1,000 Guns
19 October 2012
People's Daily Online (China)
BEIJING - Chinese police have busted a serious online gun and ammunition-selling network, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Thursday.
Under the direct command of the MPS, 29 provincial police departments recently conducted joint operations in the case, arresting over 530 suspects and confiscating more than 1,000 guns, over 10,000 bullets and a large quantity of accessories, the MPS said.
China enforces an extremely strict policy... (GunPolicy.org)
Candidates Avoid Gun Questions Ahead of American Election
19 October 2012
New York Times, Opinion
Let's give a cheer for Nina Gonzalez, the woman who asked Mitt Romney and Barack Obama about gun control at the presidential debate.
People, have you noticed how regularly this topic fails to come up? We have been having this campaign since the dawn of the ice age. Why wasn't there a gun control moment before now?
True, the candidates were asked about it after the horrific blood baths last summer in Colorado and Wisconsin. But there have been 43 American mass... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Gun Industry Thrives Under Obama, Gun Lobby Remains Alert
19 October 2012
Newser (USA) / Associated Press
President Barack Obama has presided over a heyday for the gun industry despite predictions by the National Rifle Association four years ago that he would be the "most anti-gun president in American history." The president hasn't pressed such an agenda, but gun owners still are afraid that, if re-elected, an Obama who wouldn't have to face voters again would try to restrict firearms purchases.
An analysis by The Associated Press of data tracking the health of the gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Authorities Destroy 12,000 Guns After Civilian Amnesty
19 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Venezuelan government announced that it has destroyed more than 16,000 firearms so far this year, but despite this apparent success, concerns remain about the widespread availability of firearms in the country.
An official from the Venezuelan Commission for Arms Control and Disarmament also praised the recent handover of 1,418 weapons seized in various operations in the state of Aragua, saying it was "clear and convincing proof" that the government is fulfilling... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Caribbean Diplomat Calls for Continued Arms Treaty Support
3 August 2012
Caribbean 360, Opinion
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries joined dozens of other nations in fighting for a robust and comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) during negotiations at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 2 to 27 July, but their efforts were frustrated by President Barack Obama's re-election campaign team.
The Caribbean countries have very good reason for wanting a strong ATT. In recent years, these countries have become the hapless victims... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,United States,Philippines
Call for 'Gunless Society', Tougher Penalties in Philippines
30 July 2012
Philippine Star, Opinion
The Colorado Movie Theater shooting tragedy where 12 people were killed and 58 were injured during a sold-out midnight premier of the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" brought chills to many around the world. Imagine a 24-year-old man named James Holmes unloaded four weapons' full of ammunition into the unsuspecting crowd without any fear whatsoever. And here we are in our neck of the woods selling ammunition like hotcakes to any Tom, Dick or Harry.
Many... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Wins One, Beats Back UN Treaty to Slow World Gun Trade
29 July 2012
San Francisco Chronicle
When a global treaty to limit shady weapons sales gets swept up in the gun-control debate, it's clear that this country has a problem. A bloc of U.S. senators, chiefly Republicans with a sprinkling of Democrats, has managed to derail a U.N. treaty to restrict weapons sales between countries.
The reasoning is spurious and shameful, a political play on distrust of the United Nations and unfounded fears about a loss of domestic gun rights. But the threat was enough to... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya,East Africa,Syria,Uganda
Stemming Gun Violence in Uganda
28 July 2012
The Independent (Kampala)
United Nations diplomats from over 190 countries, including Uganda, are at the organisation's headquarters in New York discussing a pact to regulate the global arms trade.
The Global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) would especially check the illicit trade in arms in a global arms industry that, while amounting to US$60 billion, remains unregulated. Advocates for the treaty say this lack of regulation of the arms industry is catastrophic, as it fuels conflicts that claim... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
Fact Check: Arms Trade Treaty Unlikely to Curb US Gun Rights - AP
28 July 2012
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Negotiators at the United Nations are working to put final touches on a treaty cracking down on the global, $60 billion business of illicit trading in small arms, a move aimed at curbing violence in some of the most troubled corners of the world. In the United States, gun activists denounce it as an attack on their constitutional right to bear arms.
"Without apology, the NRA wants no part of any treaty that infringes on the precious right of lawful... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby War on Research into Effects of Gun Violence Continues
26 July 2012
Salon (USA)
As the tragic shooting in Colorado last week has reignited the debate over guns, one key public policy question — does gun control save lives? — is almost impossible to answer thanks to a dearth of research on the subject. That lack of research is no accident. It's the product of a concerted campaign by the gun lobby and its allies on Capitol Hill to stymie and even explicitly outlaw scientific research into gun violence in what critics charge is an attempt to... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,United States
Gun Rights: Why UN Small Arms Treaty is Another Land Mine for Obama
26 July 2012
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON - After last week's shooting in Colorado, President Obama's remarks Wednesday night about gun violence were a rare departure for a president who usually steers clear of the subject. Now another gun issue is coming to a head that the president likely would just as soon avoid: the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty. …
The treaty, whose final version is due out on Friday, aims to regulate the $60 billion international trade in small arms in an effort to keep... (GunPolicy.org)
Americas,Africa,United States,Asia,Europe,Oceania
US Senators to Block UN Gun Trade Treaty Over Right to Bear Arms
26 July 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto) / AP
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of 51 senators on Thursday threatened to oppose a global treaty regulating international weapons trade if it falls short in protecting Americans' constitutional right to bear arms.
In a letter to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the senators expressed serious concerns with the draft treaty that has circulated at the United Nations, saying that it signals an expansion of gun control that would be... (GunPolicy.org)
Deaths Show Guns Remain Available Despite Chinese Police Crack Down
11 July 2012
Global Times (China)
Early on July 1, a 48-year-old factory boss surnamed Nan was shot through the head while on the way to do his morning exercise in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. He later died in hospital. Police later announced that they found the murderer surnamed Lin who was found dead with a gun beside his body. The two were involved in a dispute over money that resulted in the murder.
The case sparked fresh concerns on gun use in China, coming so shortly after the country launched an... (GunPolicy.org)
US Atty Gen Contempt Citation 'Hollow Political Theatre' - All About Guns and Fear
27 June 2012
Fox News (USA)
The Republican majority's vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of congress is historic. No Attorney General has ever been so explicitly condemned by the Congress.
But the contempt citation is a hollow political theater. It has no substance – zero.
It will not produce any more documents or evidence about the botched sting operation to halt gun-running between the U.S. and Mexico.
And after Obama Justice Department and White House lawyers offered to... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Authorities to Crack Down on Illegal Arms Trade
27 April 2012
ABC News (Australia)
As New South Wales authorities grapple with the worst bikie war in decades, the Federal Government says it is determined to crack down on the illegal gun trade, and they have handguns in their sights.
While the bikie war rages, there there have been outbreaks of gun violence in other parts of the country as well.
On the eve of the 16th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, the Government has announced plans to amend Australia's gun laws.
National figures are... (GunPolicy.org)
Vigilante Street Shooting a Turning Point in US Gun Control Debate?
19 April 2012
Christian Science Monitor
For years, gun laws had grown less restrictive. But some gun rights advocacy has been curtailed after the Trayvon Martin shooting, which has provided ammunition for gun control groups.
ATLANTA - Will Americans leery of a decade of gun rights expansions stand their ground over the Trayvon Martin case?
The Feb. 26 shooting of the unarmed teenager in Sanford, Fla., by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, and the initial police decision not to charge Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Gunfest Focuses US Fight Over 'Shoot First' Hidden Handgun Laws
14 April 2012
CBS News (USA)
ST. LOUIS - Avid hunter Rob West drove from Chillicothe, Ohio, to St. Louis this week to join some 70,000 fellow National Rifle Association members at the organization's annual convention, where seven acres of guns and gear were on display and where politics was never far from anyone's mind.
For the NRA, which opposes any restrictions on gun ownership and President Barack Obama's re-election, the Second Amendment right to bear arms is sacrosanct.
"We don't want... (GunPolicy.org)
What a Nerve: Mexican President Suggests a US Role in Gun Running
10 April 2012
The Hill (Washington DC)
The nerve of President Calderon of Mexico. How dare he come to the United States and utter two words Americans are no longer allowed to speak? I heard them myself in the Rose Garden last week: gun control.
Calderon's comments came in response to a reporter's question about the ongoing drug wars in Mexico, in which 11,000 people were killed in 2010 alone. What are you doing about the guns?
He began by noting that the level of gun violence in Mexico began to escalate in... (GunPolicy.org)
Federally Funded Research on US Gun Violence Banned for 10 Years
5 April 2012
Sacramento Bee (California) / McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Opinion
Yet another senseless killing spree shocked America this week, as word spread of Monday's tragedy at Oikos University in Oakland, Calif.
The pattern is all too familiar: A shooter possessed by pent-up anger or resentment apparently sets out to kill - not necessarily the people who caused his misery, but anyone connected to a place or institution with which it was associated. All of these deaths are tragic, but there is something especially poignant when the setting is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sacramento Bee (California) / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Rise in Justifiable Homicides Linked to Weak US Gun Control Laws
5 April 2012
Guardian (UK)
NEW YORK - Rising numbers of civilian justifiable homicides across the US are closely linked to states with both weak gun controls and stand-your-ground laws, according to a Guardian analysis of FBI and other data, which show a 25% increase in such killings since the controversial self-defence laws started being introduced around 2005.
Stand-your-ground (SYG) measures, which have attracted increasing scrutiny since the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Turns 'Gunshine State' After Years of Republican Control
29 March 2012
Bloomberg (USA)
For years, Florida Capitol Police asked gun owners to check their firearms at the door. Not anymore.
Since a law in October made it easier to carry concealed weapons into the 1.2 million-square-foot government headquarters in Tallahassee, Senate security relies on alert buttons installed on the phones of lawmakers and staffers that let them instantly listen in to events.
"I don't think panic buttons are going to be very helpful if somebody charges into your office... (GunPolicy.org)
In 23 Rich Nations, 80% of Gun Death, 87% of Kids Shot Are American
28 March 2012
New Jersey Today
In a report released this month, the Children's Defense Fund has analyzed recent national data on gunfire deaths and produced some alarming figures on child casualties.
The report also criticizes a wave of new state gun-rights laws that the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group argues put children in ever more peril.
The nonprofit advocacy group dedicated its report, "Protect Kids, Not Guns 2012,"to Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead in February by a... (GunPolicy.org)
Nearly Twice as Many US Preschoolers Die by Gunshot Than Police
28 March 2012
New Jersey Today
In a report released this month, the Children's Defense Fund has analyzed recent national data on gunfire deaths and produced some alarming figures on child casualties.
The report also criticizes a wave of new state gun-rights laws that the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group argues put children in ever more peril.
The nonprofit advocacy group dedicated its report, "Protect Kids, Not Guns 2012,"to Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead in February by a... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handgun Permit Holders Killed 391 US Civilians, Police in 5 Years
28 March 2012
New York Times, Column
The debate over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin seems to be devolving into an argument about the right to wear hoodies, but it really does not appear to be a promising development.
Congress, which never draws any serious conclusions from terrible tragedies involving gunplay, did have time on Wednesday to fight about whether Representative Bobby Rush of Chicago violated the House dress code when he took off his suit jacket, revealing a gray sweater he was wearing... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Police Plan More Gun Control, Visits to 'Delinquent' Gun Owners
26 March 2012
Journal (Manila)
MAMANG PULIS -- Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome has ordered the implementation of stricter gun control measures aimed at reducing by 10 percent gun-related crimes and reducing by 3.38 percent the number of loose firearms in the country.
He tasked the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management to spearhead the massive nationwide gun control campaign aimed also at accounting for loose firearms and tens of thousands... (GunPolicy.org)
'Desperate, Dangerous' US Gun Lobby Reaches New 'Levels of Craziness'
21 March 2012
New York Times, Column
There is nothing so dangerous as a lobbying organization that's running out of stuff to lobby about.
I am thinking in particular of the National Rifle Association. These people are really in desperate straits. The state legislatures are almost all in session, but some of them have already pushed the gun-owner-rights issue about as far as it can go. You can only legalize carrying a concealed weapon in church once.
This year, in search of new worlds to conquer — or... (GunPolicy.org)
Twelve American States On Path to Hidden Handguns with No Permits
7 March 2012
USA Today
Legislatures in a dozen states are considering laws that would eliminate requirements that residents obtain permits to carry concealed weapons.
Gun-control advocates view the efforts as part of a long-range strategy to eventually weaken gun laws across the country. But supporters say armed, law-abiding citizens prevent crime.
Andrew Arulanandam, policy director for the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, which supports these legislative... (GunPolicy.org)
Super Bowl TV Ad Makes New York Mayor Bloomberg US Gun Control King
4 February 2012
Christian Science Monitor
The gun control movement has faltered in recent years. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has vowed to spend his own fortune to buck that trend, most notably with a Super Bowl ad.
ATLANTA - With little political capital to lose and millions of his own cash to spend, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is determined to check the role of guns in American society.
A 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring Mr. Bloomberg on a couch with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will go a long way... (GunPolicy.org)
New York, Boston Mayors Lead Influential American Gun Control Group
4 February 2012
Reuters
NEW YORK - Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in Washington will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.
The two mayors, whose local teams face off in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), the organization they... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooters on 'Gun Buying Spree,' Own on Average 4 Guns Each in Australia's Largest State
16 January 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
NSW is gun mad - and proud of it - with shooters stockpiling almost 100,000 new registered firearms in the past five years.
The number of gun licences, meanwhile, has only increased by about a fifth, or 18,852 over the same period, showing some are stocking up with numerous weapons.
There are now 763,359 registered firearms across the state, including 27,956 handguns, compared with 190,844 licences - taking the ratio to four guns for every licensed owner. In some... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Numbers of US Gun Checks, Sales for Christmas
1 January 2012
Telegraph (UK)
According to the FBI, over 1.5 million background checks on customers were requested by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in December. Nearly 500,000 of those were in the six days before Christmas.
It was the highest number ever in a single month, surpassing the previous record set in November.
On Dec 23 alone there were 102,222 background checks, making it the second busiest single day for buying guns in history.
The actual number... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Group Raises $200 Million a Year, Aims to Unseat Obama
29 December 2011
Bloomberg (USA)
A toaster that burns the National Rifle Association's logo onto bread fetched $650 at an auction last month, just one reflection of the money-making power in the gun group's brand.
The NRA, which began as a grassroots organization dedicated to teaching marksmanship, enters the 2012 election season as a lobbying, merchandising and marketing machine that brings in more than $200 million a year and intends to help unseat the incumbent president. From 2004 to 2010, the... (GunPolicy.org)
NYC Mayor Cites 'Rampant' Illegal Internet Gun Sales, Targets CraigsList
14 December 2011
Reuters
NEW YORK - Almost two thirds of a sample of private online gun sellers in the United States were willing to sell a firearm to someone who could not pass a background check, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Wednesday.
Bloomberg, who is leading a national campaign against illegal guns, said a national investigation into online gun sales by private investigators hired by New York City uncovered a "vast and largely unregulated market for illegal guns."
The... (GunPolicy.org)
US Handgun Production, Imports Double in 4 Years: Women Lead Trend?
11 December 2011
Sydney Morning Herald, Bloomberg (USA)
NEW YORK -- Robin Natanel picks up a compact black pistol, barrel pointed down range. Gripping the gun with both hands, left foot forward, she raises the semi-automatic and methodically squeezes off five shots. The first one creases the left edge of a red bull's-eye on a target 7.5 metres away. The four others paint a 7.5-centimetre pattern around the first. If the target were a person's head or heart, he would probably be dead.
Natanel is a Buddhist, a self-avowed... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Nuts Need Fear, Conspiracies, Obama to Hate, Flourish, Raise Money
1 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
PHOENIX — When it became clear in the early fall of 2008 that Barack Obama, son of a Kansan and a Kenyan, would be the 44th President of the United States, many citizens rushed to their gun shops, stocked up on ammo and camo, and tried to fortify their nests with all manner of lethal weapons.
Though he had said nothing about gun control in the campaign, Obama, to a certain kind of person, appeared to be a grave threat to the Second Amendment. He was urban —... (GunPolicy.org)
Handicap International Graffiti Contest Promotes Gun Control in Libya
21 November 2011
Tripoli Post (Libya)
The Saturday forecast warned of a rainy November afternoon - a crowd gathered nonetheless at the Tashkil Libya Al-Hurra Brigade in Keesh for one of Benghazi's first ever formal graffiti contests organised by French NGO Handicap International to raise awareness of the dangers posed by small arms and light weapons.
However, for many of the young contestants it was as much an opportunity for personal expression, as it was about tackling one of Libya's most pressing... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands of Students March in Support of Gun Control in Venezuela
19 November 2011
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela) / EFE
CARACAS – Several thousand students marched Friday in the Venezuelan capital in support of government and legislative gun-control proposals to disarm the civilian population.
Under the slogan "A safe society in favor of peace," Caracas primary schools and high schools joined the activities of the recently founded Experimental University of Security, or Unes, which trains agents for the Bolivarian National Police, another recent creation.
Unes rector Soraya El Achkar... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles, Shotguns Set to Become Invisible if Canada Scraps Gun Registry
8 November 2011
McGill Tribune (Montreal)
On Oct. 25 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government introduced Bill C-19 to the House of Commons. This bill, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, seeks to abolish the current long-gun registry. If passed, gun owners will no longer be required by law to register rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, Bill C-19 would ensure the destruction of all existing records of these weapons in the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The Conservative government's... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Group Asks Maverick Federal MP to Explain Pro-Gun Stance
27 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Anti-gun campaigners have called on maverick Federal MP Bob Katter to explain his Australia Party's policy towards firearm laws.
The party denies being solely focussed on giving gun owners and dealers better rights, but The Australian has today revealed the gun links of key officials and backers, including Mr Katter's son-in-law, Rob Nioa, president of the Australian Gun Dealers Association.
Gun Control Australia president John Crook today said it was a "disgusting... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Conservative Government to Ease Gun Laws
25 October 2011
Associated Press
TORONTO — Canada's Conservative government introduced legislation Tuesday to scrap a controversial law that requires the registration of rifles and shotguns.
Canada has long required registration of hand guns, but the long-run registry law passed in 1995 faced bitter opposition from rural Canada, the Conservative party's base, which considered it an overreaction to the problem of urban crime.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said they don't want laws targeting... (GunPolicy.org)
Stricter Gun Control in Philippines: 'This Administration Is Not For It'
4 October 2011
Manila Standard Today
An anti-gun group on Monday called for a gun ban for civilians even during off-election period.
The Gunless Society, represented by its secretary general Norma Cabrera, raised the need to enforce a gun control amid the spate of crimes.
Cabrera blamed gun ownership of private individuals for the proliferation of crimes.
"We believe that to be able to control crimes, we have to control the criminals, and to control criminals, we have to control guns," he said.
Despite... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Returned by Australian Police in Domestic Violence Cases
19 September 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
Firearms are being returned by police in a majority of domestic violence cases where one of the parties has a gun licence.
Figures obtained from the NSW Police firearms registry under freedom of information laws show up to 2309 licences were suspended in domestic violence cases from 2008 to 2010 under sections 22 and 23 of the Firearms Act. The figures show only 512 people lost their gun licence over the same period under section 24 of the Firearms Act because they... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Gun Murder Capital of World' as 6 Shot Dead in West Virginia
8 September 2011
Charleston Gazette (West Virginia), Editorial
CHARLESTON, West Virginia - A troubled young Morgantown man, barely beyond teen age, used two rifles and a pistol in a stunning murder rampage Tuesday. After writing weirdo notes on Facebook, he killed five at a farmhouse near Morgantown, then wounded a service station worker in Roane County, then killed himself in Kentucky.
His bloodbath was just one of several gun killings in Wednesday's news. On the same day, a pistol-carrier pleaded self-defense after gunning down... (GunPolicy.org)
Well Over 16,000 Firearms 'Lost' by US Gun Manufacturers Since 2009
2 September 2011
CNN
WASHINGTON -- Thousands of firearms have gone missing from manufacturers' inventories since 2009 "without a record of being legally sold," according to a report released Thursday by a gun control advocacy group.
The report by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence put the number of missing weapons at 16,485.
"It is shocking that gun makers are so oblivious to public safety that they lose track of thousands of guns every year," Henigan, acting president of the Brady... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Gun Control, Firearm Licensing Restrictions, Penalties to Increase
30 August 2011
Nairobi Star (Kenya)
The government is to introduce new laws for acquiring guns. Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons Director David Kimaiyo has said the new laws will include stiff penalties for misuse of illegally acquired guns.
Kimaiyo said there had been many cases of misuse of licensed guns but now proper vetting will be done before guns are issued. He said currently the laws dealing with licensed guns did not adequately deal with their abuse.
Kimaiyo who was... (GunPolicy.org)
400 Failing Court Cases Suggest US 2nd Amendment Ruling May Be 'Hollow Victory'
15 August 2011
Washington Post
A funny thing has happened in the three years since gun-rights activists won their biggest victory at the Supreme Court.
They've been on a losing streak in the lower courts.
The activists found the holy grail in 2008 when the Supreme Court's 5 to 4 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller said the Second Amendment guaranteed an individual right to own a firearm unconnected to military service. The court followed it up with McDonald v. Chicago two years later,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Australia Says Government Is 'Helping Guns Proliferate'
14 August 2011
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
At least 20 rifles - including Brownings and Winchesters valued between $600 and $1500 each - can be won under the gun-lotto competition aimed at promoting the culling of foxes throughout the state.
FoxStop 2011 - an initiative of the Victorian Government's Future Farming Strategy, Field and Game Australia and the Sporting Shooters Association - is raffling the weapons.
It's believed up to six rifles have been won.
Gun Control Australia president John Crook... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,United Kingdom,Africa,Afghanistan,Mexico
Gun Trade Inevitably Leads to the Sort of Atrocity Inflicted on Norway
31 July 2011
Independent (UK), Opinion
In discussion of the atrocity in Norway last week, there is one subject which has been notable by the almost total silence about it: guns. In response to recurring massacres in American high schools and British villages, in response to footage from Africa and Afghanistan showing ragged, untrained young men brandishing automatic small arms, in response to a man coolly murdering dozens of youngsters in an hour-and-a-half, funfair-like shooting spree on a Norwegian island,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Control Activists Call for New Firearm Laws after Norway Massacre
28 July 2011
CBS News (USA)
Anti-gun violence activists in the U.S. are renewing their push for new gun laws in the wake of the revelation that the alleged Norway shooter claims to have purchased high-capacity ammunition magazines from a United States retailer.
Anders Behring Breivik, the alleged lone-wolf terrorist accused of shooting and killing 68 people at a youth camp in Norway and killing eight in an Oslo bombing last week, details purchasing the ammunition in his 1,500-page... (GunPolicy.org)
Largest Settlement Against Gun Maker, Says US Gun Control Group
26 July 2011
Reuters
WASHINGTON - A firearms maker has agreed to pay $600,000 to the family of a shooting victim in what a gun control group said on Tuesday was a record settlement in such a case.
A company employee with a history of assault and drug addiction stole the gun later used to kill a man, according to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, whose Legal Action Project in 2002 brought suit against Kahr Arms over the incident.
The settlement on behalf of the deceased Danny... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,Australia
Australian Gun Control Group Renews Its Call for Semi-auto Handgun Ban
26 July 2011
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / AAP
The National Coalition for Gun Control has renewed its call for a ban on semi-automatic handguns after the Norway massacre.
Coalition co-convenor Samantha Lee said semi-automatic longarms were deemed too dangerous and banned in 1996 after the Port Arthur massacre in which Martin Bryant shot dead 35 people.
But semi-automatic handguns remain available to sporting shooters.
"It only takes one person with a high-powered semi-automatic firearm and access to lots of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Control Activists Mourn Norway Victims
25 July 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A leading US group which has long pressed for tougher gun control laws in America Monday said the massacre in Norway was a tragic reminder that "guns are the enablers of mass killers."
The Brady Campaign, set up three decades ago to work to cut the number of gun deaths and injuries in the United States, said it "joins the world in mourning the horrific loss of life in the Norway terrorist attacks."
"The staggering toll of young lives taken by a gunman... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Lawmaker Pointing Her Handgun at a Journalist Draws Fire
16 July 2011
New York Times, Opinion
While all the country gaped last week at the acrimony ensnarling the Federal government, Arizonans were treated to an additional, equally bizarre spectacle. You'll be shocked to hear that a firearm was involved.
It was a classic case of he said/she said, but of a particular stripe hard to imagine outside Arizona, where guns are so fervently embraced that I imagine they rank above waffle irons as popular wedding gifts and make the occasional appearance at christenings,... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Rule on Border Gun Sales is Drawing Both Praise and Criticism
12 July 2011
Fox News (USA)
The Justice Department's new policy on requiring all gun shops in four Southwest border states to report frequent buyers of semi-automatic weapons is drawing both praise and criticism.
Dennis Henigan, acting president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, is pleased with the new requirement.
"This new reporting rule will give law enforcement new capacity to interdict these deadly guns before they can be used against Mexican police and citizens."
But the... (GunPolicy.org)
After Mexican Scandal, Should US Feds Firearm Bureau Continue to Exist?
4 July 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The last time the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was caught up in scandal, its director faced accusations of lavish spending on his new office. Before he resigned, Congress, flexing its oversight muscles, decided the Senate would confirm all future A.T.F. chiefs.
That was five years ago. Nobody has been confirmed, and the nation has been without a chief firearms inspector ever since.
Today, the bureau is again under... (GunPolicy.org)
Judges Giving Gun Rights Back to Americans with History of Mental Illness
2 July 2011
New York Times
PULASKI, Virginia — In May 2009, Sam French hit bottom, once again. A relative found him face down in his carport "talking gibberish," according to court records. He later told medical personnel that he had been conversing with a bear in his backyard and hearing voices. His family figured he had gone off his medication for bipolar disorder, and a judge ordered him involuntarily committed — the fourth time in five years he had been hospitalized by court order.
When... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Offers No Change, 'No Leadership to Combat Gun Violence' in US
20 June 2011
Associated Press
More than five months after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, the White House has yet to take any new steps on gun violence, even though that's what President Barack Obama called for in the wake of the shooting.
The silence from the administration is drawing criticism from gun control activists and even some of Obama's Democratic allies. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., told the president in a letter last week that the administration "has not shown the... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Super Bowl Champion Joins Biggest US Gun Control Campaign
13 June 2011
Washington Post / AP
NEW YORK — Head down, eyes focused on the ground, Plaxico Burress swayed back and forth like a receiver in the huddle waiting for the next play.
He wasn't on a football field, hasn't been on one for more than two years. Burress was listening to an introduction at the National Urban League before he spoke his piece. When the time came, Burress couldn't have been more positive about rehabilitating his image.
"I'm a champion on the field, and my goal is to be a... (GunPolicy.org)
Kansas Received the 'Craziest Gun Laws' Award from US Gun Control Group
30 May 2011
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / AP
WICHITA - A national gun-control group has named Kansas as one of four states to receive its "Craziest Gun Laws" award because of a new measure the organization says allows guns in the state's schools.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued its annual ranking of gun laws earlier this month. Kansas, Virginia, Utah and Florida received the group's "Craziest Gun Laws" award.
The Wichita Eagle reports state and local officials say a bill signed by Gov. Sam... (GunPolicy.org)
The Campus Carry Movement Stutter-Steps Across US
10 May 2011
Atlantic (USA), Opinion
Last October, an email popped into my inbox from Mike Stollenwerk, co-founder of gun rights networking hub OpenCarry.org, which boasts the motto, "A right un-exercised is a right lost." He was responding to a question I had about the possible re-tabling of a bill in the Texas legislature which would, if passed, allow students to carry handguns with them to college.
At the time, only Utah allowed the carrying of concealed weapons into the classrooms of public... (GunPolicy.org)
Mothers of Gun Violence Victims Campaign to Save Canada's Gun Registry
6 May 2011
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — La coalition pour le contrôle des armes à feu n'a pas perdu de temps. Quatre jours après l'élection d'un gouvernement majoritaire conservateur, elle redémarre sa campagne pour le maintien du registre des armes à feu.
Dans une lettre ouverte, les mères de six victimes demandent aux citoyens de contacter leur député nouvellement élu et de réclamer que le registre soit maintenu tel quel.
Durant la campagne électorale, le premier ministre Stephen... (GunPolicy.org)
Mothers of Gun Violence Victims Want Canada's Long Gun Registry Saved
6 May 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — A group of mothers who have lost sons and daughters to gun violence has penned an open letter to Canadians to save the gun registry.
The letter calls on Canadians to write their new MPs to pressure the Conservative majority government to save the registry and its valuable data, already collected.
Erasing the registration information on nearly 7 million rifles and shotguns would be a waste of money and a loss of a valuable tool for police, they say.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Vies to Remain Relevant in 2012 US Presidential Election
2 May 2011
Washington Post
PITTSBURGH — The National Rifle Association is vying to remain relevant in the 2012 presidential election, with a Democratic president who has not made gun control a priority and many NRA members expecting gun issues to take a back seat to the economy, health care and foreign policy.
At the group's annual meeting in Pittsburgh this weekend, NRA leaders and potential Republican candidates warned members again and again from the stage that a second term would give... (GunPolicy.org)
US NRA Board Member: 'Turn Up Heat' Against 'America Hating' Obama
2 May 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
Rocker Ted Nugent got a standing ovation at the all-powerful National Rifle Association's annual meeting when he urged members to 'turn up the heat' on guns.
He said pro-gun supporters need to speak up more and win the public relations battle.
Mr Nugent told the crowd of more than 2,300 on Sunday: 'You need to fix everybody in your lives to be absolutely pro-gun.
'You need to talk guns all the time. You need to talk hunting all the time.
'The gun community should be... (GunPolicy.org)
Politicians 'Cowed' as US Gun Lobby Pursues 'Radical to Idiotic' Gun Laws
24 April 2011
USA Today, Editorial
When it comes to gun fights, things are pretty quiet on the Potomac these days. Democrats, cowed by the National Rifle Association's political clout, have no taste for pushing gun control up the agenda. And even if they did, the landmark 2008 Supreme Court ruling that the Second Amendment provides a right for individuals to own guns largely leaves them disarmed.
The states, however, are another matter. Gun rights activists have taken their national victories not as a... (GunPolicy.org)
Democratic National Party Boss Slams 'Outrageous' US Gun Sale Loophole
23 April 2011
New York Times, Editorial
Months after Al Gore's defeat in 2000, Terry McAuliffe, then the Democratic Party chief, urged Democrats to steer clear of gun control, warning of the "devastating impact on elections" wrought by the gun lobby's monied campaign attacks. Far too many Democratic politicians have since followed that cynical doctrine. The gun lobby's power has only grown while 30,000 Americans die each year by gun violence.
So it is heartening to hear an unwavering call for stronger... (GunPolicy.org)
Fury Over Shooters' Push to Allow Use of Silencers in New South Wales
16 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
A push by the state government body that regulates recreational hunting in NSW to overturn a ban on the use of silencers on hunting weapons has outraged gun control advocates who say they will end up in the hands of criminals.
The Game Council of NSW, which has close links to the Shooters and Fishers Party, is spending $25,000 to contract three researchers to "identify impediments to allowing the use of sound moderators on firearms in NSW for the purposes of hunting... (GunPolicy.org)
Looking Down the Barrel of Debate - Oscar Winner's Take on Guns in USA
13 April 2011
New York Times, TV preview
Barbara Kopple's engrossing, frustrating documentary "Gun Fight" — it's not liable to inspire happy thoughts in people on either side of the gun-control debate — begins with eerie cellphone video footage taken during the Virginia Tech shootings in April 2007, and the aftermath of that rampage provides the film's emotional ballast.
But events have rushed along since Virginia Tech, and Ms. Kopple has had to account for, among other developments, the Supreme Court... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Control Group Airs TV Ad, Challenges Obama on Big Ammo Clips
12 April 2011
CBS News (USA)
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence released an ad today calling on President Obama to come out more forcefully in support of a ban on the sort of high-capacity ammunition clips used by alleged shooter Jared Loughner in the January Tucson massacre.
The 30-second spot, at left, features a narrator saying that "a magazine that allows a gun to fire 32 shots in 16 seconds is only good for one thing: killing a lot of people - fast."
A man is then shown shooting at a... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Tragedies Have Little Sway in Changing America's Gun Laws
11 April 2011
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
Emblazoned on the red billboard truck that motored through downtown Houston last week was this number: 2,995 — a tally of the people believed slain with guns since the Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six people and wounded 13, including Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
The truck started off in New York's Times Square and will traverse the U.S., keeping a running tab on gun deaths as part of an effort by 550 Mayors Against Illegal Guns to galvanize... (GunPolicy.org)
30 Years After Reagan Shooting, Jim, Sarah Brady Still Push Gun Control
1 April 2011
Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
Remember the Bradys? Not the bunch, but the dedicated couple that has pushed gun control for decades.
Thirty years ago, Jim Brady was shot in the head as part of the assassination attempt on President Reagan by John Hinckley. At the time, Mr. Brady was the president's press secretary. This week, Brady – in a wheelchair – and his wife, Sarah, visited the Capitol and White House to again advocate for restrictions on guns.
One marvels that they have not yet given up.... (GunPolicy.org)
After 30 Years, Jim Brady Continues to Push for Gun Control in America
30 March 2011
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Jim Brady, Ronald Reagan's former press secretary, on Wednesday marked the 30th anniversary of the presidential assassination attempt that left him in a wheelchair by urging congressmen to toughen gun control.
Thirteen years after the shooting, Brady's and his wife Sarah's advocacy of tightened gun controls resulted in the Brady bill, a law requiring an immediate background check for handgun purchases.
The Bradys say gun control has become more lax in... (GunPolicy.org)
Maryland 'Gun Pushers' Want Courts to Gut Hidden Handgun Restrictions
22 March 2011
Baltimore Sun
A national gun control advocacy group weighed in Tuesday on a federal lawsuit that challenges Maryland's handgun permit laws, saying that the changes sought would be "bad law and even worse policy."
In an amicus brief, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence urges the dismissal of a lawsuit brought last year by the Second Amendment Foundation on behalf of Hampstead resident Raymond Woollard, a Navy veteran who was denied a renewal of his handgun permit.
Brady Center... (GunPolicy.org)
In US Gun Control, 'NRA Has Shown, Once Again, That It Is the Problem'
17 March 2011
Huffington Post (USA)
President Obama has broken his silence on the gun issue. His opinion piece in Sunday's Arizona Daily Star is a meticulously worded effort to define a middle ground on the issue on the president's terms, and then to invite those serious about finding solutions to join him in that middle, where ultimate agreement is possible. Although one gets the distinct impression that the president would prefer not to receive a positive reaction from gun control advocates like myself,... (GunPolicy.org)
