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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)
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)
'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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
New York Mayor Scolds Nation for Not Standing Up to US Gun Lobby
16 March 2011
New York Daily News
Mayor Bloomberg scolded the nation Tuesday for failing to take on the gun lobby to restrict weapons sales.
"This is just no courage on the part of Americans to stand up and say 'Enough,'" Bloomberg said while joining members of Congress who support closing loopholes that allow criminals, drug abusers and the mentally ill to buy guns.
Legislation they proposed would strengthen reporting requirements on the National Instant Criminal Background Check system and impose... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control 'No Longer a Dormant Issue' Following Obama's Editorial
14 March 2011
The Hill (Washington DC)
President Obama's new call for tougher gun rules following the shooting of an Arizona congresswoman has energized gun-control advocates, but one leading Democrat isn't holding his breath for reform.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and a long-time proponent of stronger gun laws, said it's unlikely any Second Amendment reforms will move through Congress while Republicans control the lower chamber. Obama's push for... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Staff Meet Firearm Safety Advocates, Aim to Tighten Gun Control
14 March 2011
Huffington Post (USA)
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has conducted informal discussions with groups from both ends of the gun-policy spectrum, including law enforcement and gun-rights organizations, and is set to hold formal meetings as early as this week in an effort to chart out a set of new firearms policies, administration officials say.
Spearheaded by the Department of Justice, the talks were described by one individual involved in the discussions as a "feeling-out process."... (GunPolicy.org)
In Bid to Tighten US Gun Control, Obama Consults Both Sides of Debate
14 March 2011
Washington Post
The White House announced Monday that the administration is starting a series of sessions with leaders on both sides of the gun control issue to try to reach compromise on legislation to reduce gun violence.
White House Secretary Jay Carney did not announce which groups would be invited to the sessions this week, but he said the Justice Department is "meeting with stakeholders on all sides of the issue to look at ways we can find common ground." The meetings come after... (GunPolicy.org)
American Lawmakers, Industry, Lobby Push for More Guns on Campus
6 March 2011
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
ELIZABETH JACKSON: In the US, Texas legislators are considering giving college students the right to carry concealed weapons on campus.
Any changes to gun control in the US always sparks furious debates and this is no different.
Those pushing the move say it would help prevent massacres like Virginia Tech while others say it will only help increase the chances of yet another mass shooting.
Our North America correspondent Lisa Millar has been speaking to those on both... (GunPolicy.org)
Poll Commissioned by US Mayors Reports Arizona Voters OK Gun Control
3 March 2011
Arizona Republic, Poll
A poll commissioned by the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns says that sizable majorities of Arizona voters support several specific gun-control measures, similar to findings in four other states that also were surveyed.
Among the findings, 83 percent of the 600 registered voters polled in Arizona favor a law requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check.
Among gun-owners, the number was 75 percent in Arizona, the group reported.
The poll had a 4 percent margin... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Rights vs. Gun Control: Arizona Legislators Push to Weaken Gun Law
20 February 2011
Daily Star (Arizona)
It didn't take much effort for the accused gunman in Tucson's Jan. 8 mass shooting to buy a semiautomatic handgun and ammunition - quick trips to the Sportsman's Warehouse and Walmart near his home.
It didn't take long - 15 seconds - for him to shoot 19 people, killing six, when he fired 31 rounds using a high-capacity magazine. That's roughly double the standard number for the Glock pistol he used.
And even if police could go back in time, they wouldn't have been... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lawmaker, Victim of Gun Violence Presses Her Gun Control Campaign
15 February 2011
Associated Press
GARDEN CITY PARK, New York - Out of nowhere, a deranged gunman shoots into a crowd of innocent victims, firing until bystanders tackle him as he tries to load a new clip of ammo. Six people are killed and several injured; one person suffers a head wound but survives to face a long period of rehabilitation.
That shooting on a Long Island Rail Road train in 1993 inspired Carolyn McCarthy, who lost her husband and saw her son paralyzed, to run for Congress. And the more... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Governor Slams New York Mayor for Phoenix Gun Show Sting
3 February 2011
Fox News (USA)
Michael Bloomberg's undercover investigation at a gun show in Arizona must be a result of the extra time the mayor has on his hands from running the well-oiled machine that is New York City, says Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.
The governor, appearing Tuesday night on Fox News' "On the Record With Greta Van Susteren," said it's "interesting" that Bloomberg chose to launch a sting operation in the Grand Canyon state.
"He's out here in Arizona solving our problems. I guess he... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Could Move to Fix US Gun Sale Problem 'Right Away' - NY Mayor
2 February 2011
CBS News (USA)
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday challenged President Obama to "stand up" on gun control, an issue on which he has been largely silent in the wake of the tragic shootings in Tucson.
During an interview on MSNBC, the longtime gun control advocate argued that the White House, along with Congress, needs to be more vigilant in enforcing existing laws regarding the sale of firearms.
"The trouble is that the Congress has done this - and they do it repeatedly... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor Challenges Obama to Enforce, Toughen Gun Control Law
2 February 2011
Washington Post
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is demanding the Obama administration increase enforcement of the nation's gun laws, escalating his longtime push on the issue in the wake of the last month's shooting rampage in Arizona.
The mayor's office hired private investigators to buy guns at a gun show in Phoenix, and Bloomberg then played video of the sting at a press conference on Monday in New York. It depicts a man who is sold a gun even after he acknowledges that he would... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor Pleads with Obama to 'Stand Up' on Gun Control
1 February 2011
Politico (Washington DC)
New York Mayor Michael Michael Bloomberg talked tough on gun control, saying President Barack Obama should "stand up."
"The president should stand up and I will keep urging him to say so," Bloomberg told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Tuesday night. "We've got to stop all this carnage."
Bloomberg appeared on "The Rachel Maddow Show" to promote the quasi-sting operation where he sent undercover investigators to a Phoenix gun show, just 15 days after the Tuscon shooting that... (GunPolicy.org)
What Obama Can Do Right Now About Lax Gun Laws - Without Congress
28 January 2011
Salon (USA)
The new line coming from the White House -- first from senior advisor David Plouffe, then from political advisor David Axelrod -- is that President Obama will "address" the issue of gun control at some point.
Exactly what Obama will do isn't clear, though Plouffe mentioned as an example the president's support for renewing the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004 and made it illegal to manufacture the type of high-capacity clip used in the Tucson, Ariz., mass... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama to Push Gun Control Soon: US Gun Laws 'Too Loose Too Long'
27 January 2011
Newsweek (USA)
At the beginning of his State of the Union address, President Obama tipped his hat to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who's now recuperating in a Houston medical facility. But throughout the hourlong speech, he never addressed the issue at the core of the Giffords tragedy — gun control — and what lawmakers would, or should, do to reform American firearm-access laws.
That was intentional, according to the White House. An administration official says Obama didn't mention... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor, Relatives of Shooting Victims Push for US Gun Control
25 January 2011
New York Times
A man whose son was among the students killed at Columbine High School stepped up to the microphone at City Hall on Monday wearing the boy's sneakers. A pastor recalled a former congregant who was one of the people shot this month outside a supermarket in Tucson. And a woman told the story of her son, who died in 2007 in East Harlem.
The speakers were part of a procession of relatives and friends of victims of shootings whom Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg used at a City... (GunPolicy.org)
Can US Mayors Make Arizona Mass Killer the Poster Boy for Gun Control?
24 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor
NEW YORK - As Congress begins its new session, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants it to add one more piece of legislation: a bill to tighten up the nation's background checks on people buying a gun.
Mayor Bloomberg, who is co-head of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, says the no-buy registry is not up-to-date, and there are still loopholes that allow guns to be purchased without a background check.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is made up of 550 mayors around the... (GunPolicy.org)
Surprise: The US Gun Lobby Has Actually Lost Influence on Gun Control
19 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
In the wake of the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, earlier this month, the calls for gun-control legislation have already begun. But the National Rifle Association's traditional ability to shoot these bills down may be significantly reduced in the future.
ARLINGTON, Virginia - After the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007, when 32 people were slaughtered by a mentally disturbed young man wielding two semi-automatic pistols, calls for enhanced gun control were met with... (GunPolicy.org)
Governor of Virginia Quietly Allows Open Carry of Firearms in State Parks
19 January 2011
Washington Post
Gun rights advocates celebrated Wednesday -- and supporters of gun control grieved -- over news that Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has quietly lifted the ban against people carrying firearms openly in state parks.
Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, sent an e-mail blast to fellow gun-rights supporters with news that as of Tuesday people could carry openly. Gun owners with concealed weapons permits had the right to carry in Virginia State... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Bullies Make Cowards of US Lawmakers: Obama Should Lead
19 January 2011
CNN, Opinion
She is 40. Jim was 40.
She is one of the most prominent politicians in her state.
Jim worked for the most powerful political leader in the world.
She was shot in the head. So was Jim.
She initially was declared dead. So was Jim.
She is beloved. So is Jim.
A man who most people knew wasn't mentally stable easily got a gun and shattered her life.
A similarly troubled man shattered Jim's.
The doctors, the nurses, the hospitals; the prayers, the tears, the anger;... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Vote Pre-poll Leans Toward Banning Military Guns in the Home
19 January 2011
Miller-McCune (California)
While the assassination attempt on Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona revived a predictable and unchanging round of gun control debate in the U.S., a referendum in Switzerland — Europe's best-armed nation — is showing a shift of opinion away from private gun ownership.
Every third household in Switzerland has a firearm, normally government-issued, because every male citizen under about 50 is also a reserve soldier. Instead of a standing professional army, the government... (GunPolicy.org)
Virginia Tech Massacre Survivor Screens New Gun Control Documentary
18 January 2011
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
Colin Goddard's life changed forever inside a Norris Hall classroom.
Goddard returned to the Virginia Tech building where he was shot four times to recount that fateful day for a camera crew.
"It's crazy being back here," Goddard says in the documentary "Living for 32," which follows his life from shooting victim to gun-law reformer.
It was his first time back to Norris Hall since it was renovated as the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. He talks... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Martin Luther King Day Event Put Focus on Gun Violence
18 January 2011
New York Times
Of the many events on Monday honoring the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the gathering held by the Rev. Al Sharpton in Harlem was one with a wide audience and a narrow focus: the toll of gun violence, from a parking lot in Tucson to the streets of New York.
Senator Charles E. Schumer said that no constitutional amendment was sacrosanct and that "there's nothing wrong in putting reasonable limits on guns."
Alluding to the concern over the shooting of... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Shooting Fuels Debate About Open-Carry Gun Law in California
17 January 2011
Fox News (USA)
The mass shooting in Tucson last weekend is fueling the gun control debate in neighboring California, with an advocacy organization renewing a push to prohibit firearms in restaurants and state lawmakers taking up a bill that would end the state's open-carry law.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence launched a drive last week challenging restaurants and cafes to exert their private property rights and ban guns in their establishments.
The push formalized a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lawmakers Duck Gun Control: Democrat Bill Unlikely to Reach Obama
16 January 2011
Courier-Post (New Jersey)
Of the handful of legislative responses to this month's tragic mass shooting that killed six and nearly claimed one of Congress's own, a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., is the toughest.
It is also unlikely to reach President Barack Obama's desk.
New Jersey's senior senator and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y. -- whose husband was slain by a gunman in 1993 -- plan to introduce a bill that would outlaw the manufacture and sale of high-capacity clips... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Shooting Energizes Push for More Hidden Handguns in Florida
15 January 2011
Miami Herald
TALLAHASSEE -- In the aftermath of Tucson's shooting rampage, lawmakers in Florida are ready to make their stand on guns clearer: They want more people to have the right to carry them in the open and fewer government restrictions.
All told, lawmakers have filed three separate bills that seek to restrict local governments from regulating firearms, stop doctors from even asking patients about them and that allow for licensed gun owners the right to wear firearms outside... (GunPolicy.org)
Catholic Church Firmly, Quietly, Globally Opposes Firearms for Civilians
14 January 2011
Catholic News Service (Washington DC)
VATICAN CITY - The Catholic Church's position on gun control is not easy to find; there are dozens of speeches and talks and a few documents that call for much tighter regulation of the global arms trade, but what about private gun ownership?
The answer is resoundingly clear: Firearms in the hands of civilians should be strictly limited and eventually completely eliminated.
But you won't find that statement in a headline or a document subheading. It's almost hidden in... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Reasons Why Gun Control Has Been Disarmed in the United States
14 January 2011
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
The long arm of the Bush-era Supreme Court
During the most recent Bush administration, the Supreme Court largely sided with gun proponents in its interpretation of the Second Amendment:
"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed," it reads.
The gun-control lobby has always argued the second part of the amendment refers to the "well-regulated militia," meaning the... (GunPolicy.org)
Notion of Pulling Handgun, Shooting Assailant More Fantasy Than Fact
12 January 2011
Boston Globe, Blog
Because of their high-profile nature, mass murders are often exploited to advance some political agenda, and this is especially true when it comes to the role of firearms. Mass shootings have served as ammunition in the debate over gun control, but used, ironically enough, by advocates on both sides of the issue.
In the wake of particularly deadly and widely publicized shootings, gun control proponents have argued that the carnage would not be so great were it not for... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Control Advocates Disappointed with White House Silence
12 January 2011
The Hill (Washington DC)
The White House has disappointed gun-control advocates on and off Capitol Hill with its silence on the issue.
Although President Obama ran on campaign vows of reinstating the assault-weapons ban and closing the gun-show loophole, among other reforms, he's been all but mute on those issues since entering the White House two years ago — a silence that's continued in the wake of Saturday's shootings in Arizona.
Gun-control advocates, who are backing a series of reforms... (GunPolicy.org)
US Democrat, Gun Violence Victim Sees Uphill Battle for Gun Control Bill
12 January 2011
Salon (USA)
I just spoke with Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., about where things stand on the Hill on her proposed ban on high-capacity magazines. The takeaway: It's going to be a tough battle to get any sort of new gun legislation through Congress.
"The NRA is out there already saying it's a slippery slope -- that if we take away the large magazines we're actually going to try and take away their guns, forgetting to mention that the Supreme Court has already said that everyone has... (GunPolicy.org)
Will Tucson Tragedy Shift Gun Control Debate? Gun Control Chief Says Yes
12 January 2011
CBS News (USA)
In the wake of the tragic shooting in Tucson Saturday, pundits have spent countless hours debating the role of Sarah Palin in the story - despite the fact that there is no evidence that alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner is a Palin supporter or had ever seen or heard her rhetoric.
What they have spent less time discussing are the tools that allowed Loughner to allegedly carry out the attack - the high powered weapon and ammunition that helped him do so much damage so... (GunPolicy.org)
American Lobby Groups Scramble to Control Narrative of Tucson Massacre
12 January 2011
National Public Radio (USA), Opinion
Gun rights advocates and right-wing radio talkers have accused their critics of exploiting the massacre in Tucson, Ariz., for political gain.
Firearms control activists have responded to the Saturday shooting by decrying the right's increasingly mainstream theme of "Second Amendment" solutions to "government tyranny" and Sarah Palin's online 2010 campaign map, which featured gun-sight cross hairs over targeted districts.
Mental health experts, cautioning against... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Shooting Strikes Chord in Mexico, Where Gun Violence Continues
12 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor
MEXICO CITY - The Arizona shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) and the ensuing debate over gun laws is resonating in Mexico, where drug trafficking gangs, often armed with weapons smuggled from the US, are carrying out a violent campaign in which assassinations and mass shootings are all too common.
The governor of Sonora, the Mexican state bordering Arizona, said Monday that the shooting raises security concerns on both sides of the border. Gov. Guillermo Padrés... (GunPolicy.org)
Lax Gun Laws Prove Deadly in America, Where 80 Die by Gun Each Day
11 January 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
America has recoiled in horror over the shooting rampage in Arizona but throughout the country some 30,000 people die each year of gunshot wounds — about one-third of the 98,000 who are shot.
The most recent violence has turned the spotlight once again on a system that fuels gun crime and, say some, is giving in to an "extremist" minority of gun advocates at the expense of national safety.
"We need more sensible laws, and we need a change in social norms," says... (GunPolicy.org)
Focus Turns to Arizona's Gun Laws: 'More People Should Be Carrying'
10 January 2011
Los Angeles Times
TUCSON - It was a busy day at the Tucson Mountain Park shooting range Sunday, where the aroma of gunpowder filled the air one day after 20 people were shot, six fatally, at a shopping center.
Alex Anderson, 24, was armed with a 9-millimeter Taurus, the same caliber as the gun that authorities say Jared Lee Loughner used in the shootings. Anderson, who works at the Home Depot next to the Sportsman's Warehouse where the gunman's weapon was purchased, has a permit to... (GunPolicy.org)
How a 'Weapon of Mass Destruction' Became the US Handgun of Choice
10 January 2011
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
WASHINGTON - Is there a good reason to have 33 bullets loaded in a handgun?
This is the question being asked in the wake of the shooting of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Ariz. over the weekend. The suspect, Jared Loughner, allegedly used a high-capacity 33-round magazine in his Glock-19 pistol. Without the need to reload as quickly, the shooter was able to effectively hold bystanders at bay, keeping them from intervening until 20 people had already been... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona's Most Likely Response to Mass Shooting is Reduced Gun Control
10 January 2011
Slate (Washington DC)
Arizona's Legislature began its new session Monday, guns in tow. At a rally outside of the state Capitol, a 73-year-old Tea Party activist named Arthur Olivas Jr. was photographed wearing a holstered pistol. Anyone who blamed the Tea Party for the slaughter outside a Tucson Safeway, he said, didn't understand the movement and didn't understand gun rights.
"If you see 20 guns out there," Olivas told Politico, "you would not be stupid enough to hold up a bank or shoot... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Control Timeline: 7 Big Events in the Federal Gun Control Debate
10 January 2011
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
The deadly shooting at Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's political event in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday is re-energizing gun control advocates. But Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said he fears there will be little legislative response from Congress.
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), whose husband was killed and son was injured in a 1993 shooting on the Long Island Rail Road, took on the challenge on Sunday, promising to... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shooting Sparks Blip in America's Desultory Gun Control Discussion
9 January 2011
USA Today
The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has sparked an inevitable debate about gun control.
Arizona has few restrictions on gun purchases and gun ownership. Giffords, a Democrat, was a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.
Rep. Raul Grijalva said "accessibility, particularly in Arizona" to guns have "to be examined." The Arizona Democrat said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press that his home state has "highly permissible gun laws."
It is not clear how alleged Arizona... (GunPolicy.org)
In Wake of Arizona Mass Shooting, Philippine Lawmakers Talk Gun Control
9 January 2011
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – Lawmakers Sunday called for tighter gun control and continued campaign against "gun-for-hire" and extra-judicial killings.
Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Party-list Reps. Rodel Batocabe of Ako-Bicol, and Antonio Tiñio of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone scoffed at the Arizona shooting incident as they also expressed their sympathies with the families of the victims, including US federal judge John Roll. Six... (GunPolicy.org)
Virginia Tech Survivor Is 'Living for 32' Dead in War to Tighten Gun Laws
31 December 2010
AOL News
WASHINGTON - Surviving the deadliest shooting massacre in U.S. history wasn't enough to make Colin Goddard an advocate for stricter gun laws. Only when he watched another rampage play out on TV two years later did the Virginia Tech graduate realize he had to speak out.
"That took me back to the day like none other," Goddard said of another troubled gunman who killed 14 at an immigration center in Binghamton, N.Y. "I was watching the body count rise and I was like, this... (GunPolicy.org)
Ohio Supreme Court Upholds Law Which Prevents Gun Control by Cities
29 December 2010
Reuters
The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld as constitutional a state law that prevents Cleveland and other cities from passing restrictive gun laws.
In a 5-2 decision, the court found that the 2006 law does not infringe on the "home rule" powers of Ohio cities.
The court ruled that the state statute "is a general law that displaces municipal firearm ordinances and does not unconstitutionally infringe on municipal home rule authority."
The ruling overturns a lower... (GunPolicy.org)
Texas Students Fight Gun Lobby Push for Teens to Carry Guns at School
29 December 2010
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (Texas)
Several groups, including a university student government organization and a prominent gun-control lobby, this week filed a document in federal court asking a judge to uphold the current ban on handgun sales to people younger than 21.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Graduate Student Assembly and Student Government of the University of Texas at Austin, Mothers Against Teen Violence, Students for Gun-Free Schools in Texas and Texas Chapters of the Brady... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA-led Gun Lobby Wields Powerful Influence Over Feds, US Politics
15 December 2010
Washington Post
Behind the scenes, federal agents in charge of stopping gun trafficking to Mexico have quietly advanced a plan to help stem the smuggling of high-powered AK-47s and AR-15s to the bloody drug war south of the border.
The controversial proposal by officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives calls for a measure strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association: requiring gun dealers to report multiple sales of rifles and shotguns to ATF.
The gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Death of 8yr-old Becomes Symbol of Lost Struggle for US Gun Control
12 December 2010
Herald (Scotland)
Gun control campaigners in the USA are waving the white flag after a year of crushing setbacks.
Shocking mass murders and shooting accidents that would scandalise any other developed nation barely register in the public consciousness. As the death toll rises, the National Rifle Association's (NRA) string of legislative and legal victories continues.
Against this backdrop comes the latest gun-related horror story: a former police chief in Massachusetts is on trial for... (GunPolicy.org)
Pennsylvania Governor Calls His State's Gun Control Fight 'A Lost Cause'
30 November 2010
Philadelphia Inquirer
HARRISBURG - For eight years, Gov. Rendell has lobbied hard in the halls of the Capitol for what he calls "commonsense" handgun laws.
He wanted to limit sales to individuals to one handgun a month. He wanted owners to report lost or stolen weapons. He wanted to close a loophole in state law that he believes lets criminals use gun permits obtained in other states.
At each turn, the legislature - including some of his allies in the Democratic-controlled House - knocked... (GunPolicy.org)
Is Obama's New Choice for US Gun Regulator Chief an 'Antigun Zealot'?
19 November 2010
Christian Science Monitor
ATF special agent Andrew Traver, who last year let a TV reporter fire an AK-47 from her hip to demonstrate the weapon's lethality, is set to become America's chief firearms inspector. But Mr. Traver, currently the Chicago ATF chief, faces a tough nomination battle as gun-rights groups amass their forces in opposition.
The nomination of the Naperville, Ill., native to be top gun cop is applauded by gun-control activists, who say the 5,000-employee ATF has lost ground in... (GunPolicy.org)
Support for Gun Control Didn't Hurt US Election Candidates, Says Brady
4 November 2010
New Haven Register (Connecticut)
In the wake of an election that left Democrats in the control of the U.S. Senate and the Connecticut legislature, while Republicans took over the U.S. House of Representatives, gun control advocates with the Brady Campaign lauded victors from both parties, including state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
Blumenthal won election to the Senate over GOP contender Linda McMahon, former chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, to replace retiring... (GunPolicy.org)
NY Mayor Funds 'Florida Gun Loophole' Attack on Pennsylvania Candidate
29 October 2010
Philadelphia Inquirer
An unlikely figure has thrown his weight and his wallet behind an attack ad in the Pennsylvania governor's race: New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg.
The billionaire mayor put up $500,000 to underwrite a gun-control group's 30-second commercial urging voters to reject Republican candidate Tom Corbett, and to aid the group's efforts in other Pennsylvania races.
The anti-Corbett spot, financed via Bloomberg's donation to CeaseFire PA, began airing Monday on network and... (GunPolicy.org)
Candidate Says More Guns Could Have Prevented Virginia Tech Massacre
28 October 2010
Atlantic (USA)
Virginia House candidate Keith Fimian, who is challenging Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly in Northern Virginia, said recently that looser gun laws could have prevented the Virginia Tech shooting, and his campaign is now walking back the comment.
Fimian told a local news anchor during a televised interview that the April 2007 shooting, which claimed the lives of 33 when a gunman opened fire in a classroom building, wouldn't have happened if students were allowed... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayors Pays for Gun Control Ads to Oppose Virginia Republican
28 October 2010
Washington Post
The debates over gun control and the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre are making a late entry into the heated contest between Rep. Gerald Connolly (D) and Oakton businessman Keith Fimian (R) in Virginia's 11th district.
A group called Americans United for Safe Streets is on the air with an ad -- funded by donations from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) -- featuring Omar Samaha, the brother of Virginia Tech victim Reema Samaha. The spot shows Omar Samaha castigating... (GunPolicy.org)
Excusable Homicides Soar in Wake of Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' Law
17 October 2010
St Petersburg Times (Florida)
TAMPA — Two men meet at a park one Sunday afternoon in September. One is playing basketball with his daughter. The other has a gun tucked in his pants.
The two men argue about a kid who's skateboarding. The man with the gun tries to enforce the rules. The other man lunges.
The unarmed man takes his last breath in front of his 8-year-old daughter. Two days later, authorities charge the gun owner with manslaughter.
Case closed? Maybe not.
If history serves, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Don't Water Down New Jersey's Tough, 'Unrivalled' Hidden Handgun Law
10 October 2010
Daily Record (New Jersey), Opinion
Few public policy issues in this country — and in New Jersey — are as controversial and poorly understood as gun control.
Despite an endless stream of senseless and horrific gun crimes in our state, some still vehemently oppose New Jersey's comprehensive handgun permitting scheme — and indeed any handgun regulation at all.
As professors at Seton Hall Law School who are distressed at the recent tragic shooting death of a Seton Hall college student, and as lawyers... (GunPolicy.org)
600 US Mayors Tie Lax State Gun Laws to Crimes in Other States
27 September 2010
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Nearly 600 mayors nationwide, led by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and other city leaders, are mounting a new campaign to identify states with lax gun laws and push for tighter restrictions to prevent the trafficking of guns used in crimes.
A study due to be released this week by a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns uses previously unavailable federal gun data to identify what it says are the states that most often export guns used... (GunPolicy.org)
600 US Mayors Slam Lax Firearm Laws, Ease of Interstate Gun Trafficking
26 September 2010
New York Times
Nearly 600 mayors nationwide, led by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and other city leaders, are mounting a new campaign to identify states with lax gun laws and push for tighter restrictions to prevent the trafficking of guns used in crimes.
A study due to be released this week by a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns uses previously unavailable federal gun data to identify what it says are the states that most often export guns used in crimes across... (GunPolicy.org)
