Top of PageGun Policy News
Firearms for self defense and property protection
Top Namibian Cop Says its 'Too Easy' to Get Guns, Suggests Law Change
20 May 2013
Namibian (Windhoek)
Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga has admitted that it has become "too easy to own" a firearm in the country and that there is an urgent need to amend the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1996 in order to address its shortcomings.
The Namibian on Friday reported that police issued close to 15,000 licenses for guns to civilians in the past two years - just over 7,100 license applications in 2011 and about 7,600 licenses were issued in 2012.
"As someone responsible... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers in South Africa Investigated Over Possible Law Breaches
15 May 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - An independent probe has been commissioned into alleged unscrupulous practices among firearms dealers, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Wednesday.
Concerns had recently been raised about firearm dealers not complying with the Firearms Control Act, Mthethwa said in a statement.
"In order to ensure that the provisions of the act are properly complied with… I have decided to set up an independent investigation into the practices complained of," he... (GunPolicy.org)
Drunk Kosovo Man Shoots, Kills Wife After Divorce Request
1 May 2013
Croatian Times
A Kosovan man who shot his Swiss wife dead at the bus stop when she refused to consider changing her mind about divorcing him - and then went for a beer at a local pub - has claimed her death was her own fault.
Afrim Mujaj, 45, then sat calmly watching as ambulances sped by in a bid to try and save the life of his 35-year-old wife Mirvete in Riniken, Switzerland. And as emergency services tried in vain to keep her alive - the court heard he bought rounds of drinks for... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian President Opposes Idea of Free Gun Sales for Defensive Use
27 April 2013
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday he opposes the idea of allowing Russians to buy guns freely for self-defense purposes.
"I do not support the idea of free arms distribution in Russia," Putin told Rossiya 24 television adding: "It is dangerous to artificially stimulate this process."
The idea came after a shocking massacre in downtown Belgorod, southwest Russia, on Monday afternoon, which left six people dead.
A gunman killed three people... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Study Shows Guns Rarely Used to Kill Criminals or Stop Crime
15 April 2013
Violence Policy Center (Washington, DC), Media release
WASHINGTON, DC — "Guns are rarely used to kill criminals or stop crimes" according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) report Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use (http://www.vpc.org/studies/justifiable.pdf). The report analyzes national data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey... (GunPolicy.org)
Facts Show Guns Don't Offer Protection, Despite What the NRA Says
25 March 2013
Guardian (UK), Blog
"The one thing a violent rapist deserves is to face is a good woman with a gun!" That was Wayne LaPierre, executive director of the National Rifle Association, the standard bearers for America's gun lobby, making the case that personal firearms prevent rape.
The assertion that guns offer protection is a mantra the NRA has repeated often. In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, LaPierre opined: "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Did the Doomed Assault Weapon Ban Kill Most Other US Gun Control?
20 March 2013
Daily Beast (USA)
Sen. Harry Reid announced Tuesday that he would not be including Sen. Dianne Feinstein's proposal to ban the sale of assault weapons in the package of gun legislation he'll bring to the floor of the Senate. This all but ends gun control advocates' hopes of reinstating the ban on assault weapons, although Feinstein can offer it as an amendment once Reid's package is being debated. Reid, however, says there aren't anywhere near the 51 votes for passage, much less the 60... (GunPolicy.org)
Congo (DRC),Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Angola,Zambia,Africa
Zambia Calling for a 'Bullet-Proof' Arms Trade Treaty
18 March 2013
Times of Zambia
TODAY (March 18, 2013) will be a crunch day of epic proportions when the United Nations Organisation (UN) convenes at its New York Headquarters to start negotiations to conclude an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that has the potential to forever regulate the hitherto unregulated trade in conventional weapons.
The global trade in conventional weapons - from warships and battle tanks to fighter jets and machine guns - remains poorly regulated. No internationally agreed... (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)
Dangerous Weapons Bill Adopted in South Africa to Curb Violence
13 March 2013
Global Times (China), Xinhua
The Portfolio Committee on Police on Tuesday adopted the Dangerous Weapons Bill as South Africa is moving to curb rising violence.
The bill will repeal all legislation dealing with dangerous weapons. There are currently five different pieces of legislation that deal with dangerous weapons, including the Dangerous Weapons Act of 1982.
The committee called on police to effectively implement the Dangerous Weapons Bill, which will also give powers to the police to arrest... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Related Deaths: How Australia Stepped Off "The American Path"
12 March 2013
American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
Australia and the United States share many characteristics. Both are English-speaking democracies of multicultural immigrants. The 2 nations have been allies for nearly a century. Australians and Americans consume similar diets of movies, video games, popular music, recreational drugs, and alcohol. Both have vast interiors, early histories of armed European settlers mistreating native populations, plenty of feral pests to shoot, and many firearm enthusiasts. Yet the 2... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
The Need for Improved Firearms Control in South Africa - Analysis
11 March 2013
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
In his affidavit before the court, South African 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius stated that he kept a 9mm pistol underneath his bed because he was scared of criminals.
Following the events in the early hours of 14 February 2013 that saw him fatally shoot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he now faces charges of murder. This is not the first such case. In 2009 Johannesburg homeowner Warren Voster accidentally killed his domestic worker's 12-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
Share of US Households with Guns Declined Over Past 4 Decades, Study
9 March 2013
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
NEW YORK — The share of U.S. households with guns has declined over the past four decades, a national survey shows, with some of the most surprising drops in the South and the Western mountain states, where guns are deeply embedded in the culture.
The gun ownership rate has fallen across a broad cross section of households since the early 1970s, according to data from the U.S. General Social Survey, a public opinion survey conducted every two years that asks a sample... (GunPolicy.org)
Rate of Gun Ownership in US Is Down, Survey Shows
9 March 2013
New York Times
The share of American households with guns has declined over the past four decades, a national survey shows, with some of the most surprising drops in the South and the Western mountain states, where guns are deeply embedded in the culture.
The gun ownership rate has fallen across a broad cross section of households since the early 1970s, according to data from the General Social Survey, a public opinion survey conducted every two years that asks a sample of American... (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)
Trading Handguns for Bicycles, Laptops in Uruguay
8 March 2013
Smart Planet
BUENOS AIRES — Walking along the riverfront boardwalk in Uruguay's sleepy capital city of Montevideo, it's hard to imagine anything drastic happening, much less a murder. Save for the occasional jogger, the majority of people on the rambla engage in the most Uruguayan of activities: sitting and chatting while drinking the herbal infusion mate from a calabash gourd. It is tranquilo by any definition.
But Uruguay has been experiencing a murder wave of sorts. In this... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Debates Gun Registration Law in Shootings' Aftermath
7 March 2013
Bloomberg Business Week
On a snowy late-February morning, a man walked into the cafeteria of a wood-processing plant in the Swiss village of Menznau and opened fire with a Sphinx AT .380 pistol. Four people died, including the gunman. Six others were wounded. It was Switzerland's second mass shooting in less than two months. In January a man with a history of mental illness fired a rifle from his window in the Alpine village of Daillon, killing three and injuring two. The shootings have... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel Has Fewer Guns, Fewer Deaths Than US
11 February 2013
Forward, the Jewish Daily
WASHINGTON — Nine days after the Newtown, Conn. massacre in which 20 children died, Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's executive vice president, broke his group's long silence with a bristling attack against gun regulation that included a theme heard frequently among gun rights advocates.
"Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "They said, 'We're going to stop it,' and they put... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Guns: Living with Firearms the Swiss Way
11 February 2013
BBC News
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, but little gun-related street crime - so some opponents of gun control hail it as a place where firearms play a positive role in society. However, Swiss gun culture is unique, and guns are more tightly regulated than many assume.
Throughout the attack, Anne Ithen kept her eyes shut.
"I didn't want to see it. I didn't want those images in my head for the rest of my life… but I remember... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Europe,Sudan,South Africa,Colombia,Finland,Estonia,United States
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Speech Indicates Action on Gun Crime, Not Gun Control
4 February 2013
Guardian (UK)
Observers billed Obama's speech here in the Twin Cities Monday afternoon as the first stop for a White House road show promoting gun control legislation, but the event's tone, its location, and, yes, even its content signal that the White House has chosen a circuitous route in pursuit of its goals. The goals themselves have changed, too, as the White House shifts our attention away from the specific horror of Sandy Hook to the more mundane living nightmare of daily gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Fact-Check: Dispelling Pro-Gun Myths in America
31 January 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
By cutting off federal funding for research and stymieing data collection and sharing, the National Rifle Association has tried to do to the study of gun violence what climate deniers have done to the science of global warming. No wonder: When it comes to hard numbers, some of the gun lobby's favorite arguments are full of holes.
Myth #1: They're coming for your guns.
Fact-check: No one knows the exact number of guns in America, but it's clear there's no practical way... (GunPolicy.org)
Interactive Display: US Gun Laws by State
16 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
President Obama has indicated a move towards strengthening federal gun control measures, but the reality is that the majority of gun legislation in the US is enacted at the state level. That has brought broad variations across the country, with states taking different approaches to issues ranging from sales, permits, licensing, self-defence and carry laws.
Carrying firearms: open and concealed
Open-carry and concealed-carry laws determine how public citizens can carry... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Russia,China,Mexico
Mexico's Gun Problems Go Beyond Drug Wars
11 January 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
MEXICO CITY - A lot of attention goes to the U.S.-made weapons in the hands of criminal groups in this Latin American country. But there is little talk of another problem: the large number of light weapons in the hands of civilians.
The Mexican Constitution establishes the people's right to "own guns in their homes for their safety and self-defence", with the exception of high caliber weapons, while the 1972 Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives stipulates the... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Ownership, Trends Remain Unchanged in Estonia
7 January 2013
ERR News (Estonia)
While fears of possible changes to gun laws have prompted some Americans to make a run on semi-automatic weapons, Estonian gun ownership numbers remain relatively low and are holding steady.
ERR radio reported the number of legal guns in the past seven to eight years to be stable at 60,000 guns in the hands of 30,000 people, half of them hunters.
Police captain Sven Põierpaas estimated this number to be "optimal."
"Estonians are reasonable and balanced,... (GunPolicy.org)
India: Delhi Women Rush for Gun Licences after Fatal Gang Rape
3 January 2013
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Hundreds of women in Delhi have applied for gun licences following the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman by six men in a bus in the city last month.
The news underlines the widespread sense of insecurity in the city, deep before the incident and deeper now, as well as the lack of faith in law enforcement agencies.
The ashes of the victim of the attack - who died on Friday after 13 days in hospitals in India and Singapore and was cremated in Delhi in a secret... (GunPolicy.org)
Stop the Gun Madness in the US - Opinion
1 January 2013
Washington Post, Opinion
Guns do kill people. Our national New Year's resolution must be to stop the madness.
It is shameful that gun control only becomes worthy of public debate following an unspeakable massacre such as Newtown — and even more shameful that these mass killings occur so often. What usually happens is that we spend a few weeks pretending to have a "conversation" about guns, then the horror begins to fade and we turn to other issues. Everything goes back to normal.
"Normal,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland,Israel,United States
Israel, Switzerland Have Stringent Gun Control, Fewer Guns Than US
19 December 2012
Foreign Policy (America)
Following the tragic shooting last week in Newtown, Conn., two stories leapt out at me. The first was the astonishing tale of a teacher, Victoria Soto, who hid her first-graders in closets and took a bullet rather than risking the children's lives by hiding with them. The second featured a photograph of an Israeli woman with a military-style long gun slung across her back, herding children protectively. The contrast between the powerful Israeli woman and the unarmed... (GunPolicy.org)
Greek MP Wants Firearms Crackdown, MPs Requesting More Gun Permits
14 December 2012
Guardian (UK)
An independent MP has called for a crackdown on firearms in Greece amid allegations that a growing number of politicians are carrying weapons.
Reports of pistol-carrying deputies entering parliament have added to the febrile mood in a 300-member chamber in which hardcore Marxists sit with fascists, eurocommunists, rightwing populists, conservatives, socialists and an array of independent dissidents.
The MP, Nikos Nikolopoulos, told the Guardian he was "deeply worried"... (GunPolicy.org)
MP Supports UK Couple Who Fired Shotgun at Alleged Burglars
3 September 2012
BBC News
An MP has said two householders should not be prosecuted for protecting their home after they were arrested for firing a gun at alleged burglars.
Alan Duncan, MP for Rutland and Melton, said the case was "straightforward" and the married couple from Welby were defending themselves.
Leicestershire Police were called by the man who said he had fired a shotgun at a group of intruders.
One of the suspected raiders called an ambulance. Another went to hospital.
Officers... (GunPolicy.org)
Punjab Women Take Up Guns to Shoot Criminals, Rebels, 'Spoiled Brats'
1 September 2012
Tribune (India)
CHANDIGARH - Septuagenarian Amrik Kaur of Amarkot, a recipient of the Shaurya Chakra, a top civilian gallantry award, wants arms licences for both her daughters-in-law to carry forward the family tradition of keeping its women armed.
Amrik Kaur — once known as the "lioness of the border areas" — used to engage militants in night-long encounters during the peak of militancy in Punjab. Though she lost her husband Shahbeg Singh and domestic help Mukhtyar Singh in one... (GunPolicy.org)
Proposed New Law Would Give Kenyan Spies Power To Carry, Use Guns
2 August 2012
Star (Kenya)
Spy agents will soon have powers to carry and use firearms in an attempt to deal with increasing security threats. The National Intelligence Service Bill 2012 which is now before Parliament also gives the agency's Director General, "in the event of extreme emergency" unfettered access to any place, seize any property including information and document [sic] and restrain suspects from escaping.
There is however a caveat that the DG shall "as soon as practically... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns in America - The Business of Fear: Bernd Debusmann
30 July 2012
Reuters, Opinion
Mass shootings are good for the gun business. So are dark warnings from the principal gun lobby in the United States, the National Rifle Association (NRA), that President Barack Obama is leading a global conspiracy to seize an estimated 300 million guns now held by private citizens.
Whether this is true or not doesn't matter. As they say on Wall Street, perception is reality and the fears the NRA has managed to inspire since Obama's 2008 election have led to a boom for... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Advocates Use Unreliable Data to Claim a Need for Weapons
30 July 2012
CNN, Opinion
WASHINGTON - Do guns make us safer?
It's an article of faith among many gun owners that yes they do.
Last week, I presented in this space some evidence of the dangers of gun ownership: the elevated risks of accident and suicide in households that own guns. I pointed to a paradox: More Americans support gun rights, even as fewer Americans own guns. I explained this paradox with data that suggested many Americans hold false ideas about the prevalence of crime - and... (GunPolicy.org)
Truck Drivers in Bolivia Want Law to Allow Them to Carry Guns [Espanol]
23 July 2012
Erbol Digital (Bolivia)
[Translated summary: The Executive Secretary of the Confederation of Drivers of Bolivia, Franklin Durán, said that its industry presented to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly a bill authorizing them to use firearms to defend their trucks.]
LA PAZ - El secretario ejecutivo de la Confederación de Choferes de Bolivia, Franklin Durán, señaló hoy que su sector presentará a la Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional un proyecto de ley que les autorice el uso de armas... (GunPolicy.org)
'Carrying a Firearm - That's Being an American' [Francais]
23 July 2012
Le Point (France), Transcript
[Translated summary: Aurora's shooting has revived the debate over the right to carry firearms in the United States. Didier Combeau, researcher at the Center of Urban Studies in the English-speaking World, explains why the United States will never ban firearms.]
La fusillade d'Aurora a relancé la question du port d'armes aux États-Unis… Du moins, en apparence.
Didier Combeau, chercheur au Centre d'études urbaines dans le monde anglophone à l'université Paris... (GunPolicy.org)
Jeweler Who Killed Armed Thief in Paris, Indicted for Murder [francais]
21 July 2012
RTL (Belgium) / AFP
[Translated summary: Paris, the jeweler who shot dead the armed thief is indicted for first degree murder. The jeweler had a firearm license and stored his firearm properly. The investigation will determine if the jeweler acted in self-defense.]
Le bijoutier parisien ayant tué un homme qui tentait de braquer son commerce jeudi a été mis en examen pour homicide volontaire samedi selon des sources judiciaires. Il a été laissé libre sous contrôle judiciaire.
Pas... (GunPolicy.org)
Celebratory Shootings, Stray Bullets Killed 41 Indians in 7 Months
19 July 2012
Hindustan Times (Lucknow)
LUCKNOW - The death of Mehtab, a 10-year-old boy, in celebratory firing at Bareilly on Tuesday indicates the state government's efforts have not succeeded in checking the unwelcome practice. In the last seven months, 41 people have been killed in such incidents in various districts.
After two deaths in Faizabad in May, the state government had directed the district administration officials to cancel the licence, as well as initiate legal action against those who used... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Medics Carry Handguns After Attacks On-Duty
18 July 2012
Times (South Africa)
Facing the threat of violence daily , paramedics are now arming themselves so that they can get on with the business of saving people's lives.
This emerged yesterday during a judgment in the case of two men accused of raping two paramedics in Roodepoort, on the West Rand, in 2010.
Private paramedics who spoke to The Times claimed that up to 60% of emergency workers at certain emergency services companies carried weapons to protect themselves against attack while on... (GunPolicy.org)
More Indian Women Getting Gun Licences for Self-Defence
15 July 2012
Times of India
INDORE - Firearms and guns are catching the fancy and imagination of Indore women like never before. This year in the first half gun licenses were issued to six women as against the 12 in the past year. Officials say the number would go up by the end of the year.
In the past women hardly applied for gun licenses except for transfer of licenses issued in their late husband's name, said a senior official. But now, there are several applicants seeking license for fresh... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Judge Reduces Sentence for Man Selling Non-Existent Gun
10 July 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario) / QMI Agency, Opinion
TORONTO - On the surface, an Ontario judge striking down a mandatory minimum three-year sentence to someone for supposedly trying to sell a revolver seems another case of the law being an ass (or "a ass," to quote Charles Dickens).
In the case of Christopher Lewis, a judge imposed a sentence of three years — two for drug dealing (less one year for time served) and an additional year (instead of the mandatory minimum) for offering to sell a .45-calibre gun he didn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Muzzling Doctors on Guns, 'Shoot First' Laws – Florida's Gun Law Morass
9 July 2012
New York Times, Editorial
A federal court has struck down one of the more nonsensical of Florida's many risky gun laws — one that banned the state's thousands of doctors from ever discussing firearms with their patients. There was no evidence that this was ever a problem or a common occurrence, yet the law was enacted last year on the strength of an anecdote from a couple who complained to their gun-obsessed legislator that their physician inquired if they owned guns.
The court wisely upheld... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal Advocates Arms Trade Treaty in UN
7 July 2012
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU - Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Gyan Chandra Acharya yesterday reminded that millions of lives and livelihoods have perished, and serious violations of fundamental human rights have occurred due to irresponsible and illicit transfer of weapons and munitions around the troubled parts of the world.
Delivering his statement at the UN Conference on Arms Trade Treaty in New York, the Nepali envoy emphasized that a robust Arms Trade Treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia's Position on the Arms Trade Treaty
6 July 2012
Voice of Russia (Moscow)
Russia has one of the most well developed arms control systems in the world and we have only one arms exporting nongovernmental agency which controls all arms trade.
Interview with Sergey Denisentsev – expert of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies from Moscow, Russia.
What is the position of Russia on IATT?
Well, the key difference between the Russian approach towards IATT and the approach of countries of the EU is the matter of goals of IATT.... (GunPolicy.org)
Palestinian President Launched Broadest Crackdown on Illicit Arms Trade
4 July 2012
Washington Post / AP
Palestinian lawmaker Shami Al-Shami, 47, is treated by medics for gun wounds sustained outside his home in the West Bank town of Jenin, Sunday, July 1, 2012. Al-Shami said Sunday he has been shot twice in the leg by assailants as he got out of his car outside his home. Jenin once served as a model for Palestinian law and order, but has experienced a wave of brazen attacks by gunmen over
JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has launched... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 2 Million Lawfully Held Guns in Italy but a Very Soft Law [Italian]
29 June 2012
La Stampa (Italy)
[Translated summary: Yesterday in Giugliano, Naples, a three-year-old child found a gun in his house and accidentally shot himself to death. An analogous fact took place in Catania on June 18 and caused the death of a fifteen-year-old. But how many weapons are in circulation in Italian homes? The exact number has never been released by the Interior Ministry, but it is estimated that there are over 2 million lawfully held guns.]
ROMA - Ieri a Giugliano (Napoli) un... (GunPolicy.org)
Stuff You Couldn't Make Up: Controversial US Killer Killed by Stray Bullet
26 June 2012
Miami Herald
Greyston Garcia was killed in his truck three months after a judge granted him immunity under Florida's controversial self-defense law.
After he beat a murder charge under Florida's controversial self-defense law, Miami's Greyston Garcia took an anonymous job as a cashier in a cramped all-night convenience store in Liberty City.
Tuesday night, he asked to go home early.
Sure, his boss said, but first drive to the gas station to get change for some $20 bills. Garcia... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Gun Lobby and Bad Law Block a Crime-busting Tool to Catch Killers
26 June 2012
CNN, Opinion
The gun lobby is fiercely, and so far successfully, blocking what easily could be the greatest technological breakthrough to catching killers and deterring others.
The simple method allows bullet manufacturers to stamp a numeric code on shell casings that would make it very easy to identify the gun that fired the shot. But the National Rifle Association is lobbying against states enacting laws to require such "microstamping."
The gun lobby is likely to prevail, given... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Pistol Handout Backfires: Corrupt Thai Officials Sell Handguns to Thugs
25 June 2012
Bangkok Post
Shootouts involving hot-blooded youngsters are a common occurrence and the problem may be rooted in a government gun distribution policy gone wrong.
Police have been alarmed by the easy availability of firearms which have ended up in the hands of people who should not be carrying them, including youngsters.
They have found that arms smugglers are not the main suppliers of the weapons to the young people.
Rather, it is state officials and security personnel who are... (GunPolicy.org)
7,987 Guns Registered under Women's Names in Guatemala [Espanol]
18 June 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: Responding to the increase of violence Guatemalans turn to firearms, as shown by the increase of licence applications.]
Guatemala - Las guatemaltecas encuentran en las armas de fuego una forma de defenderse de la violencia y aumentó el número de las que solicitaron licencia o ya las registraron para portarlas, afirma hoy una publicación.(RadioPL)
Ese incremento fue confirmado por la Dirección General de Control de Armas y Municiones, en tanto... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Raises Concerns about the Security Guard Business in Canada
17 June 2012
New York Times
OTTAWA — The capture at the American border of a Canadian security guard wanted in the slaying of three colleagues and the wounding of a fourth ended a nationwide manhunt and brought a sense of relief to western Canada on Sunday.
The search for the suspect, Travis Baumgartner, 21, began Friday after, the police said, he shot his co-workers while they were refilling A.T.M.'s at a university campus in Edmonton, Alberta.
After the early morning shooting, Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
With Ministers Carrying Guns Could Bahamas Become a 'Gun-toting' Society?
10 June 2012
Tribune (Bahamas)
Government ministers carrying weapons could open the door to the Bahamas becoming a "gun-toting" society.
The warning came from the FNM's deputy leader after it was revealed two ministers were personally armed.
Loretta Butler-Turner, who said she had received two death threats herself, branded the government "reckless" and said it was sending the wrong message by allowing ministers to carry guns.
"I would ask this government to reflect on the gravity of what is... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: MP Calls to Facilitate, Promote Lawful Access to Guns [Espanol]
8 June 2012
La Jornada Aguascalientes (Mexico)
[Translated summary: PAN coordinator in the Congress of Aguascalientes said that the process to legally obtain firearms must be publicised among citizens, as the Constitution itself refers to the right of everyone to own a firearm for self-defence.]
Alfredo Reyes Velázquez, coordinador de los panistas en el Legislativo de Aguascalientes, opinó que el método para conseguir armas de manera legal debe ser publicitado entre la ciudadanía, pues la misma Carta Magna... (GunPolicy.org)
People of Ahmedabad District, India Rush for Gun Licences
8 June 2012
Indian Express
AHMEDABAD - With land prices having shot up in the auto hub of Sanand and land-owners flush with cash, the township in Ahmedabad district now wants more and more of guns.
Since 2010, when the Tatas changed the once-sleepy town into a destination of global auto majors like Ford and Peugeot by relocating its Nano plant here, Sanand has topped the list of firearms licencees.
According to data obtained from Ahmedabad district collectorate, between 2010 and May 2012, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Puerto Rico Police Support to Citizens Using Guns for Defence Raises Concern [Espanol]
7 June 2012
La Prensa / EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Amnesty International in Puerto Rico raises concern on the possible consequences of the explicit support of the police superintendent to citizens using firearms for self-defence.]
SAN JUAN - Amnistía Internacional (AI) Sección de Puerto Rico expresó hoy a través de un comunicado su preocupación ante las posibles consecuencias del apoyo explícito del jefe de la Policía de la isla, Héctor Pesquera, a que la ciudadanía utilice armas de fuego... (GunPolicy.org)
Bahamas Minister's Decision to Carry a Handgun Raises Debate
7 June 2012
Nassau Guardian (Bahamas)
Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell said yesterday he does not understand why anyone would criticize his decision and that of National Security Minister Dr. Bernard Nottage to carry guns.
Bell confirmed to The Nassau Guardian on Tuesday that both he and Nottage are personally armed.
He also pointed out that both he and Nottage have been trained to use firearms.
Former Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest said at a press conference on... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,Canada,United Arab Emirates,Venezuela,Lebanon,Iraq
No Gun Control Plus Idle Youth Equals Recipe for Trouble - Opinion
6 June 2012
National (Abu Dhabi), Opinion
'The weapon first, fighting second," goes an Arabic proverb, which pretty much explains why there is so much conflict in the world today. But it also describes perfectly what I have had the misfortune of seeing as I've travelled and worked in war zones across the region.
I remember the time I was in Iraq, and the family I was staying with insisted that I carry some form of weapon as "defence" and protection. Even their grandmother carried a small hand gun in her purse... (GunPolicy.org)
In Fear of Gun Violence, Dominicans Carry More Hidden Handguns
1 June 2012
Diario Libre (Dominican Republic)
SANTO DOMINGO - In the face of the advance of criminality in the country, it seems that the Dominicans have decided to purchase weapons for themselves for their defense, which is demonstrated by the 298,432 legally registered firearms at the Ministry of the Interior and the Police.
In February of this year, Interior and Police only had 203,394 firearms registered, and from then until now there has been an increase of 95,038.
The majority of these weapons have carry... (GunPolicy.org)
Seattle Cafe Mass Killer Mentally Ill, Had Legal Hidden Handgun Permit
1 June 2012
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
Ian L. Stawicki, who shot five people to death Wednesday in Seattle before putting a bullet in his own head, had a long history of violence and mental problems, though not the kind that show up on official records. He was charged with misdemeanor assault in 2008 and 2010, but charges in both cases were dismissed after first his girlfriend, whose nose he allegedly bloodied, and then his brother declined to testify against him. Other charges reported by Seattle police,... (GunPolicy.org)
Rwanda Police Call Civilians to Hand In Illegal Firearms
31 May 2012
News of Rwanda
The Rwanda National Police has called upon the people to hand in illegal arms which they say that are the reason for the various blasts around the country.
According to police, the liberation war and genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 left grenades, unexploded ordnances (UXO's) and other small arms on the surface of Rwanda.
"These undetonated UXO's and recent series of grenade blasts across the country that have claimed innocent lives including children who played... (GunPolicy.org)
Marsabit, Upper Eastern Kenya - Where the Gun Rules
30 May 2012
Capital FM (Nairobi)
MARSABIT, Kenya — They brave through the empty, lonely and insecure all-weather Marsabit roads to attend to their daily businesses.
In this town in upper Eastern Kenya, residents can only walk in groups or hire Administration Police officers to escort them to their places of work.
Instead of herding animals with the traditional shepherd's staff, herders in the North Eastern District graze their animals carrying guns and swords!
Indeed, this is the daily life in... (GunPolicy.org)
Curbing 'Rampant Misuse,' Mumbai Denies 84% of Gun Licence Requests
28 May 2012
Times of India
MUMBAI - In a bid to rein in rampant misuse of licensed weapons, the police rejected more than 80% of applications for gun licences last year, with not a single builder or film personality granted sanction. Even among those who did receive the approval, around 18% were policemen who had sought licences for personal use of firearms.
Statistics obtained through a query filed under the RTI Act show that out of 340 applications filed for gun licences in 2011, 284 were... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Police Consider 3-months Ban on Permits to Carry Firearms
25 May 2012
Philippine Daily Inquirer
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna—The top police official in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region said his office was considering at least a three-month suspension on permits to carry firearms in Cavite and Batangas.
Calabarzon police director Chief Supt. James Melad on Wednesday said he was considering the ban after they realized an "abnormality" in the number of reported crimes committed with the use of firearms.
When asked if he meant a rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Proliferation In Philippines, a Threat to Innocent Families
25 May 2012
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Editorial
Last Saturday's shooting of a 14-year-old by an 11-year-old school mate in barangay Pasil underscores the problem of small arms proliferation in the country.
According to the gunshot victim, Mark Rey Abano, a few moments before he got a bullet in the head, he saw the father of the 11-year-old boy give the gun, a paltik .38 revolver, as a "gift".
Based on 2011 data from the Philippine National Police, there are about 2 million loose firearms in the country, enough to... (GunPolicy.org)
Understanding Arms Trafficking in France Using Geopolitics [Francais]
23 May 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Arms trafficking has become a recurrent and increasing part of the social life of France society. In Marseilles, Lyons and Stains (near Paris), the number of homicides committed with AK-47 or automatic pistols has considerably increased in the past weeks. It is crucial to understand how and especially why these killers acquire such arms. For this, the geopolitical approach is efficient.]
L'actualité française vient de le rappeler : le trafic... (GunPolicy.org)
Kurdish Government Stops Issuing, Renewing Gun Licences
23 May 2012
Rudaw (Kurdistan)
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- Hiwa Hassan, 34, visited the Erbil Governorate Office twice last year to renew his firearm license. He was turned down both times, even though he says he needs a firearm because his job requires him to constantly move between cities.
Hassan says, "A lot of times, I return home at night. I always have a Kalashnikov with me, but I have never shot a round. I carry a Kalashnikov for personal safety."
Hassan's firearm license expired a month ago.... (GunPolicy.org)
Control Strategies of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Africa - Analysis
22 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily, Opinion
Introduction
Most of the definitions of small arms and light weapons agree that they are the personal arms used by an individual person of a less than one hundred millimeter caliber. The extensive proliferation of the illegal small arms and light weapons is considered among the greatest challenges facing most of the African states.
The threats of the small illegal arms are not only confined to the security aspect, rather they go beyond that to extended effects on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Uncontrolled Circulation of Guns in Indonesia Jeopardizes Development
22 May 2012
Jakarta Post
The media coverage of an Army officer who brandished his gun in a street quarrel with a motorcycle rider recently raised concerns about the inappropriate use of arms.
The circulation of small arms has clearly reached a point that puts development sustainability and security in many countries in the world at risk.
The uncontrolled circulation of arms has contributed much to the mounting tension, terrorism or any other security threats to a country, such as what has... (GunPolicy.org)
Growing Number of Indian Women Turning to Firearms for Protection
21 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
When Dr Harveen Kaur Sidhu travels from her home in an upmarket neighbourhood of the north-western Indian city of Chandigarh, she always slips her lightweight .22 revolver in her bag. The gun is a new purchase – Sidhu got her licence only a year ago – but now the 33-year-old dentist won't travel without it.
"I don't have faith in the police to protect me. There are so many attacks on women these days. It's everybody's right to defend themselves. I think all women... (GunPolicy.org)
In Turkey, Debating a Woman's Right to Have a Gun in Domestic Violence
19 May 2012
National Public Radio (USA)
In Turkey, hundreds of women die each year at the hands of a husband or family member, in a society that critics say too often ignores violence against women. After years of frustration, one organization has shaken up the debate with a controversial proposal: arming women and training them to defend themselves.
Looking back, Yagmur Askin thinks perhaps she should have paid more attention on her wedding day, when her husband's family welcomed her by saying, "You enter... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,Turkey,China,Pakistan,Central Asia,Russia,Afghanistan
Where Do 20 Million Illegal Guns Come From? Afghanistan, Says Pakistan
17 May 2012
Express Tribune (Pakistan)
KARACHI - There are an estimated 20 million illegal arms in circulation in Pakistan.
This includes serious firepower: law enforcement authorities are increasingly coming under attack from criminals and terrorists armed with heavy weapons such as grenades (including rocket-propelled ones), long-range sniper rifles and machine guns. The volatile situation in Lyari was a case in point, where despite the fact that police were equipped with tank-like armoured personnel... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence in South Africa, a National Public Health Priority - Analysis
17 May 2012
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
ANALYSIS
South Africa faces numerous challenges in preventing and reducing the levels of violence and crime. The burden of mortality and morbidity arising from violence and injury affects the lives of millions of individuals annually and continues to undermine social harmony and socio-economic development.
This is, now more than ever, a national public health priority - one that needs to be monitored and controlled so as to limit the number of injuries and non-natural... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
Black Market Handguns Advertised Openly in Remote Regions of China
17 May 2012
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Black market explosives and pistols are advertised openly in the remote, mountainous Yunnan county where a mysterious suicide bomber killed three people and injured 16 last week, the South China Morning Post can reveal.
Most advertisers claim they can arrange delivery by car within an hour in central Kunming , the provincial capital, with guns handed over outside supermarkets and post offices.
Some advertisers also said they had delivery networks in remote counties.... (GunPolicy.org)
Debate Over Disarmament Bill in Venezuela [Espanol]
14 May 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: A debate over proposals for public policies, which address the situation of gun violence in Venezuela, was held in Caracas. During the meeting, members of the commission highlighted the importance of including people of varied social and religious sectors in formulating legislation for disarmament, after stating that in Venezuela, 98% of homicides are committed with firearms. The possibility of an amnesty was also mentionned.]
CARACAS - Periodistas... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican MP Suggests Military Sell Arms to Civilians Directly [Espanol]
10 May 2012
Frontenet (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: MP Gloria Guadalupe Rodriguez (PRI) has put forward a controversial initiative, suggesting the formal installation of a unit for selling arms in each military zone so that civilians could acquire them legally.]
La diputada Gloria Guadalupe Rodríguez (PRI), presentó una polémica iniciativa que pretende solicitar formalmente la instalación de una unidad de comercialización de armamento en cada zona militar, para que los ciudadanos puedan... (GunPolicy.org)
Tighter Gun Control Laws Demanded in Indonesia
7 May 2012
Jakarta Post
Tighter gun-controls are being demanded by politicians and activists following a spike in firearm-related violence across the country.
Poengky Indarti, executive director of human rights watchdog Imparsial, urged the government and the House of Representatives to work together to change the firearms policy.
"Both should amend the law on the control of firearms and explosive, audit all firearm possession in the country and strengthen supervision and control," she said.... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq Legalises Civilian Possession of Guns Amid Security Handover
6 May 2012
CRI English (China)
The Iraqi government on Sunday legalized the possession of one gun in each house in the country, as Iraqi army soldiers started the gradual handover of security control to the police, government officials said.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said in a statement that the Iraqi security authority "decided to license a rifle or a pistol in each house, on condition that the owner must register it (the gun) in the nearest police station."
Dabbagh warned that those... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Ends Silence, Fights to Defend US Vigilante Gun Laws
2 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
Initially silent amid controversy of Trayvon Martin's death, gun-lobby group vows to defend the controversial statutes.
The National Rifle Association has begun a rearguard action to shore up the controversial "stand-your-ground" laws that it has promoted across America, in the wake of the eruption of public anger over the killing in Florida of the unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
Since Martin was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a self-declared neighborhood... (GunPolicy.org)
Improved Gun Tracing, Registration Needed in Ghana, Says Commission
25 April 2012
Ghana web (Ghana)
The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCSALW) says there are approximately 30 arms importers licensed in Ghana, with mostly no credible database on their activities.
State institutions do not have exact statistics on the number of arms these licensed arms dealers import annually, or who they sell these weapons to because current State legislations lack the capacity to ensure the effective monitoring of their activities.
There are varied statistics... (GunPolicy.org)
Ghanaian Police Urged to Educate Public: There's No Need to Carry Guns
23 April 2012
Joy Online (Ghana)
A Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Cape Coast, Mr Takyi Akonnor, has charged security institutions in the country to 'step up their game' to convince the citizenry of their safety. Doing so, he said, will assure people that there is no need for them to acquire small arms to protect themselves.
Mr Akonnor was speaking in an interview with Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on Joy FM's Super Morning Show Monday. He was commenting on reports suggesting... (GunPolicy.org)
Increase in Number of Illegal Arms Circulating in Ghana
23 April 2012
Joy Online (Ghana)
One hundred and twenty-five thousand illicit guns are in circulation in the country without any form of data or record indicating where and who owns them, according to a baseline study in 2004.
According to the report, about 400,000 small arms are in circulation in the country. A little over half of the number 220,000 is in civilian hands. Only 95,000, representing 43.2 per cent, are registered, leaving a significant 56.8 per cent or 125,000 unaccounted for.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Police Battle Over Removal of Firearms from Unfit Officers
23 April 2012
Times (South Africa)
The SA Police Service is locked in a battle with a union over the removal of firearms from more than 27000 officers found unfit to carry them and the placing of seasoned policemen as security guards.
The SA Policing Union made a successful urgent application late last week for an interdict prohibiting Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and acting national police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi from disarming policemen in all nine provinces who have been declared unfit to handle... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shootings Not Tightening US Gun Control Laws Anymore - Expert
22 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — The statistics are staggering, the stories heartbreaking, yet there is little chance that any amount of bloodshed will lead to stiffer gun controls in the United States in the foreseeable future.
"It's not something that any politician thinks is winnable," said Kristin Goss, a politics professor at Duke University and author of "Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America."
Five years after the worst school shooting in US history left 32... (GunPolicy.org)
Proposal to Allow the Right to Carry Hidden Handguns in Mexico [Espanol]
19 April 2012
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: University Professor and lawyer Ernesto Villanueva suggests allowing the free carrying of firearms in Mexico, under administrative regulations and ensuring prior technical qualification of the carriers.]
El catedrático y jurista Ernesto Villanueva aseguró que con ello se erradicará el tráfico ilegal y los delitos; además mencionó "pareciera que hay dos cárteles, uno operado por el presidente Calderón y otro operado por las bandas... (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)
Indian Dip in Gun Licence Applications Due to Improved Law and Order?
18 April 2012
Telegraph (India)
Firearms are losing their spark in Patna or so it seems from the decline in the number of people seeking arms licences over the past five years.
Till a few years ago, public display of firearms was common on the roads of the state capital. This trend, however, has taken a beating since 2007 (see chart).
A source in the arms magistrate office said: "From 1990 to 2005, the annual number of applications for arms licences was almost 2,000 on an average but after 2006, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Number of Gun Permits in Hawaii, More Women Taking Gun Classes
18 April 2012
News Now (Hawaii)
HONOLULU – Numbers released by the Department of the Attorney General show a record number of permits were issued for firearms and a record number of firearms were registered in Hawaii in 2011.
Last year 14,460 permits were issued statewide compared to 12,214 in 2010. And 36,804 firearms were registered in Hawaii in 2011 compared to 31,390 the year before.
"Most of the folks we get are acquiring firearms for the purposes of protection," said Bill Richter, President... (GunPolicy.org)
Cattle Herders Avoiding Disarmament in South Sudan for Fear of Attacks
17 April 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — South Sudan's army (SPLA) says that some Murle cattle herders are avoiding handing over their weapons to the military as part of a statewide disarmament campaign in Jonglei following severe violence earlier this year.
The SPLA captain responsible for disarmament in the Anyidi area, Philip Bol Akuei, said that reports of Murle raiders were reaching his forces but poor roads and the distances involved means that they are not mobile enough to respond.
Some... (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)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Presidential Hopeful: Enshrine 'Right to Bear Arms' in UN Treaty
13 April 2012
C-Span / YouTube (USA), Video
Newt Gingrich, presidential candidate and former US House speaker (1995-99), speaks at the National Rifle Association Annual Meeting.
Right To Bear Arms Is A Human Right (Newt Gingrich)
Play video:... (GunPolicy.org)
Private Guards with Semi-automatic Guns to Defend German Ships from Pirates
13 April 2012
Spiegel (Germany)
Using private security firms to protect ships from Somali pirates has long been a legal gray area in Germany. Conceding that it doesn't have enough soldiers to do the job, the German government is considering a draft law allowing shipowners to deploy private armed guards. But there's one caveat: Security personnel would be limited to using semi-automatic firearms.
Shipping companies and Western governments have been struggling with the problem of piracy off the Horn of... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Americans Back Gun Lobby, Right to Use Deadly Force, Shoot to Kill
13 April 2012
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Most Americans support the right to use deadly force to protect themselves - even in public places - and have a favorable view of the National Rifle Association, the main gun-lobby group, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
The online survey showed that 68 percent, or two out of three respondents, had a favorable opinion of the NRA, which starts its annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday.
Eighty-two percent of Republicans saw the gun lobbying group... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Dealers Faking Gun Licences 'Security Threat' to India
12 April 2012
Nagaland Post (India)
GUWAHATI - Several armed private security guards and criminals of Assam possess firearms bought using fraudulent arms licences procured from Kangpokpi in Manipur and Dimapur in Nagaland.
Sources in the criminal investigation department (CID) of police, which is investigating the matter, said the arms and ammunition procured by using these licences, many of which were fake, had become a threat to public safety and a major concern for security forces.
"If anybody... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor Launches Campaign Against 'Shoot First' US Gun Laws
12 April 2012
Washington Post / AP
WASHINGTON — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a national campaign against gun laws that he said "justify civilian gun play."
Bloomberg was joined by the leaders from the NAACP, National Urban League and other groups Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., as he announced "Second Chance on Shoot First."
The campaign aims to repeal or reform the laws that eliminated a person's duty to retreat when threatened with serious bodily harm or... (GunPolicy.org)
The Law of the Gun in Florida - Editorial
5 April 2012
New York Times, Editorial
Florida leads the pack in passing bills written by the gun lobby that block any sensible attempt to control the purchase and use of firearms. The dangerous folly of these laws was on display in the Trayvon Martin shooting, and will again be on display when Republicans gather for their presidential convention in Tampa this August.
The City Council is sensibly preparing tight security precautions for the downtown area by temporarily banning clubs, hatchets,... (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)
US: We Need To Talk About Guns - Blog by Andrew Rosenthal
5 April 2012
New York Times, Blog
How many students have to be shot to death in their schools before this country has a serious discussion about guns? Are the 10 who have been gunned down just since Feb. 27 enough?
The question of the constitutional right to own guns is irrelevant here—even if you believe that the Constitution gives every last American the right to own a firearm (which The Times editorial board does not, but many other reasonable people do).
There is simply no defending the many... (GunPolicy.org)
Fearing the Public, US Politicians Carry Hidden Handguns in State Capitols
4 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — When Wisconsin lawmakers gather to discuss the business of the day at least one of them is legally packing a concealed weapon, amid the ever-present and heated gun law debate in the United States.
Wisconsin is one of just nine US states -- out of 50 -- which have expanded conceal-carry laws to allow gun owners to enter state capitols with their weapons, including on the assembly floor.
After the law was passed in November, state representative Bill Kramer... (GunPolicy.org)
The Fatal Flaw in Florida-Style 'Shoot First' Gun Laws – NY Times Editorial
29 March 2012
New York Times, Editorial
As the investigation of the shooting death of the teenager Trayvon Martin by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman goes forward in Florida, news accounts are reporting a toll of shootings, knifings and other violent homicides in which the state's dangerous Stand Your Ground law was successfully claimed as a defense.
The killings included domestic disputes, barroom brawls and drug violence, according to The Tampa Bay Times, which surveyed 130 cases in which the 2005... (GunPolicy.org)
