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US policy positions on gun control, gun rights
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)
United States,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
Fact Check: Arms Trade Treaty Unlikely to Curb US Gun Rights - AP
28 July 2012
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Negotiators at the United Nations are working to put final touches on a treaty cracking down on the global, $60 billion business of illicit trading in small arms, a move aimed at curbing violence in some of the most troubled corners of the world. In the United States, gun activists denounce it as an attack on their constitutional right to bear arms.
"Without apology, the NRA wants no part of any treaty that infringes on the precious right of lawful... (GunPolicy.org)
Americas,Africa,United States,Asia,Europe,Oceania
US Senators to Block UN Gun Trade Treaty Over Right to Bear Arms
26 July 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto) / AP
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of 51 senators on Thursday threatened to oppose a global treaty regulating international weapons trade if it falls short in protecting Americans' constitutional right to bear arms.
In a letter to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the senators expressed serious concerns with the draft treaty that has circulated at the United Nations, saying that it signals an expansion of gun control that would be... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Gun Lobby Takes Aim at United Nations Global Gun Trade Treaty
9 July 2012
US News & World Report
Delegations from almost 200 countries convened at the United Nations this month to come up with a new treaty that would regulate international trade in conventional weapons. The effort, supported by the Obama administration, has very vocal opposition: the American gun lobby.
Proponents of the Arms Trade Treaty argue that inadequate controls over the international arms market result in armed violence against civilians by human rights violators, criminals, gangs,... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Deadly Devotion to Guns: A British Columnist Meets the NRA
16 April 2012
Guardian (UK)
There are around 90 guns for every 100 Americans yet, despite 85 fatal shootings a day, the mighty US gun lobby is as powerful as ever. In the wake of Trayvon Martin's killing, Gary Younge reports on the country's deadly attachment to firearms
At an organising breakfast for National Rifle Association (NRA) grassroots activists, Samuel Richardson, a man with whom I have not exchanged a word, passes me a note. "Please read the book Injustice by Adams," it reads. "He was... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan,Iran,Egypt,Russia,United States,Somalia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
A 'Bulletproof' Arms Trade Treaty Could Slow the Global Flow of Guns
8 March 2012
MediaGlobal News (New York)
Every day, according to Amnesty International, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of armed conflict, armed violence, and human rights violations and abuses perpetrated using conventional arms.
As violence continues unchecked around the world, a coalition of humanitarian and health organizations is rallying support for a "bulletproof" global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to be discussed in July, that would stymie... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Lobby, Far Right Pushing for More Lenient Gun Laws
29 October 2011
al Jazeera, Opinion
If you are looking for the literal embodiment of dysfunction in US political culture and the institutions that serve it, look no further than the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the deadly and divisive role it plays in shaping the political agenda. Specifically, the radically and reliably dishonest, dangerous and deranged legislation they foist upon the American people day in and day out through their purchase of most Republican and many Blue-Dog Democratic... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,North Africa,Niger,Algeria,Mali,France,United Kingdom,United States,Libya
Libya Warned Smugglers Are Looting Gaddafi's Guns
2 September 2011
Guardian (UK)
Libya must urgently secure weapons hoarded by the Gaddafi regime amid growing fears that smugglers are exploiting the chaos there to loot hundreds of portable missiles and other small arms, western officials have warned.
The US and Nato are pressing the National Transitional Council to make the issue a priority because of concerns that the trade has already begun, with reports that some African mercenaries who fought for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi are returning home laden... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Lets UN Do 'Dirty Work,' Drafting Onerous New Gun Ban Treaty
24 August 2011
Politico (Washington DC), Opinion
Not long ago, the gun control advocates Jim and Sarah Brady visited the White House. President Barack Obama reportedly told them that he was working on new gun control schemes "under the radar."
It's been said that guns have two enemies — rust and politicians. Rust never sleeps, and neither do those who would seek to restrict our constitutional rights. So let me tell you about a meeting you weren't invited to, where those people were planning an attack on our rights... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Canada,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Gun Lobby, Arms Makers Raise Alarm Over UN Global Gun Trade Process
5 August 2011
Fox News (USA)
A controversial U.N. proposed treaty aimed at regulating guns worldwide has been shrouded by confusion and misinformation.
Known informally as the 'Small Arms Treaty,' its detractors have charged the proposed agreement with secretly trying to take guns out of the hands of Americans and circumventing the 2nd Amendment.
While that is unlikely, a working draft proposal obtained by FoxNews.com contains language that some gun advocates say could have a real impact on... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Senate Opposition Mounts to UN Arms Trade Treaty
26 July 2011
US News & World Report
Senate opposition is growing to President Obama's support for a United Nations effort that could bring international gun control into the United States and slap America's gun owners with severe restrictions.
At last count, 55 senators, including 10 Democrats, have signed letters to the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying they will oppose the Arms Trade Treaty . The treaty must win a two-thirds majority to win passage, meaning that approval appears... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,United Kingdom,Russia,France,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,United States
Productive Negotiations at the UN on Arms Trade Treaty [Francais]
18 July 2011
Courrier du Vietnam / AFP
[Translated summary: Member States of the UN "made significant progress" during the week of negotiations in New York for the adoption in July 2012 of the Arms Trade Treaty, said on July 15 Eric Danon, representative of France in the negotiations.]
Les États membres de l'ONU ont "beaucoup progressé" pendant une semaine de négociations à New York en vue de l'adoption en juillet 2012 d'un traité sur le commerce des armes, a déclaré le 15 juillet Eric Danon,... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,North Africa,Russia,European Union,East Asia,Indonesia,China
The Arms Trade Treaty, Several Hurdles Must be Overcome Before 2012
8 June 2011
United Nations News & Commentary
In a three-day meeting organized by the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) the European Union, and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, representatives of nearly 30 East Asian and Pacific countries are gathering with regional and international organizations to discuss the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
This is the latest in a series of regional meetings UNIDIR is conducting to develop concrete recommendations on the future Treaty and to assist States with... (GunPolicy.org)
Attorney General Grilled on US Assault Rifle Sales to Mexican Drug Cartels
3 May 2011
Daily Caller (Washington DC)
Rep. Darrell Issa, the California Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, was able to question Attorney General Eric Holder for the first time over the Project Gunrunner and Operation Fast and Furious scandal during a Tuesday morning hearing of the House Judiciary Committee. The scandal involves a sting operation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in which American guns – including AK-47 assault rifles and military-grade,... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Exploiting Mexican Drug Wars to Push US, Global Gun Control
29 April 2011
Politico (Washington DC)
PITTSBURGH — John Bolton suggested Friday that Barack Obama is laying the foundation to push an ambitious gun control agenda if he wins a second term.
Trying to make his background relevant to an audience of gun activists, the former ambassador to the United Nations and dark horse presidential candidate accused the administration of using its own failures in the war against Mexican drug cartels as a pretext for more gun control.
"We can understand that, as he likes... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Refuses to Meet Obama, 'Dooming' Gun Policy Talks from the Start?
13 March 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — More than two months after the Tucson shootings, the administration is calling together both the gun lobby and gun safety groups to find common ground. But President Obama has no plans to take the lead in proposing further gun control legislation, aides say, and the nation's major gun rights group is snubbing the invitation.
On Tuesday, officials at the Justice Department will meet with gun control advocates in the first of what will be a series of... (GunPolicy.org)
One of Arizona's Top Exports is Guns for Mexico Drug Cartels, Say US Feds
26 January 2011
Wall Street Journal
PHOENIX — Federal officials said Tuesday they busted a network of gun buyers and smugglers planning to ship 700 guns to Mexican drug cartels embroiled in deadly turf wars.
Law-enforcement officials arrested 17 people named in a 53-count indictment unsealed Tuesday. Police were still searching for three other people named in the indictment.
"The drug cartels go shopping for their war weapons in Arizona," said Dennis Burke, U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona.... (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)
Russian Foreign Minister, Clinton Discuss Viktor Bout Gun Running Case
10 November 2010
Voice of Russia (Moscow)
November 20th will mark the deadline for the Russian businessman Victor Bout to be extradited from Thailand to the US on what Russia sees as false arms smuggling charges.
The upcoming handover would come three months after a ruling about it by a Thai high court.
Lower courts had dismissed the case as driven by politics and without foundation in available evidence.
Bout was detained in Bangkok in 2008 during a vacation.
According to the Bangkok daily 'Nation', his... (GunPolicy.org)
Pennsylvania Gun Dealers, NRA Predict Defeat for 'Idiot, Puppet' Obama
26 October 2010
ABC News (Australia)
The final week of campaigning has begun in the US mid-term elections and Republicans appear confident of victory.
The fallout from the United States recession appears to be tipping the race against the Democrats.
At a gun show in Allentown, there are dozens of dealers, and hundreds of weapons for sale. A Glock 9mm costs $US499, and a Smith and Wesson 9mm is $US340, but dealer Dave Zeller says business has been slow.
"This past year, I think the bad economy finally... (GunPolicy.org)
US Reconsiders, Bans Import of a Million Military Rifles from South Korea
1 September 2010
Fox News (USA)
The South Korean government, in an effort to raise money for its military, wants to sell nearly a million antique M1 rifles that were used by U.S. soldiers in the Korean War to gun collectors in America.
The Obama administration approved the sale of the American-made rifles last year. But it reversed course and banned the sale in March – a decision that went largely unnoticed at the time but that is now sparking opposition from gun rights advocates.
A State... (GunPolicy.org)
Prominent Pro-gun New York Senator Swaps Sides in Gun Control Debate
13 August 2010
Associated Press
ALBANY, New York — New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand been endorsed for election by a leading gun control group two years after earning a top rating from the National Rifle Association.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence notes Gillibrand had been an NRA favorite when she was an upstate congresswoman in a Republican district. But the group says in less than two years as an appointed U.S. senator she has become a leader in sensible gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Flow of US Weapons to Mexican Drug Cartels Increasing Under Obama?
17 May 2010
Newsweek (USA), Blog
The Mexican military has discovered a major training camp run by the notorious Zetas drug cartel and stocked with an arsenal of military weapons, including 140 semi automatic assault rifles and 10,000 rounds of ammunition — all of them believed to be purchased in the United States, U.S. law enforcement officials tell Declassified.
The discovery last week of the training camp in the town of Higueras, just 70 miles south of the U.S. border in the state of Nuevo León,... (GunPolicy.org)
Nashville's Orthodox Jewish Gun Dealer an Obnoxious Right-wing Agitator?
17 March 2010
Nashville Scene (Tennessee)
The loud pop of a semi-automatic rifle shatters the quiet of a still winter day. The sun is shining through the motionless branches of bare trees in a large wooded area, reflecting off the sunglasses of a slender, dark-haired German. He takes aim once more, then fires.
Just a few yards away, a slightly round, white-haired man lifts his weapon to his shoulder and eyes the target in his scope. This man, however, could have come from a Central Casting file marked "Hasidic... (GunPolicy.org)
Shootings Kill Mexican Border City, American Guns Fuel Drug Cartel Wars
17 March 2010
Washington Post, Editorial
The brutal slaying of three people connected to the U.S. consulate in Juarez, Mexico, last weekend has called attention to a crisis that is getting too little attention and resources in Washington: Mexico's desperate battle against drug traffickers. For Juarez, and for the democratic government of Felipe Calderón, this has become a fight for survival -- a war as bloody and as important as those being fought in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan. But though Mexican stability... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama, Clinton Join UN Treaty Push to Set Global Gun Trade Controls
18 February 2010
Defense News (USA)
The United States is working with other countries and the United Nations to impose uniform controls on international sales of conventional arms. But the U.S. State Department said it is likely to be years before an Arms Trade Treaty takes effect.
The United States is committed to pursuing a "robust treaty" that sets "the highest possible legally binding standards" for international sales of conventional weapons, U.S. Ambassador Donald Mahley said Feb. 18 in an address... (GunPolicy.org)
Is Barack Obama Really Anti-gun? No, He's Anti-gun Control
14 February 2010
Chicago Tribune, Opinion
Among the many groups that opposed Barack Obama's presidential race, few were more certain or vehement than gun-rights organizations. "Barack Obama would be the most anti-gun president in American history," the National Rifle Association announced. "Obama is a committed anti-gunner," warned Gun Owners of America.
So it's no stunner that after a year in office, the president is getting hammered by people who have no use for his policy on firearms. The surprise is that... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Carefully Chose an African-American for Pivotal Court Case
30 January 2010
Chicago Tribune
From behind the wheel of his hulking GMC Suburban, 76-year-old Otis McDonald leads a crime-themed tour of his Morgan Park neighborhood. He points to the yellow brick bungalow he says is a haven for drug dealers. Down the street is the alley where five years ago he saw a teenager pull out a gun and take aim at a passing car.
Around the corner, he gestures to the weed-bitten roadside where three thugs once threatened his life.
"I know every day that I come out in the... (GunPolicy.org)
22 Prominent Gun Dealers Arrested in Arms Trade Plagued by Corruption
25 January 2010
United Press International
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Four Israeli business executives were arrested in Las Vegas, along with 18 Americans, Britons and other nationals, on charges of trying to bribe someone they thought was an African defense minister to obtain a $15 million arms contract.
The swoop on Jan. 19 was the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year undercover sting operation by the U.S. Justice Department.
It was the largest single investigation under the 1977 U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,... (GunPolicy.org)
2010, A Year For the Second Amendment - LaPierre
4 January 2010
Washington Post, Opinion
The Second Amendment faces a decisive year in 2010. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has called for new semi-automatic gun bans - despite their decade-long record of fraud and failure, and despite his own Justice Department's failure to fully or even half-heartedly prosecute federal firearm felonies.
Mr. Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have demonstrated their willingness to use cooked statistics to blame Mexico's violent drug war on Americans and their... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear, Fundraising Drive US Misinformation Attack on UN Gun Trade Treaty
5 December 2009
FactCheck.org (USA), Fact sheet
International Gun Ban Treaty?
Q: Has Obama found a "legal way around the Second Amendment"?
A: The administration's agreement to talk about writing a United Nations treaty to regulate arms exports and imports is a far cry from banning possession of firearms, which Obama says he doesn't want to do and the Supreme Court has said can't be done anyway.
FULL QUESTION
Is this correct?
Obama Finds Legal Way Around The 2nd. Amendment and Uses It. The Full Article Here... (GunPolicy.org)
Colorado Ballot Would Warn Obama, Oppose Global Gun Trade Treaty
4 December 2009
Washington Times
DENVER -- Former Rep. Tom Tancredo, best known for his tough stand in Congress against illegal immigration, has taken up a new cause since his retirement from the House last year: defending American gun owners against international treaties.
The Obama administration is moving forward on two treaties that Mr. Tancredo and other gun rights advocates see as a threat to the Second Amendment's right to bear arms. His response is a 2010 ballot initiative that would direct... (GunPolicy.org)
Colorado Lawmaker Promotes Ballot to Oppose Global Gun Trade Treaty
1 December 2009
Denver Post (Colorado)
Former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo has proposed a 2010 ballot measure that would recommend to Colorado's top elected officials that they oppose gun restrictions.
The Jefferson County Republican said he was prompted to act because the Obama administration has announced its intent to participate in negotiations on an international arms-trade treaty.
The treaty would regulate international trade — not domestic sales — but Tancredo argued Friday that gun owners had a right... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton Backs UN Global Gun Trade Treaty, Abandons Bush Opposition
30 October 2009
Bloomberg (USA)
The Obama administration voted today to support United Nations-sponsored talks on a treaty to regulate the $55 billion-a-year trade in conventional weapons, reversing prior U.S. opposition to negotiations begun in 2006.
The General Assembly, consisting of all 192 UN member governments, adopted a resolution setting out a timetable for talks during the next two years on the proposed Arms Trade Treaty, including a UN conference to produce a final accord in 2012. The vote... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama, Clinton Stir 'Perfect Storm' at UN for Anti-US Gun Control Agenda
26 October 2009
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Blog
The folks at United Nations headquarters in New York City, and our "allies" at Number 10 Downing Street in London, must be rubbing their hands with glee. Gun control groups here and abroad likewise are at last quietly cheering. Why? After a decade and a half of pushing unsuccessfully to secure America's support for a legally-binding, international instrument to regulate the marketing, transfer and brokering in firearms, they are now on the brink of success. The process... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica,United Nations,United States
Costa Rica's Arias Celebrates US Support for Global Gun Trade Treaty
20 October 2009
Daily News (Costa Rica)
President Oscar Arias is viewing the United States' interest in an Arms Trade Treaty as one more trophy to put on his wall.
The disarmament advocate celebrated a statement made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which announced the commitment of her country to the establishment of international standards for arms trading.
Arias said the U.S. interest "is encouraging" because it represents "a radical" change from previously held positions. But it is also... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,Africa,United States
US U-turn on Global Gun Trade Treaty 'Great News for Africa' - IANSA
16 October 2009
Xinhua
Africa campaigners against gun violence hail the U. S. decision to join the negotiations for a comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty.
In a joint statement issued in Nairobi, Kenya, the campaigners also urged governments to control deadly trade in weapons.
"The U. S. decision to support strong global controls on the arms trade is great news for Africa," said Joseph Dube, Africa coordinator for IANSA, the global movement against gun violence.
The campaigners said U. S.... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton Backs Global Gun Trade Treaty Only If Any One Nation Can Veto It
15 October 2009
Washington Post
UNITED NATIONS — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced late Wednesday that the United States is prepared to begin negotiations on a global treaty regulating trade in conventional weapons but said Washington would sign the accord only if all other states agreed.
The move marks a shift in policy from the Bush administration, which staunchly opposed U.N. negotiations to regulate the $55 billion-a-year arms trade. The Obama administration hopes it can use... (GunPolicy.org)
Statement of US Support for UN Global Gun Trade Treaty by Hillary Clinton
14 October 2009
US Department of State (Washington, DC), Media release
Conventional arms transfers are a crucial national security concern for the United States, and we have always supported effective action to control the international transfer of arms.
The United States is prepared to work hard for a strong international standard in this area by seizing the opportunity presented by the Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty at the United Nations. As long as that Conference operates under the rule of consensus decision-making needed to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Reverses Stance on Global Gun Trade Treaty, But Pushes Veto for All
14 October 2009
Reuters
WASHINGTON — The United States reversed policy on Wednesday and said it would back launching talks on a treaty to regulate arms sales as long as the talks operated by consensus, a stance critics said gave every nation a veto.
The decision, announced in a statement released by the U.S. State Department, overturns the position of former President George W. Bush's administration, which had opposed such a treaty on the grounds that national controls were better.
U.S.... (GunPolicy.org)
Glock's Secret Path to Profits: Handgun Maker's Troubling Tale of Intrigue
10 September 2009
Business Week (USA) Cover Story
Gaston Glock, an Austrian manufacturer of shovels and knives, had an improbable dream: He would make a fortune selling handguns in America. In the early 1980s, Glock, a self-taught firearm designer, produced an innovative pistol for the Austrian military. He then devised a plan for promoting his invention in the U.S., the world's richest gun market. First, he'd persuade American police they needed a lightweight weapon with more ammunition than traditional revolvers.... (GunPolicy.org)
Battle of Goliaths: Michael Bloomberg, 450 US Mayors Defeat the NRA
5 August 2009
Washington Post
They've got 4 million followers.
He's got 16 billion simoleons.
This could get verrrrry interesting.
This being the stare-down between the National Rifle Association and Michael Bloomberg. Behemoth vs. behemoth.
Since the Reagan revolution, few lobbies have been mightier than the NRA. The Second Amendment defenders rarely lose on Capitol Hill, but lose they did just a few days ago, falling short in a sit-up-and-take-notice squeaker of a Senate vote on an... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear Over Obama's Gun Laws Sparks Massive Rush to Pack a Pistol
7 July 2009
Sunday Herald (Scotland)
NEW YORK — Last summer, the National Rifle Association ran adverts claiming that Barack Obama would "ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns" if elected. The campaign didn't do much for John McCain, but in every other respect it has been wildly successful: NRA membership is up 30% and gun control has disappeared from the administration's list of priorities.
Americans have gone on an extraordinary gun-buying spree. The best available measure of... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear and Fury Drive Gun Sales: US Gun Owners Will Shoot Gun Grabbers
21 June 2009
New York Times
BELLEVILLE, New Jersey — At the Bullet Hole, an Essex County gun store, and at Gun for Hire,across the street, where Anthony Colandro offers courses in firearm use, martial arts and personal safety, it's the best of times and the worst of times.
Worst of times? Just ask Manny Cerca, who for the past 27 years has run the Bullet Hole, a family-owned shop and firing range about five miles from Newark. Inside, there are deer heads on the walls, more than 300 handguns for... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-smuggling Curbs 'Failing' on US-Mexico Border, Says GAO Report
19 June 2009
BBC News
The lack of a co-ordinated US strategy to combat the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico has fuelled drug violence there, a US government watchdog says.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), in a report published on Thursday, says key US agencies have failed to work together.
Authorities in Mexico, which has seen a jump in drug-related murders, have long urged the US to tackle arms-smuggling.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in March that the US should... (GunPolicy.org)
Eight US Senators Push Clinton to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
19 June 2009
Export Industry News (USA)
A bipartisan group comprised of eight senators is urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a strong proponent of an international Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the interstate transfer of conventional weapons.
The second session of the United Nations' Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Arms Trade Treaty is scheduled to convene at the United Nations July 13-17. The OEWG is tasked with creating international regulations on the export, import, and international... (GunPolicy.org)
New Data Emerges on Flood of Guns Smuggled Into Mexico from USA
18 June 2009
Christian Science Monitor
ATLANTA — Can new evidence that high-powered US firearms are fueling Mexican drug violence change the political course of gun control in Washington?
Not likely, a number of gun experts say.
The Government Accountability Office information that 87 percent of seized guns given to US authorities by Mexican officials come from the US shouldn't come as a surprise, says Bill Vizzard, a criminologist at the California State University in Sacramento. "We're the largest... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Conservatism: More Americans Backing Political Belief With Guns
18 May 2009
Christian Science Monitor
PHOENIX — When Kirby Warner, a trusty Ruger pistol strapped to his hip, sat around and shot the breeze with his fellow gun owners here at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting this weekend, they weren't just chatting calibers and cartridges.
Nor did they stop at other tried and trusted fare, such as President Obama and gun control. This year, taxes, bailouts, and the general direction of the country was all on the docket. He remembers reading a sign at one... (GunPolicy.org)
New York's Gun Battle: Bloomberg Leads 340 US Mayors for Gun Control
18 May 2009
Gotham Gazette (New York)
Ten-year-old Naiesha Pearson was happily playing with other children at a Bronx playground during a Labor Day picnic on the day a bullet meant for someone else tore into her chest. Two men in their early 20s had gotten into an argument earlier in the day, and one of them decided to resolve it with gunfire. Naiesha was struck by one of the bullets. Her grandmother fainted, and fights broke out as onlookers tried to attack the shooter. Naiesha was taken to the Lincoln... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Try to Stop Flow of Guns from Austin, Texas to Mexican Drug Cartels
15 May 2009
Austin American-Statesman (Texas)
The surveillance video showed two women leaving Cabela's in Buda and handing three guns they had just bought to a man, who then put the guns in the trunk of his black Lexus, according to a federal criminal complaint.
The purchase and handoff in November piqued the suspicions of Cabela's employees, who alerted federal firearms agents.
According to court documents, the agents soon identified the man as Humberto Fernandez, 47, who splits time between Mexico and the... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Rips Obama Bid to Ban Assault Weapons, Disputes 90% Figure
20 April 2009
Washington Times
A top National Rifle Association official said the Obama administration is using the increasingly violent drug cartels in Mexico as an excuse to push for reinstating the ban on assault weapons.
"They're trying to piggyback this whole phony issue on the back of the tragedy in Mexico," said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the gun-rights group, on CBS' "Face the Nation" program Sunday.
In a speech in Mexico last week, President Obama — who on the campaign... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Insists He Hasn't Backed Off On Plan to Ban Assault Weapons
17 April 2009
Reuters
MEXICO CITY — President Barack Obama stood alongside Mexico's Felipe Calderon on Thursday and promised to help his "courageous" fight against ruthless drug cartels waging turf wars along the joint border.
In his first trip to Latin America as U.S. president and fresh from his first big foray onto the global stage in Europe last month, Obama said Mexico and the United States both needed to strengthen and coordinate their drug war efforts.
Obama said he had not... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Hits US-Mexico Gun Running, But Assault Weapon Ban Too Hard
17 April 2009
New York Times
MEXICO CITY — President Obama, vowing to confront drug cartels that are "sowing chaos in our communities," called Thursday for the Senate to ratify a long-stalled treaty aimed at curbing illegal arms trafficking. But Mr. Obama also suggested that he would not press lawmakers to revive an expired ban on assault weapons.
On the first day of a four-day swing through Latin America that will also take him to Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Obama declared "a new era of... (GunPolicy.org)
Don't Expect US Deal with Mexico on Assault Weapon Ban - CNN Analysis
16 April 2009
CNN
President Obama visits Mexico with many issues on the table, but reinstating the ban on assault weapons in the U.S. isn't likely to be one on which the two countries can reach agreement.
Mexican officials say criminals use assault weapons from the U.S. in the violent border region.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., say reinstating the ban would stop the deadly flow of weapons across the border.
Under the... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Official Calls for US to Sign, Ratify Global Gun Control Protocol
14 April 2009
New York Times, Opinion
Mexican drug cartels are spreading fear and death on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Over 1,000 people have been killed already this year, while 6,000 died in 2008. Some critics point to the current crisis as another failed campaign against drugs. They regard legalization as a way of removing drug cartels from the supply chain. But the solution lies in a tougher stance on guns, not a softer control of drugs. Otherwise a threat to public health (from increased... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Ambassador Says US Guns, Assault Weapons Fuel Drug War
13 April 2009
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Stopping the flow of money and weapons from the United States into Mexico is critical to dealing with the violent drug cartels creating havoc on the border, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. said Sunday.
Mexican officials believe that 90 percent of the weapons seized there can be traced to the U.S., Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan said.
"The key issue right now is how can the United States help to shut down those guns and shut down that bulk cash that is... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Gets Gun-Shy: Dems Join NRA, Gun Lobby Strongest in Decades
11 April 2009
Newsweek (USA) Vol. 153 No. 16
On the morning of April 4, Richard Poplawski had a quarrel with his mother. It was over a dog urinating on a carpet. Mom called the police to have her 22-year-old son evicted from her house, a brick ranch with a dirty aluminum awning in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Two officers responded to the call, figuring it was a typical domestic dispute. Margaret Poplawski greeted them by saying, "Come and take his ass." But the younger Poplawski, who had been... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby's Ability to Intimidate Washington Politicians Undiminished
9 April 2009
New York Times, Editorial
It is impossible to view last week's killing of 13 people in Binghamton, N.Y., in isolation. It will soon be the 10th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School and the second anniversary of the mass shootings at Virginia Tech. In the last month, multiple shootings have claimed the lives of more than 50 Americans.
In this historical context, Binghamton is yet another reminder of America's terrible gun problem and a summons to lawmakers to insist on... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sale Boom is Real: Fear Drives Hordes of Americans to Gun Shops
5 April 2009
Journal Gazette )Indiana)
There used to be a time when buying ammunition at Beber's Shot and Sinker in Auburn was no problem — there were rounds aplenty in stock.
There also was a time when the gun racks in the store on Ensley Avenue were stocked full with 100, maybe 125, firearms for sale.
Not anymore.
Now, co-owner Donald Beber said, the shop has about 25 or 30 guns for sale. People who used to walk in and trade or sell their firearms no longer come around for fear the government is about... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Finally Paying Attention' to Flood of American Guns to Mexican Cartels
2 April 2009
Economist
EL PASO and MEXICO CITY — Arizona's attorney-general, Terry Goddard, says he started to worry about American guns ending up in the hands of Mexican drug traffickers two years ago. That was after a meeting in Cuernavaca with Mexico's attorney-general, Eduardo Medina Mora, who urged him and several of his counterparts from other American states to enforce the law banning the export of assault weapons that can be legally bought north of the border. Keen to help, Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
Myth of 90 Percent: Only Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Came from USA
2 April 2009
Fox News (USA)
You've heard this shocking "fact" before — on TV and radio, in newspapers, on the Internet and from the highest politicians in the land: 90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States.
- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it to reporters on a flight to Mexico City.
- CBS newsman Bob Schieffer referred to it while interviewing President Obama.
- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Senate hearing: "It is unacceptable... (GunPolicy.org)
US Border Patrol, Feds Invest to Keep Arms Smugglers Out of Mexico
1 April 2009
Reuters
SAN DIEGO — New money to monitor U.S. traffic entering Mexico and detect gun smugglers will be spent on scanners for inspecting trucks as well as communication equipment, the U.S. government said on Wednesday.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters in San Diego that $400 million would be spent on infrastructure and equipment to improve security at New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and California border crossings.
Last week, the Obama administration... (GunPolicy.org)
Lax US Gun Laws Undermine Mexico's Efforts to Slow Flood of Weapons
31 March 2009
USA Today
MEXICO CITY — There is one gun store in Mexico. Only one. And not just anybody can shop here.
The "Directorate for Arms and Munitions Sales," as the store is called, is run by the Mexican army and occupies two rooms in an olive-green, heavily guarded building near the army's headquarters.
Prospective customers need a permit from the army that can take months to get. And once they buy a gun, there are reams of rules: how much ammunition they can buy each month; where... (GunPolicy.org)
US Begins Serious Searches for Guns, Drugs, Money at Mexico Border
28 March 2009
Reuters
LAREDO, Texas — Ending years of lax controls, the United States is stepping up checks of vehicles heading into Mexico to stop weapons and cash fueling a drug war south of the border. But local U.S. officials on the border are clamoring for even more help.
At Laredo, Texas, one of the busiest points for cross-border truck traffic between the two countries, U.S. customs agents have seized at least $5.5 million in suspected drug cash bound for Mexico and weapons in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Pressure from Obama Camp, US Assault Weapon Ban Unlikely
27 March 2009
San Francisco Chronicle
In 1994, Sen. Dianne Feinstein used the tragedy of San Francisco's 101 California massacre to push a decadelong ban on assault weapons through Congress. But even the horror of Saturday's slayings of four Oakland police officers is unlikely to break through the bipartisan opposition that blocked the renewal of that ban in 2004.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and dozens of House Democrats have said they oppose... (GunPolicy.org)
US Inability to Prevent Gun Smuggling Kills Mexican Cops, Says Clinton
26 March 2009
New York Times
MEXICO CITY — Seeking to ease a cross-border relationship strained by drug trafficking, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived here Wednesday and offered the clearest acknowledgment yet from an Obama administration official of the role the United States plays in the violent narcotics trade in Mexico.
"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade," Mrs. Clinton said, using unusually blunt language. "Our inability to prevent weapons from... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton Pushes US Assault Weapon, Curb on Gun Smuggling to Mexico
26 March 2009
BBC News
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is pledging further effort to help Mexico in its anti-drugs campaign.
Mrs Clinton said the use of military-style assault weapons was a particular concern, and she would discuss reimposing a ban on their sale.
A previous US decision to lift a ban on such sales had been a mistake, she told the NBC television network.
Earlier on her visit she admitted that America's appetite for drugs was helping to fuel the violence.
Some... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton Announces Push to Enforce US Gun Law, Ban Assault Weapons
25 March 2009
Agence France Presse
MEXICO CITY — The Obama administration wants to crack down on the sale of assault weapons that are arming Mexican drug cartels, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with NBC television.
Clinton late Wednesday called letting a previous US ban on the sale of assault weapons expire "a mistake."
"I think these assault weapons, these military style weapons, don't belong on anyone's street," said Clinton who pushed for the ban as a New York... (GunPolicy.org)
Drug Cartels Thrive on US Addicts, Guns: Curb Flow of Assault Weapons
25 March 2009
Miami Herald / McClatchy Newspapers, Opinion
TUCSON, Arizona — When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Mexico this week to discuss the drug-related violence that left 6,200 dead there last year and is spreading across the U.S. border, she should be told in unmistakable terms: Stop the trafficking of U.S. guns that is fueling the bloodshed.
Clinton is scheduled to go to Mexico on Wednesday amid an outcry by increasingly out-of-control Mexico-bashing hotheads on U.S. cable television — yes, I'm talking... (GunPolicy.org)
US-Russia Battle Heats Up Over 'Merchant of Death' Gun Dealer Bout
14 March 2009
Associated Press
BANGKOK — U.S. President George W. Bush's last meeting with the prime minister of Thailand was in August, a swan song moment before his departure. Yet he made time to bring up the issue of one man: Viktor Bout, also known as the Merchant of Death.
Bout, a Russian businessman who is thought to be the world's most notorious arms dealer, has been held in a Bangkok prison since he was arrested last March after a U.S.-Thai sting operation. The United States is desperate... (GunPolicy.org)
Nowadays US Democrats Show Little Appetite for 'Big Hassle' of Gun Control
3 March 2009
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association warned in a campaign ad that if Barack Obama were elected president he would try to take away hunters' guns and ammo. But with pro-gun Democrats a powerful force in Congress, it's already pretty clear there will be no messing with Americans' right to bear arms.
Twenty-two Democrats, including Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, joined Republicans last week in a Senate vote to negate the District of Columbia's tough gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Fresh New York Senator, NRA Poster Gal Bucks Gun Lobby on DC Vote
27 February 2009
Albany Times-Union (New York)
WASHINGTON — In her first vote on the issue since being appointed to the Senate, Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., on Thursday voted to reject a measure that would expand gun rights.
The issue arose as part of legislation that would give Washington, D.C., a voting member of the House of Representatives. Before passing the D.C. vote measure, the Senate voted 62-36 to adopt an amendment that would expand gun rights in the nation's capital.
Gillibrand joined 32 other... (GunPolicy.org)
Mooted Revival of US Assault Weapon Ban Puts Democrats in Tough Spot
27 February 2009
The Hill (Washington DC)
Attorney General Eric Holder's push for the renewal of the assault weapons ban has put Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) between a rock and a hard place.
Gillibrand, who faces a possible primary fight from Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), had a 100 percent approval rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) before her appointment this year to replace now-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Responding to questions from reporters on Wednesday, Holder noted... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Senator 'Expansive Describing Newfound Zest for Gun Control'
26 February 2009
New York Times
When Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand visited Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn recently to talk with students, the school's principal, Barbara Gil, received unusual instructions from the senator's staff.
In accepting her appointment by Gov. David A. Paterson last month, Ms. Gillibrand spoke at length, though a call from the president was imminent.
"They said, 'She's great, but she's a talker, so we're going to give you a sign if she's getting out of control,' "... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Says 'I Keep 2 Guns Under My Bed'
15 February 2009
Newsday (New York)
WASHINGTON — New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who argues her pro-gun stance aims to protect hunters' rights and the Second Amendment, last week said she and her husband, Jonathan, keep two rifles under their bed to protect their upstate home.
Gillibrand said neither she nor her husband is a hunter, and in a general discussion of gun control said, "If I want to protect my family, if I want to have a weapon in the home, that should be my right."
The mother of two... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lawmakers Push Obama to Extradite Gun Runner Bout from Thailand
12 February 2009
Associated Press
WASHINGTON, DC — A Russian businessman known as the 'Merchant of Death' is a wanted man in Washington.
More than two dozen House lawmakers are pressing the Obama administration to make sure that Viktor Bout is extradited to the U.S. from Thailand where he was arrested a year ago for conspiring to arm Colombian rebels.
In a Feb. 11 letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the members of Congress say Bout's lawyers already have... (GunPolicy.org)
Pro-gun Pick for US Senate Seat Sparks Gun Control Battle in New York
26 January 2009
Sydney Morning Herald
The appointment of a pro-gun conservative to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton when she became Secretary of State last week has outraged New York's dominant progressive Democrats.
The Governor, David Paterson, unleashed a storm of protest and created the grounds for an enduring war within the state Democratic Party with his choice on Friday of Kirsten Gillibrand, a congresswoman from upstate New York, to replace Mrs Clinton.
At least one Democratic... (GunPolicy.org)
NYPD Owes Me for 3 Years' Work Buying 40 Illegal Guns, Says Informant
25 January 2009
Daily News (New York)
He helped cops get more than 27 illegal guns off the streets as a confidential informant, and got an award and $5,700 for his efforts.
But Russell Hicks claimed the NYPD stiffed him of thousands of dollars in gun-buy payments.
Hicks' complaints, cops said, are common in the murky world of police informants, where criminals, prostitutes and junkies often make a few bucks by turning on their own.
Hicks, though, does not fit the stereotype of a police informant.
He's... (GunPolicy.org)
US Attorney General-Elect 'Prime Target' for Supporting Gun Control
29 December 2008
Boston Globe
With Barack Obama anxious to take office, the public eager for fresh leadership, and the economy demanding urgent attention, the Senate is likely to defer to the president-elect and swiftly approve his Cabinet nominees, congressional aides and political analysts say.
But there will be one prominent exception: The confirmation hearing for Eric Holder, Obama's pick for attorney general, promises to be bruising, with Republicans determined to explore Holder's role in... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear of Obama 'Going British' On Guns Fuels US Weapon-Buying Spree
16 November 2008
Sunday Paper (Atlanta)
Last summer, not long after Democratic presidential primary candidate Hillary Clinton told the people of Scranton, Pa., about how she'd learned to shoot at her family's cottage, while her opponent Barack Obama was counting up his likely electoral college votes and Republican John McCain was talking about buying insurance across state lines, the U.S. Supreme Court quietly issued an interpretation of the Second Amendment that firmly protects the rights of individual... (GunPolicy.org)
Web-fed Gun Lobby Fury Led to Removal of US Rifle Company Founder
9 November 2008
Missoulian (Montana)
Defector. Traitor. Turncoat.
These qualifiers and others were recently applied to Dan Cooper, mostly by gun activists in cyberspace who spurned his much-publicized endorsement of President-elect Barack Obama.
Through that endorsement — and by donating $3,300 to the Obama campaign — Cooper, the founder of a Stevensville rifle dealership, broke factional ranks with fellow shooters and sportsmen. Opinions, judgments and hostile sentiments flared up within the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby 'Wackos' Force Pro-Obama Rifle Maker CEO to Resign
30 October 2008
USA Today
WASHINGTON — Montana gunsmith Dan Cooper has been ousted as chief executive of the rifle company that bears his name after pressure from gun owners who are angry that he is supporting Democrat Barack Obama.
Cooper, founder and part owner of Cooper Firearms, told USA TODAY in a story published Tuesday that he has voted for Republicans for most of his life, but he is backing Obama "probably because of the war. And also because the Republican Party has moved so far... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Maker Sacks CEO for Donating to Obama Election Campaign
29 October 2008
Los Angeles Times
Here's a juicy little story about guns, hunting and politics:
USA Today ran an article Tuesday stating that Dan Cooper, chief executive of Cooper Arms in Montana, donated $3,300 to Barack Obama's presidential campaign and had donated to his 2004 Senate campaign after being "dazzled by Obama's speech at that year's Democratic National Convention."
Cooper Arms makes hunting rifles, and hunting gun owners — who largely support Republican John McCain and do not... (GunPolicy.org)
Sales of Assault Weapons Spike as Texas Gun Owners Gird for Obama
27 October 2008
WFAA-TV News (Texas)
GARLAND — With nine days left until the election, people aren't only lining up to vote early; they are also apparently heading to sporting goods stores and gun shops as owners have reported an increase in business.
Gun owners have expressed concern that Barack Obama, if elected, will not only renew the ban on assault weapons, but also make it permanent.
"Not that people are fear-buying," said John Mannewitz, a manager at Target Master. "But, if there's something... (GunPolicy.org)
McCain: 'No Gun Control.' Obama: 'I Will Not Take Your Guns Away'
15 October 2008
Associated Press
BOSTON — John McCain supports background checks for buyers at gun shows and has his name on a law restricting special-interest group advertising, two positions strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association.
So how'd he end up with the group's presidential endorsement? By running against Barack Obama, whom NRA leaders accuse of wanting to put the firearms industry out of business.
"Hillary was right: You can't trust Obama with your guns," the association's... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Buys USA Today Ad, Uses Clinton's Words Against Obama on Guns
9 October 2008
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association is turning to Hillary Rodham Clinton to bolster its criticism of Barack Obama's positions on gun issues.
The NRA's Political Victory Fund planned a national newspaper ad Thursday reviving a Clinton mailing that accused Obama of waffling on gun issues. Clinton's campaign sent the mailing when the New York senator was challenging Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. It accuses Obama of changing his statements on... (GunPolicy.org)
Visiting Columbine High: Gun Control Now a Silenced Issue in America
29 August 2008
National Post (Toronto)
The long, low halls of Columbine High School are lined with blue lockers and crimson history, decked with hand-drawn posters for Bible Study and the Knitting Club, cruised by laughing teens in Hollister and Aeropostale, then eerily silent when the classroom doors swing closed. We are nine years removed from the mass murder-suicide that happened here, and 10 miles south of a national political gathering at which the quieting of America's guns has never been... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Gun Show Loophole' Sales Thwart Gun Violence Reduction - JAMA
13 August 2008
Journal of the American Medical Association / JAMA. 2008;300(6):640-641.
Last spring, a group called Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of US mayors who want more stringent regulation of firearm sales, unveiled a television commercial featuring clips from speeches by the 3 leading presidential candidates. In these clips, Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton (D, NY), Sen Barack Obama (D, Ill), and Sen John McCain (R, Ariz) said they oppose a "gun show loophole" that allows individuals to purchase firearms without a background check.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Journal of the American Medical Association / JAMA. 2008;300(6):640-641.
Gunman Barges Into Arkansas Democratic Headquarters, Kills Chairman
13 August 2008
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — A man barged into the Arkansas Democratic headquarters Wednesday and fatally shot the state party chairman before speeding off in his pickup. Police later shot and killed the suspect after a 30-mile chase.
Police identified the suspect as 50-year-old Timothy Dale Johnson of Searcy, a town about 50 miles northeast of Little Rock. They didn't know a motive. However, moments after the shooting, Johnson pointed a handgun at a worker at the nearby... (GunPolicy.org)
Texas Firearm Lobby, Dealers Talk Up Gun Demand, Cite Fear of Obama
28 July 2008
American-Statesman (Texas)
Austin-area firearms dealers may have the Democrats to thank for brisk sales this summer.
The prospect that the next presidential administration might favor new gun-control laws has gun enthusiasts bringing dollars and concerns to local firearms stores ahead of the November election.
Lately, some Central Texans have been talking about laws from the 1990s — passed under a Democratic president and Congress — that restricted semiautomatic rifles, governed the sale... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Vows to Spend $15m to Keep Obama Out of White House
3 July 2008
Telegraph (UK)
The National Rifle Association, long feared by Democrats as the most powerful lobby group in US politics, announced that it will spend $40 million during the campaign, $15 million specifically to persuade gun owners to vote against the Democratic party candidate.
The issue of gun rights has been catapulted to the centre of the general election this year, with the Supreme Court last week upholding the second amendment of the Constitution's right to bear arms, and... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Plans to Spend $15m Opposing Barack Obama in US Election
30 June 2008
Politico (Washington, DC), Web Page
The National Rifle Association plans to spend about $40 million on this year's presidential campaign, with $15 million of that devoted to portraying Barack Obama as a threat to the Second Amendment rights upheld last week by the Supreme Court.
"Our members understand that if Barack Obama is elected president, and he has support in the Senate to confirm anti-gun Supreme Court nominees, [the District of Columbia v. Heller decision] could be taken away from us in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Conservatives Could Now Find it Harder to Whip Up US Election Gun Fear
27 June 2008
Salon (USA), Web Page
WASHINGTON — "God, gays and guns" have been pretty good to Republicans over the last few campaigns. The Karl Rove playbook says not to worry if the war in Iraq has been a disaster or the economy is tanking — just fire away at your opponent's liberal views on a few wedge issues and then waltz your way into Washington.
To listen to John McCain's campaign, Thursday's 5-to-4 landmark Supreme Court ruling overturning a law banning handguns in Washington, D.C., played... (GunPolicy.org)
McCain Launches Anti-Obama Broadside Over 'Sacred' Right to Guns
27 June 2008
Agence France Presse
WASHINGTON — Republican John McCain opened fire with a full-bore political attack on Democratic White House rival Barack Obama after the Supreme Court upheld individuals' right to bear arms Thursday.
McCain, bidding to taint Obama's candidacy among gun-owners and rural voters, used the historic ruling to highlight how the Democrat's view of the US constitution's second amendment on gun rights had evolved down the years.
But Obama said the Supreme Court had backed... (GunPolicy.org)
Hillary Clinton No Longer Favours Handgun Registration, Owner Licensing
31 May 2008
Billings Gazette (Montana)
HELENA — Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton told Montana reporters Friday that she no longer favors national handgun registration and licensing, even as she supports such measures in her adopted state of New York.
"What I came out for was the New York law," the U.S. senator said in a noon conference call Friday. "I don't think there is any contradiction between defending Second Amendment rights and trying to keep guns out of the hands of"... (GunPolicy.org)
Missouri Dealer Sells 30 Vehicles in 'Buy Car, Get Free Handgun' Promotion
22 May 2008
Reuters / Tales from the Trail
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — A Missouri car dealer has a message for Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama: Midwesterners love their guns.
Mark Muller, the owner of Max Motors in Butler, Missouri south of Kansas City, on Thursday said sales have soared at his auto and truck business since launching a promotion this week that promises buyers a $250 credit for a handgun or a $250 gas card with every purchase.
Every buyer so far "except one guy from Canada and... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Fronts for Republicans, Fails its Members, Says Moderate Rival Group
21 May 2008
Herald-Leader (Kentucky), Column
Last weekend's National Rifle Association convention in Louisville could easily have been mistaken for a Republican campaign rally.
"If either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk my friends — and have no doubt about it," John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, told the crowd.
Former Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee also spoke, with Huckabee making — and later... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Control's Political Backers Not Confident of Gains, Even in 2009
20 May 2008
The Hill (Washington DC)
Lawmakers who favor gun control are not optimistic about next year even though Democrats may be running Congress and the White House.
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), the sponsor of legislation that would reinstate the expired federal assault weapons ban, dismissed the idea that her bill might pass in the 111th Congress.
"It's a pro-gun House, a pro-gun Senate and [Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.)] won't want to deal with it," McCarthy... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Fears Disaster for American Gun Owners if Democrat Wins Election
19 May 2008
Herald-Leader (Kentucky)
LOUISVILLE — Using Kentucky as a stage, a string of high-profile speakers at the National Rifle Association's 137th annual meeting painted the 2008 presidential race as a showdown over the right to bear arms.
But the fall election also could prove to be a key test of the NRA's political muscle.
The group focused much of its meeting this weekend on gearing up its members, especially the 60,000 who traveled to Louisville, to defeat the Democratic nominee in November,... (GunPolicy.org)
'Sense of Siege' as US Gun Owners Voice Fear of Presidential Candidates
19 May 2008
Toronto Star (Ontario)
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — They stood in long lines to pay homage to icons such as Ted Nugent and Oliver North, they got emotional during a tribute to their fallen hero, Charlton Heston, and they vowed to fight to the death for their cherished right to bear arms.
But there was a sense of siege hanging over the annual National Rifle Association convention here this weekend.
It didn't all stem from booth after booth advertising firearms as the best method of dealing with... (GunPolicy.org)
