Gun Policy News, 31 August 2001
31 August 2001
Reason (USA), Opinion
When I arrived at the inaugural meeting of the National Research Council's Committee to Improve Research and Data on Firearms this Thursday, I was the only media representative on hand. No CNN. No New York Times. Not even the Washington Post. Too bad. The committee's report, due in two years, could shape the gun debate for decades to come. More important, a few stunning admissions at the meeting reveal an important fact about the body of information on which America's... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Panel Meets and Comes Under Fire
31 August 2001
Fox News (USA)
WASHINGTON — The panel appointed by President Bill Clinton to study existing research and data on firearms met for the first time Thursday and was immediately shot at for allegedly being stacked with pro-gun control academics and funded by advocates for tighter gun control laws.
The panel, called the Committee to Improve Research Information and Data on Firearms, will operate under the supervision of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council,... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations Delegation Visits Over Light Weapons
31 August 2001
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
UN small arms experts are in the country on a five-day fact-finding mission.
Headed by a senior official of the UN's Department of Disarmament, Mr Joao Honwana, the mission yesterday held discussions with Foreign Minister Chris Obure.
The two said the Somali instability was a source of light arms sold illegally in Kenya. Mr Honwana said the mission was in Kenya because it was one of the countries most affected by the proliferation of small arms.
The visit is a... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations Urges Action on Illegal Arms
31 August 2001
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — Stressing the right of individuals and nations to defend themselves, the U.N. Security Council urged countries on Friday to quickly implement a plan to tackle the billion-dollar-a-year trade in illegal small arms.
A statement approved by the 15-member council recognized its responsibility in helping to put into effect the program adopted by over 170 countries last month at the United Nations.
The council stressed that the program's success will... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Locks to Be Given Away at Fair
31 August 2001
Lincoln Journal Star (New England)
Thousands of safety gun locks will be distributed free at the State Fair on Sunday.
Lt. Gov. Dave Maurstad is leading Nebraska's Project HomeSafe campaign, which will include giving away 5,000 gun locks at the fair, up to 20,000 or more gun locks across the state this fall and still more gun locks next year. Gun locks cost about $10.
Project HomeSafe, funded by voluntary manufacturer contributions of 1 percent of hunting and shooting-related sales, has been adopted as... (GunPolicy.org)
31 August 2001
Chicago Tribune, Editorial
The Bush administration has moved quietly in recent months to unravel the nation's effort to control the spread of firearms. The White House has been able to do this without much notice because Democrats have studiously avoided a confrontation over guns.
This used to be a bread-and-butter issue for the Democrats, who understood that while the National Rifle Association struck fear in the hearts of some lawmakers, a majority of the public supported gun control measures... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Need Equalizer in Line of Fire
31 August 2001
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan), Editorial
Recent years have seen an increasing number of police officers injured in the line of duty. The nation's police apparently remain unprepared for the changing times with the accompanying rapid growth in the incidence of violent crimes. Steps must be taken to ensure that police continue to be seen as reliable guardians of the public peace.
The recent fatal stabbing of a police officer by a knife-wielding man in a shopping district in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward has horrified... (GunPolicy.org)
Can Stricter Gun Laws Curb Criminal Activity?
31 August 2001
Time (USA)
It sounds like a no-brainer, but like any new information in the battle over gun control, it's bound to ruffle a few feathers: Registration and licensing requirements deter criminals from buying guns. That latest bit of data in the gun control debate, courtesy of the Center for Gun Policy and Research at the Johns Hopkins University, indicates that stricter guidelines for gun purchases mean fewer firearms end up in the hands of criminals. States with the lowest... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Panel Hears With an Ear Shut
31 August 2001
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
John R. Lott Jr., a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is the author of "More Guns, Less Crime" (University of Chicago Press, 2000)
Isn't it obvious that the government should fund academic research?
Yet as clear as the benefits seem, there is a downside: Government officials simply cannot resist injecting politics into anything they touch. Denying that politics enters science is like denying that politics plays a role in what weapons systems are... (GunPolicy.org)
31 August 2001
Toronto Star (Ontario), Editorial
Controlling guns means intruding on individual privacy. That has been clear through Canada's long struggle to enact firearms legislation.
The Star believes this is a reasonable trade-off.
In our view, the benefits of keeping weapons out of the wrong hands outweigh the drawbacks of requiring gun owners to answer certain personal questions.
This does not mean, however, that federal authorities have the right to collect information they do not need to protect public... (GunPolicy.org)
Study Examines Gun Laws and Crime
31 August 2001
CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia — Guns sold in states with laws requiring both the licensing and registration of handguns are less likely to be used in crimes committed in that state, according to a Johns Hopkins University study released Thursday.
The study, conducted by the university's Center for Gun Policy Research, analyzed data collected by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms on guns recovered from crimes committed in 25 U.S. cities over a two-year period. The study... (GunPolicy.org)
31 August 2001
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
Canada Customs officials say they've seized 250 guns this year from U.S. motorists entering the country at southern Ontario border crossings.
Customs spokesman Dan Yen said 450 other weapons, from switchblades to pellet guns, were also seized from Americans at crossings in Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Sarnia and Windsor.
"The seizures are from people who were not aware of our laws," Yen said, adding the figure was consistent with seizures in recent years.
Last year 310... (GunPolicy.org)
Campaign-Finance Reform Poses Threat to Gun Lobby
31 August 2001
Join Together Online gun violence web site (Boston)
As Congress returns to work following its August vacation, activists who are working for campaign-finance reform are encouraging people who want stronger Congressional action on gun violence to join in the push to ban "soft money" contributions to political campaigns.
The influence of soft money-large, unregulated contributions from special interests to political parties, which then launder the money into specific federal campaigns-was enormous in the 2000 election... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Join Together Online gun violence web site (Boston)
Neighbours Oppose Camino Diablo Gun Range
31 August 2001
Contra Costa Times (California)
We are the homeowners of Silver Hills Association and Camino Diablo Homeowners Association; we have filed an appeal disapproving the new site for the Brentwood Rod and Gun Club on Camino Diablo Road. We understand that the Byron Municipal Advisory Council wrote a letter to the county endorsing this site. This very upsetting to all of us who are trying to preserve this area.
The following matters were not considered:
All homeowners disapprove; two are gun club... (GunPolicy.org)