Nereo S. Dionisio, president of a Philippine firearm industry association, believes that gun ownership is similar to life insurance coverage. After all, he says, both do offer protection. But while the metaphor may not sit well with gun control advocates — insurance policies have never been used to maim or murder, for instance — Dionisio nevertheless believes that the country's firearms market is largely untapped. Unfortunately, the emergence and/or expansion... (GunPolicy.org)

ATLANTA — Some state lawmakers are looking to extend Georgia's already robust laws protecting citizens who own guns or act in self-defense. House Bill 998 would allow gun owners to keep a gun in their car when parked, even if a business bans guns from their parking lot. Senate Bill 396 would mirror a law passed in Florida last year, ensuring that anyone who is attacked while behaving lawfully would have the right to "stand their ground" and defend himself or... (GunPolicy.org)

While maneuverings around Iran and chatter about human rights reform have dominated the headlines coming out of Turtle Bay, another issue is lurking. Delegates have gathered at a preparatory committee meeting to plan a conference that will conduct a five-year review of the United Nations' efforts to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. In other words, the United Nations is presenting itself with yet another opportunity to try to clamp down on the... (GunPolicy.org)

NEW YORK — Six men have been indicted and more than 40 guns seized after a seven-month investigation that broke up a Harlem gun-running ring, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Friday. Four were arrested and two are fugitives. Morgenthau said the men bought and resold the guns in significant quantities and varieties. At a news conference to announce the indictments, Morgenthau displayed about a dozen rifles, .9 mm and .380 handguns and photos of other... (GunPolicy.org)

The Long Beach Police Department is missing more than a fourth of its shotguns and an unknown number of revolvers, officials said Thursday. The second-largest police department in Los Angeles County was scrambling to determine whether the guns were lost, stolen or somehow misplaced within the agency. Investigators have uncovered no evidence so far that the firearms found their way into the wrong hands or were used in crimes. The missing weapons came to light after... (GunPolicy.org)

LONGWOOD, Florida — An eighth-grader was shot and wounded by a SWAT team officer in a school bathroom Friday after he pulled out a pellet gun that resembled a real weapon and later raised it at a deputy, authorities said. Sheriff Don Eslinger said the 15-year-old boy brought the gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack. Eslinger said two students saw it and one persuaded the other to report it, causing a scuffle. The alleged gunman ordered one of the students... (GunPolicy.org)

JOHANNESBURG — Kenya may lift a 3-decade ban on sport hunting as part of a broader revamp of its wildlife policies, a senior official said on Friday. Such a move could see foreign hunters target Kenyan lion, buffalo, and antelope species but would provoke resistance from animal welfare groups. "We started a policy review in September last year on our entire wildlife policy, looking at a range of issues. The ban on hunting is one of those up for review and... (GunPolicy.org)

The great blue arc of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is a majestic sight. But Bryan Miller sees it as a symbol of the bi-state flow of deadly weapons. "It's not a coincidence that Camden is "America's most dangerous city,' " he says, referring to the city's notorious place in an influential publishing company's annual rankings. "Philly's guns are killing Camden's citizens." The affable Haddonfield resident is executive director of CeasefireNJ, a Trenton-based advocate... (GunPolicy.org)

Port-au-Prince — The international organization, Oxfam Great Britain, is ready to launch a national campaign against the illegal and unregulated influx of small arms and light weapons. Yolette Etienne, the OxfamGB representative in Haiti, told AlterPresse that the proliferation of small arms in Haiti urgently needs to be brought under control. As part of the national campaign against armed violence, a national commission composed of members of different parts of... (GunPolicy.org)

Handguns, rifles, assault weapons — they've always been easy to get under federal law in America. Even when semi-automatic (firing one bullet per trigger pull) assault weapons were allegedly banned in 1994, the gun industry barely missed a beat. Manufacturers made a few minor, cosmetic changes and had the guns back on the market in no time. In fact, when efforts to pass an effective ban failed in September 2004 and the law expired, there were actually more types of... (GunPolicy.org)