Gun Policy News, 19 January 2011
Canadian Cop-killer's Guns Were Smuggled, Stolen, Not Registered: RCMP
19 January 2011
National Post (Toronto)
STONY PLAIN, Alberta - Of the eight guns killer James Roszko had around him at the time of his death, one was smuggled across the border, several had been stolen and none was legally registered, an officer who specializes in tracing firearms told an inquiry into the deaths of four RCMP officers.
"From my investigation … James Roszko had a wanton disregard for any legislation as it pertains to firearms or any kinds of weapons," testified Sergeant Dale Baumgartner at... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Vote Pre-poll Leans Toward Banning Military Guns in the Home
19 January 2011
Miller-McCune (California)
While the assassination attempt on Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona revived a predictable and unchanging round of gun control debate in the U.S., a referendum in Switzerland — Europe's best-armed nation — is showing a shift of opinion away from private gun ownership.
Every third household in Switzerland has a firearm, normally government-issued, because every male citizen under about 50 is also a reserve soldier. Instead of a standing professional army, the government... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shootings: In Nebraska, a Proposal for Teachers to Carry Guns
19 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor
A Nebraska lawmaker wants teachers to be able to carry concealed guns in school.
The proposal follows a recent shooting in which an Omaha high school senior killed an assistant principal and wounded a principal before killing himself.
Each school district would set its own policy, with a two-thirds majority vote of the school board required to allow the weapons. Teachers or administrators would have to get a concealed handgun permit, which requires some training.
"If... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Bullies Make Cowards of US Lawmakers: Obama Should Lead
19 January 2011
CNN, Opinion
She is 40. Jim was 40.
She is one of the most prominent politicians in her state.
Jim worked for the most powerful political leader in the world.
She was shot in the head. So was Jim.
She initially was declared dead. So was Jim.
She is beloved. So is Jim.
A man who most people knew wasn't mentally stable easily got a gun and shattered her life.
A similarly troubled man shattered Jim's.
The doctors, the nurses, the hospitals; the prayers, the tears, the anger;... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Rules California's New Handgun Ammo Laws Are Unconstitutional
19 January 2011
Associated Press
FRESNO, California — A judge has ruled that key sections of a California law restricting the sale of handgun ammunition cannot be enforced because they are unconstitutional.
Gun rights advocates celebrated Tuesday's ruling in Fresno County Superior Court, saying the law would have created uncertainty by forcing local gun shops to decide for themselves what type of bullets were covered by the restrictions.
The bill also would have required handgun ammunition to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Vegas Gun Show Patrons Say Firearm Limits Wrong Response to Tucson
19 January 2011
Washington Post
LAS VEGAS - Since the Jan. 8 shooting rampage in Tucson, gun-control advocates have called for greater restrictions on firearms. But here at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, where the world's largest annual gun trade show opened this week, firearms industry representatives say that would be a misguided response to the crime that killed six people and wounded 13 others.
The more than 55,000 attendees from the United States and 100 other countries are focused on... (GunPolicy.org)
Who Does the NRA Advocate For? Gun Lobby's Big Debt to US Gun Trade
19 January 2011
Mother Jones (USA)
If you stand up for the second amendment, the NRA will stand up for you — that's what the gun rights juggernaut claims, at least. But, increasingly, the lobby's incestuous relationship with the gun manufacturers begs the question: Is the the NRA advocating for people who own guns? Or the lucrative companies that make them?
Highlighting this dynamic, the Center for Public Integrity's Peter Stone writes about MidwayUSA, a gun manufacturer that sells high-capacity... (GunPolicy.org)
With 82 People Shot Each Day, Time to Inject Sanity Into US Gun Debate
19 January 2011
Los Angeles Times, Column
The gun was in a backpack, we're told. The backpack was dropped or set down in a Gardena High School classroom Tuesday morning, and the gun fired accidentally, critically injuring a 15-year-old female student who was struck in the head. A male student, also 15, was shot in the neck.
You send your kids to school, and before the lunch bell rings, they're in the hospital.
So the questions begin.
Why is it so easy to smuggle a gun onto campus? How many more guns are on... (GunPolicy.org)
Governor of Virginia Quietly Allows Open Carry of Firearms in State Parks
19 January 2011
Washington Post
Gun rights advocates celebrated Wednesday -- and supporters of gun control grieved -- over news that Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has quietly lifted the ban against people carrying firearms openly in state parks.
Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, sent an e-mail blast to fellow gun-rights supporters with news that as of Tuesday people could carry openly. Gun owners with concealed weapons permits had the right to carry in Virginia State... (GunPolicy.org)
Surprise: America's NRA Has Actually Lost Influence on Gun Control
19 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
ARLINGTON, Virginia - After the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007, when 32 people were slaughtered by a mentally disturbed young man wielding two semi-automatic pistols, calls for enhanced gun control were met with a warning from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Sen. Reid cautioned against a "rush to judgment" about new gun laws.
But after the Arizona shooting of last week, gun control measures are being discussed again, and Mr. Reid hasn't said anything... (GunPolicy.org)
Alarm at Video of Jews Passing Around AK-47 at US Synagogue Service
19 January 2011
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
RICHMOND - While a rabbi prayed in a Richmond synagogue, a group of Orthodox Jews passed around an AK-47 before a ceremony celebrating the end of the Sabbath.
Asher Meza, a 32-year-old Orthodox Jew, made a video of himself showing guns to a group of young men at a private synagogue in his friend's home and then posted the video on YouTube and Facebook.
The whole thing doesn't sit well with the Richmond Jewish community.
"I wasn't trying to make a statement, but a... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Leaders Should Tone Down Rhetoric, Examine Our Gun Laws
19 January 2011
Oklahoma Daily, Column
The current political landscape is deeply disturbing. Politicians preach violence and toxic rhetoric; a trigger-happy populace seems eager to follow.
Unfortunately, it took an assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., the murders of six blameless people including a Federal Judge and a 9-year-old, and a dozen more injuries for this country to reopen a dialogue on decorum in public discourse and gun control laws.
As more evidence comes to light on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Even US Gun Owners Support Stricter Firearm Background Checks: Poll
19 January 2011
Reuters, Poll
An overwhelming majority of U.S. gun owners, and Americans in general, support tougher measures to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, the mentally ill and others barred by law from possessing weapons, according to a new survey issued on Tuesday.
Eighty-one percent of gun owners, and 86 percent of all Americans, back requiring personal background checks for all firearms sales, regardless of whether the weapon is bought from a licensed dealer or from a private... (GunPolicy.org)
World's Largest Firearm Expo Opens in Vegas Amid National Gun Debate
19 January 2011
Canadian Press
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Beneath the gold-flecked chandeliers and classical murals in the gilded meeting rooms of the Venetian hotel and casino, the mighty $28 billion-a-year firearms industry opened one of it's most opulent annual shows Tuesday.
Industry members networked while catching up on the newest weapons and gun gear from 16,000 vendors spread across more than 630,000 square feet (58,530 square meters). That there are renewed calls for tougher gun restrictions... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton-era Federal US Policy Kept Arizona Mass Shooter Off FBI Gun List
19 January 2011
Washington Post
An old policy memo from the Clinton administration paved the way for accused Arizona gunman Jared Loughner to buy his first firearm.
Put in place by then-Attorney General Janet Reno, the policy prohibited the military from reporting certain drug abusers to the FBI, which manages the national list of prohibited gun-buyers, federal officials said.
Loughner attempted to enlist in the Army in December 2008 but was rejected because he failed a drug-screening process, Army... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Measures Don't Stop Violence: None Worth Trying in US
19 January 2011
CNN
Against the horrific backdrop of the Tucson, Arizona, tragedy, new gun control proposals are on the way. Some of our legislators will be tempted to apply Rahm Emanuel's aphorism, "Never let a good crisis go to waste."
For example, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-New York, wants to outlaw magazines with more than 10 rounds -- even those already in circulation. She hasn't explained how a ban on previously sold magazines would deter anyone but law-abiding citizens.
Still, the... (GunPolicy.org)
California Judge Blocks 'Unconstitutional' State Handgun Ammunition Law
19 January 2011
San Diego Union-Tribune (California)
A Fresno County Superior Court judge has blocked a pending state law that would have required Californians to provide a thumbprint and photo identification when buying handgun ammunition.
Judge Jeffrey Hamilton ruled from the bench late Tuesday that the law scheduled to go into effect Feb. 1 was "unconstitutionally vague."
Gun-rights groups had argued that some types of ammunition can be used in both handguns and rifles, making enforcement and compliance a... (GunPolicy.org)
Dick Cheney Opens Door to Tighter US Gun Restrictions, Magazine Ban
19 January 2011
NBC News (USA)
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a staunch gun advocate, says tighter weapons regulations might be "appropriate" to prevent another tragedy like the Arizona mass shootings that left six people dead and a congresswoman seriously wounded.
Cheney, an avid hunter, said he is "willing to listen to ideas" on how to better control the purchase and use of firearms.
"Whether or not there's some measure there in terms of limiting the size of the magazine that you can buy to... (GunPolicy.org)
Surprise: The US Gun Lobby Has Actually Lost Influence on Gun Control
19 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
In the wake of the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, earlier this month, the calls for gun-control legislation have already begun. But the National Rifle Association's traditional ability to shoot these bills down may be significantly reduced in the future.
ARLINGTON, Virginia - After the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007, when 32 people were slaughtered by a mentally disturbed young man wielding two semi-automatic pistols, calls for enhanced gun control were met with... (GunPolicy.org)