Why is the United States so much more violent than Canada? Canadians receive, even welcome, violence-based American mass culture pumped out 24/7 by the mammoth entertainment industry. Yet our society remains dramatically less violent than theirs. Take guns. The United States has by far the highest gun homicide rate in the industrialized world. In a study of 23 of these nations, the American rate was nearly 20 times higher than the others. Some 100,000 shootings take... (GunPolicy.org)

This is no longer a debate. It is no longer two sides throwing words at each other about what the Constitution allows. It is time now for a serious national discussion about who can buy a gun, who can keep a gun and how to keep guns out of the hands of people who would shoot up a crowd, killing six and wounding a U.S. congresswoman. It is time for us to stop using the Second Amendment as an excuse to be dangerous. That is the only way we can stop a kid from taking a... (GunPolicy.org)

After the shooting spree in Tucson, a simple message appeared on the website of the nation's premier gun-rights booster, the National Rifle Association: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this senseless tragedy. We join the rest of the country in praying for the quick recovery of those injured." Asked to comment on gun-control legislation floated since the massacre, the NRA sent a similar statement to Mother Jones: "At this time anything other than... (GunPolicy.org)

LOS ANGELES, California - Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti is asking the city attorney to look into prohibiting the "open carry" of unloaded guns, which is currently allowed by state law. City News Service says Garcetti on Friday was seconded by six of his City Council colleagues on the motion, which he called necessary in the wake of recent shootings in Tucson and gun-related incidents on LA school campuses this week. Garcetti says carrying even an... (GunPolicy.org)

Shamefully, America is the only modern democracy that makes no serious attempt to reduce gun murders. This nation mostly shrugs as wackos commit massacres and other dangerous people kill an average of 34 Americans per day. Time after time, pistol safety proposals are defeated by conservative politicians. In the wake of the Tucson tragedy, numerous voices are calling for reform -- but few expect Congress to take any bold steps. Most senators and representatives are too... (GunPolicy.org)

GREELEY, Colorado - A Colorado radio station owner who aired an editorial denouncing the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. has lost his gun permit. The Greeley Tribune reports the concealed weapon permit was permanently revoked Friday, when a judge also ordered school board member Brett Reese to stay at least 100 yards from a rival radio station owner. Justin Sasso says Reese threatened "a shootout" over advertisers. Reese has said his remarks were... (GunPolicy.org)

Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout makes a second appearance in a New York court Friday, where he is accused of offering to supply arms to terrorists and rebels in Africa. Oxfam, an International non-governmental organization fighting poverty and injustice, says the Bout case shows why there is an urgent need for global rules on arms trade. The charges against Viktor Bout stem from a 2008 U.S. sting operation in which authorities say Bout tried to sell weapons to... (GunPolicy.org)

On January 7, a potential healthcare reform repeal and the unemployment rate were at the top of the national political agenda. But the January 8 shooting rampage that killed 6 and wounded 13, including Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, brought the topic of gun control to forefront of the national consciousness. Now, in the aftermath, Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy and Republican Rep. Peter King, both of New York, have both proposed legislation to tighten... (GunPolicy.org)

A Saudi child accidentally shot her grandmother while she was playing with her father's hunting gun in the Gulf Kingdom, a newspaper reported on Friday. The grandmother was rushed to hospital north of the central town of Taif with medium injuries and doctors later said she was in a stable condition after a surgery, the Arabic language daily Almadina said. "The girl was playing with the gun when it went off and hit her grandmother at their house," the paper said... (GunPolicy.org)