Gun Policy News
Guns for self defence and property protection
The Shoddy Conclusions of the Man Shaping the Gun-Rights Debate
3 November 2022
New Yorker / The Trace
In 1957, the small-arms manufacturer Armalite created the AR-15—short for Armalite Rifle—at the invitation of the U.S. Army, which was seeking an effective lightweight combat weapon. When the Department of Defense reviewed a version of the rifle in 1962, during the early stages of the Vietnam War, its report stated that the gun's "lethality" and "reliability" were "particularly impressive." From forty-nine feet away, it noted, an Army Ranger fired a round into a... (GunPolicy.org)
Re-evaluate Carrying of Arms in Ecuador - Legislator
7 October 2022
Gaceta (Ecuador)
Defending oneself against crime that plagues the civilian population could become a reality in Ecuador. The carrying and possession of firearms is back on the table for debate in the South American country's legislature, in the midst of a prison crisis and the worst violence rate in the nation.
"Weapons for what?" Fidel Castro once said in one of his first speeches upon taking power in Cuba, disarming the civilian population and ensuring that any attempt at resistance... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras: 36 guns a day registered in the last 10 years
14 July 2022
Heraldo
Capital citizens are armour-plated: 36 guns a day have been registered in the last 10 years.
Although the sport of shooting is one of the reasons for the boom in gun ownership in recent years, specialists recognise that the main motivation for owning a firearm is self-defence.
With the motto "it is better to have a gun and not need it than to need it and not have it", Juan, 68, has carried his pistol most of his life and, because of his profession, was forced to... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey Has 627,765 Gun Owners Licensed to Carry
9 July 2022
Agenda (Turkey)
In the statement made by the EGM, it was stated that "individual armament has increased and there are 25 million unlicensed and 2.5 million licensed guns in Turkey" on a website with "falsified" information.
In the statement, which stated that they had to publish a denial because of a similar news before, it was emphasized that the fight against fake news on this issue would continue.
Noting that there has been a decrease in the number of newly issued licensed guns in... (GunPolicy.org)
3 Million Firearms in Civilian Hands in Argentina
28 February 2022
Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales y Sociales (INECIP)
There are more than 1.5 million registered weapons on the street in the possession of civil society in Argentina. Although by law the state is committed to reducing this number, the state itself "does not even do what the law requires, and it does so not only by omission but also by political decision," said Julián Alfie, coordinator of the Institute for Comparative Studies in Criminal and Social Sciences (Inecip) and researcher on the issue of civil society... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales y Sociales (INECIP)
Ukrainian Parliament Passes Emergency Firearm Carry Law
24 February 2022
Business Insider
The Ukrainian parliament passed a law on Wednesday, which allows citizens to carry firearms in public, alongside the enactment of a state of emergency, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to eastern Ukraine on Monday.
Previously, Ukrainian citizens were barred from carrying guns outside of their homes.
"Now it's the intention of the parliament is to liberalize ownership of armaments by citizens," Dmytro Shulga, the European Programme Director at the... (GunPolicy.org)
Permits to buy firearms on the rise
28 January 2022
El Sol de México
During the first half of Q4, 16,150 [firearm licences] were granted, 31% more than in the first three years of Peña Nieto's term.
His history with the use of firearms goes back to his childhood. When he was six years old, he would go hunting with his father in the mountainous areas on the outskirts of the ranchería where he lived in Tepalcatepec, Michoacán. His old man would show him how to hold and aim the shotgun to shoot deer, birds and other species. Now, nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Continued Steady Increase in Czech Gun Ownership
3 January 2022
Zbrojnice.com
Gun Statistics 2021: Continued steady increase in gun ownership and number of guns, amendment to law had no major impact
The second COVID year did not bring any major change to the Czech civilian gun ownership statistics. The steady increase in the number of gun holders continues. Paradoxically, the increase in 2021 was slightly slower than the year before, although part of 2020 was marked by the impossibility of proficiency tests due to government restrictions. In... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Brazil,Chile,Colombia,Mexico
Gun Laws in Latin America's Largest Economies
26 August 2021
Council of the Americas (COA)
Countries may adopt stringent gun control laws, but their efforts are complicated by international arms smuggling. We explore policies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
For government across Latin America, reducing violence and providing security are top agenda items. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigerian Villagers Stockpile Arms for Self-Defence
24 August 2021
Daily Trust (Nigeria)
Many communities in North West and North Central are contributing money to buy guns and other weapons to protect themselves against bandits, terrorists and other criminals, Daily Trust reports. Wealthy individuals are also reportedly buying personal guns to protect themselves against aggression or buying weapons for groups.
Villagers in Niger, Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau and Katsina States are on the lead as many communities in States having security challenges have... (GunPolicy.org)
Tightening Gun Control In South Africa
19 August 2021
Conversation (South Africa)
Statistics produced by the police and mortuary surveillance systems in South Africa have consistently shown that firearms are the most commonly used weapons to commit murder and other violent crimes, such as carjacking and house robberies.
With this in mind, the Civilian Secretariat for Police Services which serves as the technical advisory agency to the Minister of Police, wants to have the Firearms Control Act amended to introduce more stringent firearm licensing... (GunPolicy.org)
Tens of Thousands of People in Flanders Consider Buying a Gun
8 June 2021
Brussels Times
In Flanders, tens of thousands of people said they would consider buying a firearm for the first time or again, citing feelings of insecurity as playing the biggest role in this, according to research by the Flemish Peace Institute published on Tuesday.
The survey of 2,500 adults in Flanders found that 4% said they were considering the purchase of a firearm, more so because of the conviction that in certain circumstances, people should be able to take the law into... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Women Turn to Fight Rape, Murder Scourge
7 February 2021
Guardian
For the dozens of women training at a shooting range near Johannesburg, learning how to use a gun has become a means of protection in a country where a woman is murdered every three hours.
For the first time in her life, Ntando Mthembu holds a revolver in her hands. Without hesitating, she fires 10 bullets towards a cardboard target.
Last November Mthembu's cousin, left alone in a house for several hours, was gang-raped and murdered.
"Before it happens to me, I want... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Licences on the Rise in Czech Republic
10 January 2021
Zbrojnice.com (Czech Republic)
Gun stats 2020: number of legal owners up 0.63%, quarter of a million people allowed to carry firearms for personal protection
In 2020, the trend of a slight increase in the number of gun license holders continued to a total of 307,372 people. This is not a repeat of the fluctuations of 2013 (down nearly 5%) and 2016 (up 2.8%). Despite the existence of COVID restrictions, which brought with it repeated periods when proficiency tests were not conducted, slightly more... (GunPolicy.org)
Insecurity and the Right to Bear Arms in Nigeria
4 November 2020
Guardian (Nigeria)
One of the cardinal responsibilities of government is the safeguard of lives and properties, provided under Section14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. So paramount is this responsibility that the entire economic, social and political progress of any society depends on it.
Nigeria for the past decade has witnessed unprecedented amount of bloodshed, destruction of properties and displacement of people from their native homes and places of business. The level... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 100,000 Californians Have Bought A Gun In Response To Covid-19 Crisis, Report Finds
20 October 2020
Guardian
More than a hundred thousand Californians have bought a gun since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, a new report has found, in a surge of gun sales that has experts worried about the risk of suicide and deadly instances of domestic violence.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that 110,000 people in California purchased a firearm in direct response to the coronavirus. About 47,000 of the buyers were first-time gun owners. Buyers cited... (GunPolicy.org)
In Italy 400,000 'Ghost Shooters' Unknown to Sports Facilities
13 April 2020
Il Ducato (Italy)
Italians, people of saints, poets and navigators. And, in recent years, also of sport shooters. At least according to the number of rifle licences for shooting registered by the Ministry of the Interior. But from paper to the real frequency of shooting ranges and shooting fields, as we shall see, there is a long way. Many observers and experts have long believed that the sporting firearm licence was a ploy to legitimise the possession of a weapon, to be kept at home for... (GunPolicy.org)
Hungarian Gun Purchases Increase due to Pandemic Fears
23 March 2020
Reuters
Peter Rostas doesn't want to have any reason to use the gun he was buying, but the young Hungarian father of one was taking no chances with a coronavirus epidemic he fears may bring out the worst in some people.
"It's a precautionary measure," Rostas, 33, said as he lined up outside a small Budapest shop selling non-military grade weapons that require no license. "I'd rather be laughing later than find myself in a conflict with nothing but a broomstick."
Hungarians... (GunPolicy.org)
Unclear Statistics as Guns Become Tougher to Obtain in Hungary
25 April 2019
Nepszava
According to experts, the number of official gun owners is greatly exaggerated, but more people are illegally possessing rifles, pistols, and other items.
Firearm abuses are not common in Hungary, and even in recent days, armed mischief involving airsoft rifles is a rarity. However, weapons are a serious risk and their records must be up-to-date, accurate and unmistakable even in peaceful times. In Hungary, however, there is complete confusion in armament statistics.... (GunPolicy.org)
13 March 2019
Sole 24 Ore
There are 1,315,700 licenses issued in Italy for legal possession of weapons, up 4% compared to 2015. The data are the official ones from the Viminale, updated in July 2018. To dictate the increase is the sporting use (+27% in the last three years), while all other types of licenses are declining.
The gun permit for hunting activities is down 9%, due to the increasingly restrictive regulations for hunting, which is consequently less practised; the one for self-defence,... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
Czechs take legal action over EU rules on gun control
9 August 2017
Reuters
The Czech Republic filed a lawsuit on Friday against a new European Union directive tightening gun ownership, aimed at limiting access to semi-automatic and other weapons after deadly Islamist attacks in western Europe.
The European Parliament and EU interior ministers gave a final nod to the changes earlier this year despite the Czech Republic, Luxembourg and Poland voicing opposition.
The Czech Interior Ministry said the directive was too harsh, affecting for... (GunPolicy.org)
Czech parliament moves to legalise firearm ownership
29 June 2017
BBC News
The lower house of the Czech parliament has agreed to alter the constitution so that firearms can be held legally when national security is threatened.
The amendment gives Czechs the right to use firearms during terrorist attacks.
It was passed by the lower house by a big majority, and is likewise expected to be approved by the upper house.
The move by parliament is a challenge to EU gun control rules which restrict civilians from possessing certain kinds of... (GunPolicy.org)
Czech Lower House Passes Gun Amendment
28 June 2017
PragueTV
The lower house of Parliament approved a constitutional amendment that would allow legally registered owners of guns to intervene if the security of the Czech Republic was at stake.
Some 139 of the 168 deputies present were in favor of the amendment, and nine were against.
For the amendment to pass the Chamber of Deputies, it needed 120 votes, or three-fifths of the 200 parliamentary deputies.
The proposal was supported by Social Democrats (40 voted for, three... (GunPolicy.org)
Number of Gun Licences Has Soared in Italy [IT]
9 July 2016
Corriere Milano (Italy)
[Translated summary: A recent homicide with a legally carried 9mm pistol brings back the central issue of gun carrying permits and the spread of weapons. There are currently 774,679 permits to carry firearms for hunting purposes in Italy, along with 471,000 licences for sports purposes (in 2007, there were half as many). Figures from the Ministry of the Interior show an increase of 12.4% for hunting licences and 18.4% for sports shooting.]
Il recente omicidio a Dorno... (GunPolicy.org)
More Guns Make People Safer, Say US Gun Lobby Groups
29 May 2016
Washington Times
LOUISVILLE — Riots had broken out when Al Parsons was attending summer school at Louisiana State University soon after the Gun Control Act of 1968 passed, and someone was beating on his apartment door at midnight.
"I looked at my buddy. I said, 'None of my friends are coming this time of night,'" Mr. Parsons said. "He says, 'Mine either.'"
Mr. Parsons, a 67-year-old retiree from Indiana, said he had recently asked his father to purchase a pistol for him — a buy he... (GunPolicy.org)
Should El Salvador Give Out Guns to Fight Crime? [ES]
14 April 2016
La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: El Salvador's Secretary of Communications for the President sparked controversy when he suggested giving guns to civilians to defend themselves. Social and analyst organisations agreed that each community could organise its own safety, but disapproved of arming citizens.]
Organizaciones sociales y analistas muestran su aceptación de que las comunidades organicen sus propias medidas de seguridad, junto a la PNC. Pero sin armas.
La controversia... (GunPolicy.org)
Virginia Governor Vetoes a Flurry of Pro-gun Bills
9 April 2016
Washington Post
RICHMOND -- Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who struck a compromise on guns with Republicans this year, has gone on to veto a flurry of gun rights bills that were not part of that deal.
In the past week alone, McAuliffe (D) vetoed bills that would have given domestic-violence victims under protective orders the temporary right to carry concealed weapons without applying for permits or getting training. He also nixed measures that would have allowed retired police... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 200 Homemade Guns Burned in Cambodia
8 April 2016
Phnom Penh Post (Cambodia)
More than 200 homemade rifles were destroyed by Pursat provincial police on Wednesday, the DIY firearms having been seized as part of a campaign spanning the past five years, provincial police chief of staff Hieng Sitha explained.
"These were a kind of homemade air gun," he said, but noted that some "use bullets, such as those fired by AK-47s, or other improvised ammunition".
He said the rifles had been used by local people for hunting and home protection.
"We... (GunPolicy.org)
Punjabi Buyers Queue for New Lightweight "Ladies' Revolver"
8 April 2016
Times of India
KANPUR -- Eager buyers from Punjab are queueing up to buy 'Nirbheek', the light-weight revolver made by Kanpur's Field Gun Factory exclusively for women. Sales figures reveal that of the total number of applications received for the gun, almost three-fourth were from Punjab.
"Nirbheek, meaning 'fearless' in Hindi, is fast becoming popular among Punjab folks. About 70-75% guns are being sold to arms dealers from Punjab. However, Delhi women top the chart in purchase of... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,United States,Africa,Libya,Yemen,Iraq,Syria
Middle East: Militias Use Facebook Groups to Sell Weapons
6 April 2016
New York Times
A terrorist hoping to buy an antiaircraft weapon in recent years needed to look no further than Facebook, which has been hosting sprawling online arms bazaars, offering weapons ranging from handguns and grenades to heavy machine guns and guided missiles.
The Facebook posts suggest evidence of large-scale efforts to sell military weapons coveted by terrorists and militants. The weapons include many distributed by the United States to security forces and their proxies in... (GunPolicy.org)
Some Security Agents Will be Armed in French Trains [FR]
5 April 2016
France Soir
[Translated summary: As a consequence of the recent terrorists attacks, the president of the SNCF (National Society of French Railways) has declared that, because of the Savary Law, security agents dressed in civilian clothes will carry guns as a security measure.]
Le président de la SNCF Guillaume Pepy a déclaré dimanche que des agents en civil armés seront bientôt déployés dans les trains par mesure de sécurité. Il a également assuré que les portiques de... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Law Loopholes Raise Fatal Domestic Abuse Risk
4 April 2016
Refinery 29 (USA)
The beginning of Jitka Vesel's story is familiar. Back in 2008, she briefly dated a man she met online. When she decided they didn't have a connection, she broke it off.
That's when Dmitry Smirnov began stalking her.
For three years, Smirnov pursued Vesel. She reported the harassment, changed her phone number, cut off contact with her stalker — even moved. In 2011, Smirnov followed Vesel to the parking lot of her workplace. He killed her, shooting her 12 times as... (GunPolicy.org)
US Christians Claim a Divine Right to Shoot in Self Defence
30 March 2016
Trace (USA)
When Pastor Andy Gipson rises to preach in the Gum Springs Baptist Church, in Braxton, Mississippi, he occasionally carries a gun into the pulpit.
Some congregations "don't have the resources to hire professional security," Gipson has said, leaving it up to members of churches like his to protect themselves. Should a situation ever call for lethal force inside the sanctuary, he believes that a worshipper who shoots and kills while claiming self-defense should be... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Micronesia (FSM),Oceania
US Rules Pacific Island Gun Ban Violates 2nd Amendment
30 March 2016
Guardian, Agence France Presse
America's heated gun debate has reached a remote Pacific territory, with a court overturning a ban on handguns in the Northern Marianas after ruling it breached the US constitution's second amendment.
In a ruling greeted with dismay by the island territory's leaders, the US district court found the right to bear arms enshrined in the second amendment also applied to the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
"The second amendment … [is] the law of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Purse Gun for Women Named for Famous India Rape Victim
19 March 2016
Times of India
KANPUR - The light-weight handgun made exclusively for women after the Delhi gang rape incident, Nirbheek, may soon be available in multiple colours.
"Market feedback has shown that women want Nirbheek in multiple colours. Though we are ready for the switch over, a final decision is yet to be taken," said Sanjeev Kumar, additional general manager of the Field Gun Factory, on the occasion of Ordnance Factory Day here on Friday. The Field Gun Factory is producing the... (GunPolicy.org)
Background Checks, Bullet Tracing to Curb US Gun Deaths
17 March 2016
Reuters
If every state in the U.S. had mandatory background checks for gun and ammunition purchases and required traceable bullets, firearms-related deaths might plunge by more than 80 percent, a new study projects.
More than 31,600 people died by guns in the U.S. in 2010, a rate of 10.1 deaths for each 100,000 residents. Hawaii had the lowest death rate – 3.21 for each 100,000 people – while Alaska had the highest – 20.3 for every 100,000 residents.
Laws that require... (GunPolicy.org)
Will Gun Violence in the US Increase in the Next Decade?
13 March 2016
CBS News (USA), Poll
Nearly half of Americans (47%) think gun violence will increase in the U.S. over the next ten years, according to a new CBS News poll released Sunday. Just 14% think gun violence will decrease.
Americans differ on what causes gun violence. The availability of guns and current gun laws is the top answer -- particularly among Democrats -- though lack of gun training, crime, mental health issues, moral values, and other causes are also volunteered by many... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
13 March 2016
GunPolicy.org
With apologies for being absent so long, Gun Policy News bulletins are back. At least for now.
Beginning in 1997, our dozens of regional E-mail and RSS news feeds delivered daily bulletins of small arms-related mass media articles up to June, 2014. From today we'll try to do so again, at least until the end of 2016.... (GunPolicy.org)
Macabre Truth: US Toddlers Shoot, Kill More than Terrorists Do
13 March 2016
Guardian, Opinion
This week, in my country, considered by some of its more embarrassing denizens to be the "greatest country in the world", an outspoken Florida "gun rights" advocate left a loaded .45 calibre handgun in the back seat of her car and was promptly shot and wounded by her four-year-old child. Truly a pinnacle of human potential, much like the invention of paper in second-century BC China, or Aristotle holding forth in the Lyceum, or whoever first pointed out that Florida... (GunPolicy.org)
World's Most Violent Country Registers 30 New Guns a Day
10 March 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Between 2010 and 2015, Salvadorans were registering firearms at a rate of 11,000 per year. This suggests 30 new firearms were registered every day in a country where the vast majority of crimes are committed with guns. In a market that had sales of almost $2 million in 2014, four firms dominated gun imports.
The inhabitants of the world's most violent country have been spending more than $1.5 million on guns annually. Although the market's total size and the number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handgun Licensing, Gun Registration Soar in Guam
6 March 2016
Pacific Daily News (Guam)
Almost 600 concealed firearms licenses were issued in Guam in 2014 — a dramatic jump from previous years, when the numbers hovered around 100, according to Guam Police Department data. In 2015, more than 800 licenses were issued.
Sen. Tony Ada attributes the dramatic jump to a bill he authored in 2014, which became law that year.
"P.L. 32-150 was enacted in May of 2014," Ada said. "It makes sense that any jump in the number of concealed (firearms licenses) issued... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Gun Regulations Eased by Politicians in France [FR]
3 March 2016
Le Point (France), Agence France Presse
[Translated summary: Following terrorist attacks in France, the National Assembly voted in favour of easing regulations on the use of firearms by law enforcement, .]
Empêtré dans la loi travail, le gouvernement a un motif de satisfaction : l'Assemblée nationale a voté mercredi soir l'assouplissement des règles d'usage des armes par les forces de l'ordre, dans le cadre du projet post-attentats de réforme pénale examiné en première lecture.
À côté des cas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Interest in Sport Shooting Up Since France Gun Attacks [FR]
2 March 2016
Zoomdici (France)
[Translated summary: Since the dramatic attacks of 2015 in France, there has been a rising interest in sport shooting, according to clubs, and not only due to the passion for the sports practice.]
Depuis les dramatiques événements de 2015 en France et la mise en place de l'état d'urgence, le sujet est tellement tabou que toutes les personnes interrogées ont préféré garder l'anonymat. Selon des membres de la direction de clubs, l'intérêt croissant pour le tir... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Facts, Figures and Firearm Law in Burkina Faso [FR]
26 February 2016
Le Pays (Burkina Faso), Transcript
[Translated summary: Gun facts and figures in Burkina Faso: the 2009 Firearms Decree; Consequences of the August 1983 Revolution; Arms trafficking in the region; Importance of the illegal manufacture of home-made guns; In Ouagadougou alone: 1,246 permits to carry firearms were issued in 2015, 1,270 in 2014, and 1,190 in 2013]
INTERVIEW
Propos recueillis par Michel NANA en collaboration avec Afronline (Italie)
Le Colonel Christophe Raoul Tapsoba est le secrétaire... (GunPolicy.org)
The People Who Want British Gun Laws to Be Relaxed
23 February 2016
BBC News
Gun debate in Britain tends to focus on what is happening in the US, but more than 700,000 firearm owners live in England and Wales. Who are they, and why do some want laws relaxed?
"It's frustrating for me that when you tell someone you own a gun you're instantly labelled a weirdo. It's like a secret society," Callum Long-Collins explains from a gun shop in Botley Mills, Hampshire.
He owns seven firearms, but did not want to show them in his own home in case it gave... (GunPolicy.org)
A Look at Thailand's Fervent Gun Culture
19 February 2016
Deutsche Welle
Widely known as a welcoming tourist destination, Thailand is also a country awash with easily obtainable firearms, featuring one of the highest gun homicide rates in Asia. DW examines why gun ownership remains so high.
Thailand has the highest reported rate of gun-related deaths in Southeast Asia - almost 50 percent more gun homicides than the Philippines. And with 7.48 registered violent gun deaths per 100,000 people, the figure is also twice as high as that of the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,United Kingdom,New Zealand,Canada
How a Conservative-Led Australia Ended Mass Gun Killings
4 December 2015
New York Times
In the continuing debate over how to stop mass killings in the United States, Australia has become a familiar touchstone.
President Obama has cited the country's gun laws as a model for the United States, calling Australia a nation "like ours." On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton has said the Australian approach is "worth considering." The National Rifle Association has dismissed the policies, contending that they "robbed Australians of their right to self-defense... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Congress to Consider Bill Loosening Gun Control
24 November 2015
Americas Society / Council of the Americas (AS/COA)
A measure that would loosen gun control in Brazil—home to one of the largest absolute number of homicides globally—is wending its way through Congress. Supported by the so-called "bullets, beef, and bible" caucus, the legislation could dismantle the country's landmark 2003 disarmament legislation.
Where does the bill stand?
On November 3, a congressional committee approved the bill, which now heads to the Chamber of Deputies floor. Called the Gun Control Statute,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Americas Society / Council of the Americas (AS/COA)
Brazil Seeks to Copy US Gun Culture
12 November 2015
Time (USA)
Rio de Janeiro - Congressmen in Brazil, one of the most violent countries in the world, are proposing to dramatically loosen restrictions on personal gun ownership, bringing the country much closer to the American right to bear arms.
The politicians say the measures are necessary to allow embattled citizens the right to defend themselves from criminals armed with illegal weapons. But opponents say the move will only increase the country's toll of nearly 60,000 murders... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Mayor Offers Citizens €250 Bonus to Buy a Handgun
21 October 2015
Local (Italy)
A mayor in northern Italy has announced plans to set up a fund to help his town's citizens buy guns.
Gianluca Buonanno, the Northern League mayor of Borgosesia in Piedmont, has promised to pay citizens who wish to buy a firearm towards their purchase – a sum which is around 30 percent of the price of a small pistol in Italy, La Repubblica reported.
Buonanno announced his decision on Facebook, writing that the measure was aimed at allowing citizens "to defend... (GunPolicy.org)
Chile's New Firearms Act Increases Penalties Related to Gun Possession
16 May 2015
La Tercera (Santiago de Chile)
[Translated summary: Chile's new Firearms Act increases penalties and requirements on firearm possession. In 2014 there were 763,070 registered firearms, including 397,438 for personal defence. In 2015, 3,618 weapons were surrendered, compared to 2,771 in 2014 and 2,507 in 2013.]
Durante el año pasado, 623 personas realizaron trámites y rindieron los exámenes para comprar e inscribir un arma de fuego en el Gran Santiago. Sin embargo, a 84 de éstas se les negó la... (GunPolicy.org)
Kyrgyzstan Legalizes Firearms Use For Self-Defense
4 March 2015
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Prague)
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has endorsed amendments to the country's Criminal Code allowing individuals to use firearms in self-defence.
The presidential press service said on March 4 the amendments give Kyrgyz individuals the right to use firearms to protect their lives, health, and property against intruders.
The bill was initiated by lawmakers Feliks Kulov, Tatyana Levina, Eristina Kochkarova, Igor Gusarov, and Kanybek Osmonaliev from Ar-Namys... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian Citizens Can Now Carry Rifles in Public
20 November 2014
Business Insider (Australia)
After a change to national gun law on Tuesday, Russians can now carry certain guns in public for the purposes of "self-defence."
The new policy allows the use of weapons to "protect their lives, health and property" but not against "women, disabled persons, and minors, unless they attacked you with a group and arms," according to an analysis by Russian media site Arguments and Facts.
These weapons include "long-barreled weapons, pistols, revolvers, 'home-made tubeless... (GunPolicy.org)
New Caledonia: The Crisis America Isn't Going to Do Anything About
3 November 2014
National Interest, Opinion
Given the long list of items on the Obama administration's foreign-policy agenda, American neglect of the South Pacific is understandable. There are no vital U.S. interests at stake in the region, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. Unless, of course, the big strategic picture makes the Melanesian arc of islands as strategically vital as it proved to be during the Battle of Guadalcanal. But I'm not expecting the U.S. cavalry to come to the rescue in the near... (GunPolicy.org)
Does Rural Australia Have a Gun Problem?
27 October 2014
The Conversation, Opinion
The recent multiple homicide in a small Victorian township, coming barely a month after a mass shooting in rural New South Wales, may give the impression that firearm-related murders in rural Australia are rampant.
It would be easy to attribute this to higher density of gun ownership in country areas relative to cities, particularly where farming is a dominant industry and firearms are "tools of the trade". But understanding gun violence is not that simple.
Firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
No Biblical Excuse for Carrying a Gun
20 September 2014
AL.com (Alabama)
DECATUR, Georgia – Is there a Bible-based theology that justifies an emphasis of personal defense and deregulation of gun sales and ownership? Not really, says a panel of activists who fight for good gun regulation out of their personal religious motivations. The panel on "God and Guns" at the Religion Newswriters Association's annual conference, going on through Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, in Decatur, Ga., represents several faith-based groups who advocate for more... (GunPolicy.org)
Austria to Create Central Gun Registry to Meet EU Requirements [DE]
19 June 2014
Die Press
[Translated summary: From the end of June, all legal firearms will have to be centrally registered with Austrian authorities to meet European Union requirements. 226,264 Austrian citizens have permits for weapons requiring approval however the number of legally held weapons in Austria is much higher. Austria has one of the most liberal gun laws in Europe but Austria's gun lobby calls the changes an attack on civil liberties. There is a booming internet trade in firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Dutch Shop Owners Want Self Defence Weapon Law Relaxed
7 May 2014
Netherlands Times
More than 60 percent of store owners are pleading for a widening of the Weapons Law to allow for them to keep weapons in their shops in defense against the threat of robbers. One in five store owners questioned already has a weapon under the counter.
This comes out of research from EenVandaag, who questioned 1000 shop keepers. In most cases, owners want to have less-lethal weapons such as baseball bats, but more elaborate items such as iron bars and chair legs with... (GunPolicy.org)
Outcry in Germany: Montana Gun Owner Waited, Shot Student to Death
7 May 2014
New York Times
MISSOULA, Montana — Teenagers call it garage hopping. The goal was to sneak into an open garage, steal some beer or other items and slip away into the night. It was dumb and clearly illegal. It was not supposed to be deadly.
Around midnight on April 27, a 17-year-old exchange student from Germany named Diren Dede left the host home where he played Xbox and drained cans of Sprite to set off with a friend through his dark hillside neighborhood. They passed a home whose... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Gun Abuse Victim Tells Her Story
6 May 2014
Independent (Dublin)
On the same day Oscar Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp, young mother Astheera Jagessar reported her boyfriend for holding a handgun to her forehead after she spoke to another man.
It all started when an electrician arrived at her boyfriend's house when she was alone there. She wasn't sure why he turned up, so she called her partner and told him to come home. When he arrived back after having a few drinks, he was furious and jealous that Astheera was speaking to a... (GunPolicy.org)
Reuters Falls for a Very Misleading 'Florida Gun Deaths' Chart
15 April 2014
Mirror (UK)
Bad charts make us really sad.
Here's the original, with an inverted Y-axis.
Business Insider fixed it like this.
But we prefer our version, with Piers Morgan bravely fighting for gun control in the States in the face of The Terminator. It makes more sense that way.
The original point of the graphic was to show the effect of a change in the gun laws in Florida.
After the "stand your ground" laws were enacted in 2005 the number of deaths rose almost... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Rights May Return to US Supreme Court's Agenda
13 April 2014
USA Today
WASHINGTON — The push and pull over the Second Amendment right to bear arms is heating up again, thanks in part to a former Supreme Court justice's new book.
Friday, the high court will consider whether to hear a challenge to a New Jersey law restricting the right to carry guns in public. If the court grants the petition, it would be the most important gun control case since the justices upheld the right to keep handguns at home for self-defense in 2008.
While the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Doctors Say Gun Violence a Public Health Issue
10 April 2014
Washington Post
With last month's controversy over Vivek Murthy's nomination for surgeon general still fresh, the nation's second-largest physicians group reaffirmed Thursday that it considers firearm violence a public health issue and issued a wide-ranging set of recommendations to address the deaths and injuries caused by guns.
The timing appears to be coincidental. But like Murthy — whose nomination was blocked in large part by a National Rifle Association offensive over his... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Madness in Georgia: New Law Allows Guns in Churches, Bars
27 March 2014
Los Angeles Times, Editorial
Fifteen months ago, as the nation recoiled in horror from the massacre of 20 children and six adults by a mentally ill man armed with three semiautomatic weapons, there were firm proclamations that this time would be different. The violence at that Newtown, Conn., elementary school, it was said, would finally lead the nation to come together and embrace some reasonable gun control laws.
Well, that didn't last long. If anything, the national gun frenzy, fueled by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Bulgarian Official Orders Review of All Gun Licences After Fatal Shooting
18 March 2014
Sofia Globe
Bulgarian Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov has ordered a complete check-up of all gun licences in the country, whether for hunting or self-defence, in the wake of a March 14 incident in which a police officer died in a shootout with a mentally ill man who had a stash of firearms.
The inspection, announced on March 18, will require authorities in charge of firearms supervision to provide information including the expiry dates of existing gun licences.
Tsatsarov... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Happy Georgia State Lawmakers Put Public Safety at Risk
18 March 2014
Washington Post, Editorial
The National Rifle Association calls it "the most comprehensive pro-gun reform legislation in recent state history." That's true, sad to say.
After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012, gun-control advocates thought reasonable firearm restrictions might have a chance at enactment. They scored a notable victory in Colorado but mostly failed elsewhere and on the national level. Now the old political calculus seems to be back at work: The momentum... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Asks: Where's Our Debate On Gun Control?
17 March 2014
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
"Guns, ammo and shooting are as much a part of everyday life [in Pretoria] as a trip to the dentist," an Australian journalist recently reported. It's a narrative we've been hearing a lot of from our international colleagues lately. South Africa, the gun-mad land of fear, where citizens hole up with firearms to defend themselves against any threat.
It's true for some. It's clearly true for the Pistorius family, with Beeld reporting last year that Oscar's father, three... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Fears Gun Facts, Mounts 'Corrupt' Campaign to Muzzle Public Health
17 March 2014
Bloomberg (USA), Editorial
Vivek Murthy is a well-regarded physician and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Like the president he hopes to serve as surgeon general, he supports greater regulation of firearms. That said, the surgeon general has no role in regulating guns, a task that falls to the perennially underfunded and legislatively hobbled Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
So why are the National Rifle Association and its allies in the extreme gun-rights movement so... (GunPolicy.org)
18 People Shot Daily in South Africa, Violent Crime Rate Remains High
12 March 2014
Deutsche Welle, Video
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is on trial, charged with the pre-meditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who died after being shot four times on Valentine's Day in 2013. The paralympic gold medalist is also charged with three firearms offenses.
While Pistorius has admitted to killing Steenkamp in his Pretoria home on February 14, he has pleaded not guilty and claims he fired through the bathroom door after mistaking her for an intruder.
The rate of... (GunPolicy.org)
One in Six Uruguayans Own a Gun, NGOs Say Real Number Higher [ES]
11 March 2014
Diario UNO de Entre Rios (Argentina)
[Translated summary: One in six people in Uruguay has a gun according to recent figures. There are officially 580,000 registered firearms in Uruguay but there are concerns about an increase in gun sales on the black market amid insecurity in the Latin American region. Citizens must pass a mental health exam and firearms training to own a weapon, while carrying a weapon requires further checks. There is a strong cultural acceptance of the defensive use of a firearm,... (GunPolicy.org)
Russians Seek Right to Protect their Homes with Firearms
3 March 2014
Russia Beyond The Headlines
Russians are seeking the right to use firearms to protect their home and property. A proposal to introduce the relevant amendments to the Russian Criminal Code has been put up for a popular vote on a special website, garnering the support of more than 100,000 people. However, experts are divided on the prospects of adopting these amendments.
The public initiatives website was set up not long ago on an initiative from Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to collect... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Culture Shifts Towards a 'Stand Your Ground' Nation
25 February 2014
Slate (USA)
Ever since George Zimmerman gunned down Trayvon Martin in his Sanford, Fla., gated community, it's become an article of faith that the rash of lethal shootings in public places — from the Florida moviegoer who was killed after a texting and popcorn-throwing incident to Jordan Davis, shot in his car at a Jacksonville, Fla., gas station to last week's lethal shooting in an Arizona Walmart — is attributable to the "stand your ground" laws enacted over the past decade... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Debate: Is Price of an Armed America a More Dangerous America?
2 February 2014
Christian Science Monitor
ATLANTA - Charles Ingram and Robert Webster were neighbors in Florida, but friends said the two older men had little love for each other and often quarreled. On a spring day in 2010, the two men, both gun enthusiasts who had state permits to carry concealed weapons, got into another argument across their lawns.
This time, police later said, both men pulled out their weapons. When Mr. Webster began approaching, Mr. Ingram raised his gun, as did Webster. Two shots rang... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns + Impulsive Teenagers = Family Tragedy in America - MSNBC feature
19 January 2014
MSNBC News (USA)
Michael Graham killed himself a year ago. The 13-year-old was at home in Brewster, N.Y., and used one of his father's unsecured guns to shoot himself on Jan. 14, 2013. The boy "definitely" acted on impulse – "without a doubt," his aunt Maureen Hutchins told msnbc.
"Did he have a bad day at school? Fight with a girlfriend? Things that happen to a 13-year-old – when you're that age – can seem overwhelming, but two hours later, you know, you move on," said Hutchins.... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Cyclist Found With Illegal Shotgun Down His Trousers
20 December 2013
New Zealand Herald
A cyclist, stopped for not wearing a helmet, was discovered to be hiding a sawn-off shotgun down his trousers, police say.
The 35-year-old man was riding through Fairview Downs in Hamilton in the early hours of this morning, when two police constables on patrol pulled him over for looking out of place and not wearing a helmet.
"When they were talking to him [they] noticed a shotgun cartridge fall to the ground as he emptied his pockets," Hamilton city area commander... (GunPolicy.org)
'Stand Your Ground' May Apply in Shooting Death of US Man With Alzheimer's
1 December 2013
Eurasia Review
Mistaken for a prowler, an elderly man with Alzheimer's was shot early Wednesday in rural Walker County, Georgia after approaching a house miles from his own. Authorities says the state's "stand your ground" law may apply.
An investigation continues into the death of Ronald Westbrook, 72, who was shot in rural, northern Georgia's Lookout Mountain region by Joe Hendrix, 34, around 4 am (EST) Wednesday. Westbrook was likely lost and confused when he rang Hendrix's... (GunPolicy.org)
20,000 Maltese Citizens Own Guns, Mostly Collectors - Eurostat Study
8 November 2013
Times of Malta
Some 20,000 Maltese were estimated to own firearms according to a study carried out by Eurostat.
However, only two per cent said they owned the gun for personal protection, much less than the EU average of 14 per cent. A total 21 per cent said they were collectors.
The study, conducted in collaboration with Misco last month, found that only seven per cent of those surveyed had owned a firearm.
Some 78 per cent said they agreed with cooperating with neighbouring EU... (GunPolicy.org)
More Gun Charges Added to Indictment Against South African Star Athlete
30 October 2013
Washington Post / Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Prosecutors accusing Oscar Pistorius of premeditated murder will add two more charges believed to relate to firing guns in public to the indictment against him, apparently to show another side to the inspiring double-amputee Olympian: Reckless and trigger-happy.
Pistorius now faces charges of murder, illegal possession of ammunition and two other counts of breaking South Africa's firearms laws in his trial in March.
Pistorius' lawyers... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lawmakers Bicker Over Stand Your Ground Laws After Recent Deaths
29 October 2013
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
WASHINGTON - The mother of a 17-year-old boy shot by a suspicious neighbour told a panel of U.S. senators Tuesday that state "stand your ground" self-defence laws do not work and must be amended, reviving the politically charged gun control issue a year ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.
But little besides politics emerged from the session, held in the Senate's made-for-television hearing room. Democrats who hold majority power in the Senate and are trying to keep it... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Stand Your Ground' Laws Result in More Justifiable Homicides: Report
17 September 2013
Reuters
Killings deemed justifiable rose sharply in states where Stand Your Ground self-defense laws allow individuals who claim to be in fear of their lives to use lethal force rather than retreat, according to a new study by a coalition of groups who favor greater gun control.
The overall justifiable homicide rate jumped 53 percent in 22 states that adopted Stand Your Ground laws between 2005 and 2007, according to the study sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the... (GunPolicy.org)
In Gun Debate, Divide Grows as Both Sides in US Dig in For Battle
15 September 2013
New York Times
The weeks after a gunman killed 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., were characterized by a new optimism about a goal that had seemed elusive for almost a decade: tougher gun laws. The shooting was called on more than one occasion "a game changer."
In the nine months since, although supporters of stricter legislation have won some victories, those high hopes have been tempered by a series of losses, most notably in April when the Senate defeated several measures to... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia & Herzegovina Holds Civilian Amnesty Ahead of New Gun Law
2 September 2013
Eurasia Review / Southeast European Times
The problem of illegal weapons remaining from 1990s conflict is still significant in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the entire region, while the countries of the western Balkans are trying to persuade citizens to surrender illegal weapons they possess.
A new law on amnesty for possession of illegal weapons that the Republika Sprksa assembly adopted will be in force starting Sunday (September 1st) and citizens will be able to pass their illegal weapons to authorities... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 190,000 Guns Have Expired Licences in Peru [ES]
1 September 2013
Peru 21
[Translated summary: There are 190,216 guns with expired licences in Peru according to data from the Superintendencia Nacional de Control de Servicios de Seguridad, Armas, Municiones y Explosivos de Uso Civil (Sucamec). The guns belong to both individuals and companies. Under the current law, there are 43 types of weapons requiring a licence although sports shooting permits differ.]
Un total de 190,216 armas de fuego con licencia vencida, de las cuales 152,370... (GunPolicy.org)
Spanish Farmers Consider Becoming 'Guards' to Carry Guns
20 August 2013
Local (Spain)
A wave of rural robberies in Murcia has led farmers to look for ways to legally arm themselves in order to defend their livelihoods.
The president of the Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Growers (COAG) in the southeast Spanish city of Cartagena revealed details this week of a crime wave that is frustrating local farmers.
Vincente Carrión told La Opinion de Murcia newspaper: "In the last week alone they've stolen two power converters and broken into three... (GunPolicy.org)
Indonesian Rights Groups Call For Total Ban On Civilian Gun Ownership
16 August 2013
Jakarta Post
Human rights activists have called for a total ban on handgun possession for civilians and a review on the use of guns by the police and the military amid concerns of rising gun violence.
The activists said that allowing civilians to own firearms for safety reasons, particularly among businessmen, could create fear among the general public, especially in resource-rich areas such as the country's easternmost province of Papua.
"There is no need for civilians to... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Law Reform in Venezuela - Part 1 of 2
7 August 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Last month President Nicolas Maduro signed into law a disarmament bill that has gone under various revisions within the National Assembly since 2010. The law signifies an important attempt by the Venezuelan government and legislature to control the flow of arms in the country. In this post we look at the evolution of the law, the conflicts that the law has produced (both between the opposition and the government and within Chavista ranks), and provide a summary of the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Philippines Gun Control Law to Licence Gunsmiths, Regulate Guns
27 July 2013
ABS-CBN News (Manila) / Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - A new law on gun control requires gunsmiths to have licenses for them to repair registered firearms.
This is one of the salient points in the newly approved Republic Act 10591, also known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which will take effect in September, four months after President Aquino signed it on May 29.
Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, chief of the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) said his unit has... (GunPolicy.org)
Americans Legally Toting Hidden Handguns at Alarming Rates - NY Times
17 July 2013
New York Times, Editorial
Amid all the furious debate generated by gun tragedies like the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida, citizens in too many states have been quietly, legally arming themselves at alarming rates that offer scant optimism for reining in the nation's runaway gun culture.
Florida granted more than 173,000 new concealed-carry gun permits in the past year, even as the Trayvon Martin case proceeded — a 17 percent increase that is double the rate of five years ago and brought... (GunPolicy.org)
UAE Signs UN Arms Trade Treaty
10 July 2013
Gulf News (Dubai)
NEW YORK - The UAE last night signed the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, becoming one of the 79 nations to sign so far.
The treaty was signed by Ambassador Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al Jarman, the UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and counter-signed on behalf of the United Nations by the director of agreements in the presence of a number of international officials involved in the United Nations and members of the diplomatic corps' missions to the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Signs Gun Control Bill
16 June 2013
al Jazeera
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro signed a gun control bill into law in a bid to rein in the country's runaway violent crime.
"I hereby sign into law this gun control law, for peace in our nation," Maduro said on Friday in an address in Vargas state.
The bill will allow sentences of up to 20 years in prison for any civilian convicted of illegally carrying or selling a firearm.
It also restricts the sale of ammunition to civilians, and bans weapons from being shown... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Researcher Turns to Crowd-Funding
30 May 2013
Nature (USA)
Economist Bisakha Sen wants to study how US states' gun laws and gun cultures correlate with certain crimes and with firearms deaths in each state — and whether differing laws and cultures in neighboring states "spill over" to influence a state's statistics.
But although President Barack Obama ordered the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommence gun research in the wake of last December's massacre of 20 schoolchildren and 6 adults in Newtown,... (GunPolicy.org)
Top Namibian Cop Says its 'Too Easy' to Get Guns, Suggests Law Change
20 May 2013
Namibian (Windhoek)
Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga has admitted that it has become "too easy to own" a firearm in the country and that there is an urgent need to amend the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1996 in order to address its shortcomings.
The Namibian on Friday reported that police issued close to 15,000 licenses for guns to civilians in the past two years - just over 7,100 license applications in 2011 and about 7,600 licenses were issued in 2012.
"As someone responsible... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers in South Africa Investigated Over Possible Law Breaches
15 May 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - An independent probe has been commissioned into alleged unscrupulous practices among firearms dealers, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Wednesday.
Concerns had recently been raised about firearm dealers not complying with the Firearms Control Act, Mthethwa said in a statement.
"In order to ensure that the provisions of the act are properly complied with… I have decided to set up an independent investigation into the practices complained of," he... (GunPolicy.org)
Drunk Kosovo Man Shoots, Kills Wife After Divorce Request
1 May 2013
Croatian Times
A Kosovan man who shot his Swiss wife dead at the bus stop when she refused to consider changing her mind about divorcing him - and then went for a beer at a local pub - has claimed her death was her own fault.
Afrim Mujaj, 45, then sat calmly watching as ambulances sped by in a bid to try and save the life of his 35-year-old wife Mirvete in Riniken, Switzerland. And as emergency services tried in vain to keep her alive - the court heard he bought rounds of drinks for... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian President Opposes Gun Sales for Self-defense
27 April 2013
United Press International
MOSCOW - Russian citizens should not be allowed to freely own guns for purposes of self-defense, says President Vladimir Putin.
His comments were made after a gunman with a rifle killed six people in southwest Russia Monday, RIA Novosti reported Saturday.
"I do not support the idea of free arms distribution in Russia," Putin told a Russian television station. "It is dangerous to artificially stimulate this process."
Police arrested the suspect, 31-year-old Sergei... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian President Opposes Idea of Free Gun Sales for Defensive Use
27 April 2013
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday he opposes the idea of allowing Russians to buy guns freely for self-defense purposes.
"I do not support the idea of free arms distribution in Russia," Putin told Rossiya 24 television adding: "It is dangerous to artificially stimulate this process."
The idea came after a shocking massacre in downtown Belgorod, southwest Russia, on Monday afternoon, which left six people dead.
A gunman killed three people... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Study Shows Guns Rarely Used to Kill Criminals or Stop Crime
15 April 2013
Violence Policy Center (Washington, DC), Media release
WASHINGTON, DC — "Guns are rarely used to kill criminals or stop crimes" according to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) report Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use (http://www.vpc.org/studies/justifiable.pdf). The report analyzes national data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey... (GunPolicy.org)
Facts Show Guns Don't Offer Protection, Despite What the NRA Says
25 March 2013
Guardian (UK), Blog
"The one thing a violent rapist deserves is to face is a good woman with a gun!" That was Wayne LaPierre, executive director of the National Rifle Association, the standard bearers for America's gun lobby, making the case that personal firearms prevent rape.
The assertion that guns offer protection is a mantra the NRA has repeated often. In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, LaPierre opined: "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Did the Doomed Assault Weapon Ban Kill Most Other US Gun Control?
20 March 2013
Daily Beast (USA)
Sen. Harry Reid announced Tuesday that he would not be including Sen. Dianne Feinstein's proposal to ban the sale of assault weapons in the package of gun legislation he'll bring to the floor of the Senate. This all but ends gun control advocates' hopes of reinstating the ban on assault weapons, although Feinstein can offer it as an amendment once Reid's package is being debated. Reid, however, says there aren't anywhere near the 51 votes for passage, much less the 60... (GunPolicy.org)
Congo (DRC),Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Angola,Zambia,Africa
Zambia Calling for a 'Bullet-Proof' Arms Trade Treaty
18 March 2013
Times of Zambia
TODAY (March 18, 2013) will be a crunch day of epic proportions when the United Nations Organisation (UN) convenes at its New York Headquarters to start negotiations to conclude an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that has the potential to forever regulate the hitherto unregulated trade in conventional weapons.
The global trade in conventional weapons - from warships and battle tanks to fighter jets and machine guns - remains poorly regulated. No internationally agreed... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global Gun Grabbers Team with UN to Prep African Countries for Arms Trade Treaty
15 March 2013
Fox News (USA)
A week before it opens a treaty conference to impose worldwide limitations on arms sales, the United Nations co-hosted and paid for a series of meetings involving 48 African nations and an anti-gun group that espouses much greater national and international control of firearms, including registration of small arms and ammunition.
The co-host of the gathering in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa was a multinational "civil society" network known as IANSA, which calls... (GunPolicy.org)
Dangerous Weapons Bill Adopted in South Africa to Curb Violence
13 March 2013
Global Times (China), Xinhua
The Portfolio Committee on Police on Tuesday adopted the Dangerous Weapons Bill as South Africa is moving to curb rising violence.
The bill will repeal all legislation dealing with dangerous weapons. There are currently five different pieces of legislation that deal with dangerous weapons, including the Dangerous Weapons Act of 1982.
The committee called on police to effectively implement the Dangerous Weapons Bill, which will also give powers to the police to arrest... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Related Deaths: How Australia Stepped Off "The American Path"
12 March 2013
American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
Australia and the United States share many characteristics. Both are English-speaking democracies of multicultural immigrants. The 2 nations have been allies for nearly a century. Australians and Americans consume similar diets of movies, video games, popular music, recreational drugs, and alcohol. Both have vast interiors, early histories of armed European settlers mistreating native populations, plenty of feral pests to shoot, and many firearm enthusiasts. Yet the 2... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
The Need for Improved Firearms Control in South Africa - Analysis
11 March 2013
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
In his affidavit before the court, South African 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius stated that he kept a 9mm pistol underneath his bed because he was scared of criminals.
Following the events in the early hours of 14 February 2013 that saw him fatally shoot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he now faces charges of murder. This is not the first such case. In 2009 Johannesburg homeowner Warren Voster accidentally killed his domestic worker's 12-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
Share of US Households with Guns Declined Over Past 4 Decades, Study
9 March 2013
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
NEW YORK — The share of U.S. households with guns has declined over the past four decades, a national survey shows, with some of the most surprising drops in the South and the Western mountain states, where guns are deeply embedded in the culture.
The gun ownership rate has fallen across a broad cross section of households since the early 1970s, according to data from the U.S. General Social Survey, a public opinion survey conducted every two years that asks a sample... (GunPolicy.org)
Rate of Gun Ownership in US Is Down, Survey Shows
9 March 2013
New York Times
The share of American households with guns has declined over the past four decades, a national survey shows, with some of the most surprising drops in the South and the Western mountain states, where guns are deeply embedded in the culture.
The gun ownership rate has fallen across a broad cross section of households since the early 1970s, according to data from the General Social Survey, a public opinion survey conducted every two years that asks a sample of American... (GunPolicy.org)
How Brazil Exploited Sexual Insecurity to Curb Guns
8 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
Brazil has a gun culture, a gun industry and a gun problem -- much like the U.S. In fact, more Brazilians than Americans died of gunfire in 2010.
Yet Brazil's 2010 tally, 34,300 deaths, was significantly lower than its gun fatalities in 2003 (39,284), when the government enacted major gun-control regulation. I asked Brazilian political scientist Antonio Bandeira, who coordinates the arms-control program of Viva Rio, a nongovernmental organization in Rio De Janeiro, how... (GunPolicy.org)
Trading Handguns for Bicycles, Laptops in Uruguay
8 March 2013
Smart Planet
BUENOS AIRES — Walking along the riverfront boardwalk in Uruguay's sleepy capital city of Montevideo, it's hard to imagine anything drastic happening, much less a murder. Save for the occasional jogger, the majority of people on the rambla engage in the most Uruguayan of activities: sitting and chatting while drinking the herbal infusion mate from a calabash gourd. It is tranquilo by any definition.
But Uruguay has been experiencing a murder wave of sorts. In this... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Guatemala,Mexico
US Alone in 'Right to Bear Arms' Gun Rights Exceptionalism
7 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
What do Guatemala, Mexico and the U.S. have in common? They are among the very few countries throughout history whose constitutions have guaranteed the right to bear arms.
Our study of constitutions going back to 1789 shows that only a minority has ever included gun rights. What's more, the number has dwindled, leaving a small and motley set of bedfellows.
For some, this lonely position is enough to suggest that the U.S. should rethink the current interpretation of... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Debates Gun Registration Law in Shootings' Aftermath
7 March 2013
Bloomberg Business Week
On a snowy late-February morning, a man walked into the cafeteria of a wood-processing plant in the Swiss village of Menznau and opened fire with a Sphinx AT .380 pistol. Four people died, including the gunman. Six others were wounded. It was Switzerland's second mass shooting in less than two months. In January a man with a history of mental illness fired a rifle from his window in the Alpine village of Daillon, killing three and injuring two. The shootings have... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel Has Fewer Guns, Fewer Deaths Than US
11 February 2013
Forward, the Jewish Daily
WASHINGTON — Nine days after the Newtown, Conn. massacre in which 20 children died, Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's executive vice president, broke his group's long silence with a bristling attack against gun regulation that included a theme heard frequently among gun rights advocates.
"Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "They said, 'We're going to stop it,' and they put... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Guns: Living with Firearms the Swiss Way
11 February 2013
BBC News
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, but little gun-related street crime - so some opponents of gun control hail it as a place where firearms play a positive role in society. However, Swiss gun culture is unique, and guns are more tightly regulated than many assume.
Throughout the attack, Anne Ithen kept her eyes shut.
"I didn't want to see it. I didn't want those images in my head for the rest of my life… but I remember... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Estonia,Finland,Colombia,South Africa,Sudan,Western Europe
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Speech Indicates Action on Gun Crime, Not Gun Control
4 February 2013
Guardian (UK)
Observers billed Obama's speech here in the Twin Cities Monday afternoon as the first stop for a White House road show promoting gun control legislation, but the event's tone, its location, and, yes, even its content signal that the White House has chosen a circuitous route in pursuit of its goals. The goals themselves have changed, too, as the White House shifts our attention away from the specific horror of Sandy Hook to the more mundane living nightmare of daily gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Fact-Check: Dispelling Pro-Gun Myths in America
31 January 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
By cutting off federal funding for research and stymieing data collection and sharing, the National Rifle Association has tried to do to the study of gun violence what climate deniers have done to the science of global warming. No wonder: When it comes to hard numbers, some of the gun lobby's favorite arguments are full of holes.
Myth #1: They're coming for your guns.
Fact-check: No one knows the exact number of guns in America, but it's clear there's no practical way... (GunPolicy.org)
Interactive Display: US Gun Laws by State
16 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
President Obama has indicated a move towards strengthening federal gun control measures, but the reality is that the majority of gun legislation in the US is enacted at the state level. That has brought broad variations across the country, with states taking different approaches to issues ranging from sales, permits, licensing, self-defence and carry laws.
Carrying firearms: open and concealed
Open-carry and concealed-carry laws determine how public citizens can carry... (GunPolicy.org)
1,906,000 Illicit Guns in the Philippines
12 January 2013
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
The public agony that often accompanies random acts of violence has plunged policymakers into another orgy of blame, shame and posturing. The shock is magnified by State inaction following a heinous massacre in 2009 that failed to dent the laws and policies governing the ownership and trading of firearms. A powerful clan was accused in that massacre. The targets were other politicians, lawyers and media workers. Much of the violence was selective in nature.
Recent... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Russia,China,Mexico
Mexico's Gun Problems Go Beyond Drug Wars
11 January 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
MEXICO CITY - A lot of attention goes to the U.S.-made weapons in the hands of criminal groups in this Latin American country. But there is little talk of another problem: the large number of light weapons in the hands of civilians.
The Mexican Constitution establishes the people's right to "own guns in their homes for their safety and self-defence", with the exception of high caliber weapons, while the 1972 Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives stipulates the... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Ownership, Trends Remain Unchanged in Estonia
7 January 2013
ERR News (Estonia)
While fears of possible changes to gun laws have prompted some Americans to make a run on semi-automatic weapons, Estonian gun ownership numbers remain relatively low and are holding steady.
ERR radio reported the number of legal guns in the past seven to eight years to be stable at 60,000 guns in the hands of 30,000 people, half of them hunters.
Police captain Sven Põierpaas estimated this number to be "optimal."
"Estonians are reasonable and balanced,... (GunPolicy.org)
India: Delhi Women Rush for Gun Licences after Fatal Gang Rape
3 January 2013
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Hundreds of women in Delhi have applied for gun licences following the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman by six men in a bus in the city last month.
The news underlines the widespread sense of insecurity in the city, deep before the incident and deeper now, as well as the lack of faith in law enforcement agencies.
The ashes of the victim of the attack - who died on Friday after 13 days in hospitals in India and Singapore and was cremated in Delhi in a secret... (GunPolicy.org)
Stop the Gun Madness in the US - Opinion
1 January 2013
Washington Post, Opinion
Guns do kill people. Our national New Year's resolution must be to stop the madness.
It is shameful that gun control only becomes worthy of public debate following an unspeakable massacre such as Newtown — and even more shameful that these mass killings occur so often. What usually happens is that we spend a few weeks pretending to have a "conversation" about guns, then the horror begins to fade and we turn to other issues. Everything goes back to normal.
"Normal,"... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Israel,Switzerland
Israel, Switzerland Have Stringent Gun Control, Fewer Guns Than US
19 December 2012
Foreign Policy (America)
Following the tragic shooting last week in Newtown, Conn., two stories leapt out at me. The first was the astonishing tale of a teacher, Victoria Soto, who hid her first-graders in closets and took a bullet rather than risking the children's lives by hiding with them. The second featured a photograph of an Israeli woman with a military-style long gun slung across her back, herding children protectively. The contrast between the powerful Israeli woman and the unarmed... (GunPolicy.org)
Greek MP Wants Firearms Crackdown, MPs Requesting More Gun Permits
14 December 2012
Guardian (UK)
An independent MP has called for a crackdown on firearms in Greece amid allegations that a growing number of politicians are carrying weapons.
Reports of pistol-carrying deputies entering parliament have added to the febrile mood in a 300-member chamber in which hardcore Marxists sit with fascists, eurocommunists, rightwing populists, conservatives, socialists and an array of independent dissidents.
The MP, Nikos Nikolopoulos, told the Guardian he was "deeply worried"... (GunPolicy.org)
Latvia Approves Law Change for Limited Gun Permits, Health Checks
16 October 2012
Baltic News Network
On Tuesday, October 16, the Cabinet of Ministers accepted amendments to the Law on the Handling of Weapons and Special Means. These amendments provide for stricter conditions for receiving weapon permits, as well as state specific requirements for performing examinations of a person's health and psychological characteristics.
In order to increase requirements for keeping a firearm, it is planned to return to the previous practice – when firearms permits were issued... (GunPolicy.org)
MP Supports UK Couple Who Fired Shotgun at Alleged Burglars
3 September 2012
BBC News
An MP has said two householders should not be prosecuted for protecting their home after they were arrested for firing a gun at alleged burglars.
Alan Duncan, MP for Rutland and Melton, said the case was "straightforward" and the married couple from Welby were defending themselves.
Leicestershire Police were called by the man who said he had fired a shotgun at a group of intruders.
One of the suspected raiders called an ambulance. Another went to hospital.
Officers... (GunPolicy.org)
Punjab Women Take Up Guns to Shoot Criminals, Rebels, 'Spoiled Brats'
1 September 2012
Tribune (India)
CHANDIGARH - Septuagenarian Amrik Kaur of Amarkot, a recipient of the Shaurya Chakra, a top civilian gallantry award, wants arms licences for both her daughters-in-law to carry forward the family tradition of keeping its women armed.
Amrik Kaur — once known as the "lioness of the border areas" — used to engage militants in night-long encounters during the peak of militancy in Punjab. Though she lost her husband Shahbeg Singh and domestic help Mukhtyar Singh in one... (GunPolicy.org)
Proposed New Law Would Give Kenyan Spies Power to Carry, Use Guns
2 August 2012
Star (Kenya)
Spy agents will soon have powers to carry and use firearms in an attempt to deal with increasing security threats. The National Intelligence Service Bill 2012 which is now before Parliament also gives the agency's Director General, "in the event of extreme emergency" unfettered access to any place, seize any property including information and document [sic] and restrain suspects from escaping.
There is however a caveat that the DG shall "as soon as practically... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Gun Advocates Use Unreliable Data to Claim a Need for Weapons
30 July 2012
CNN, Opinion
WASHINGTON - Do guns make us safer?
It's an article of faith among many gun owners that yes they do.
Last week, I presented in this space some evidence of the dangers of gun ownership: the elevated risks of accident and suicide in households that own guns. I pointed to a paradox: More Americans support gun rights, even as fewer Americans own guns. I explained this paradox with data that suggested many Americans hold false ideas about the prevalence of crime - and... (GunPolicy.org)
Truck Drivers in Bolivia Want Law to Allow Them to Carry Guns [ES]
23 July 2012
Erbol Digital (Bolivia)
[Translated summary: The Executive Secretary of the Confederation of Drivers of Bolivia, Franklin Durán, said that its industry presented to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly a bill authorizing them to use firearms to defend their trucks.]
LA PAZ - El secretario ejecutivo de la Confederación de Choferes de Bolivia, Franklin Durán, señaló hoy que su sector presentará a la Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional un proyecto de ley que les autorice el uso de armas... (GunPolicy.org)
'Carrying a Firearm - That's Being an American' [FR]
23 July 2012
Le Point (France), Transcript
[Translated summary: Aurora's shooting has revived the debate over the right to carry firearms in the United States. Didier Combeau, researcher at the Center of Urban Studies in the English-speaking World, explains why the United States will never ban firearms.]
La fusillade d'Aurora a relancé la question du port d'armes aux États-Unis… Du moins, en apparence.
Didier Combeau, chercheur au Centre d'études urbaines dans le monde anglophone à l'université Paris... (GunPolicy.org)
Jeweler Who Killed Armed Thief in Paris, Indicted for Murder [FR]
21 July 2012
RTL (Belgium) / AFP
[Translated summary: Paris, the jeweler who shot dead the armed thief is indicted for first degree murder. The jeweler had a firearm license and stored his firearm properly. The investigation will determine if the jeweler acted in self-defense.]
Le bijoutier parisien ayant tué un homme qui tentait de braquer son commerce jeudi a été mis en examen pour homicide volontaire samedi selon des sources judiciaires. Il a été laissé libre sous contrôle judiciaire.
Pas... (GunPolicy.org)
Celebratory Shootings, Stray Bullets Killed 41 Indians in 7 Months
19 July 2012
Hindustan Times (Lucknow)
LUCKNOW - The death of Mehtab, a 10-year-old boy, in celebratory firing at Bareilly on Tuesday indicates the state government's efforts have not succeeded in checking the unwelcome practice. In the last seven months, 41 people have been killed in such incidents in various districts.
After two deaths in Faizabad in May, the state government had directed the district administration officials to cancel the licence, as well as initiate legal action against those who used... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Medics Carry Handguns After Attacks On-Duty
18 July 2012
Times (South Africa)
Facing the threat of violence daily , paramedics are now arming themselves so that they can get on with the business of saving people's lives.
This emerged yesterday during a judgment in the case of two men accused of raping two paramedics in Roodepoort, on the West Rand, in 2010.
Private paramedics who spoke to The Times claimed that up to 60% of emergency workers at certain emergency services companies carried weapons to protect themselves against attack while on... (GunPolicy.org)
More Indian Women Getting Gun Licences for Self-Defence
15 July 2012
Times of India
INDORE - Firearms and guns are catching the fancy and imagination of Indore women like never before. This year in the first half gun licenses were issued to six women as against the 12 in the past year. Officials say the number would go up by the end of the year.
In the past women hardly applied for gun licenses except for transfer of licenses issued in their late husband's name, said a senior official. But now, there are several applicants seeking license for fresh... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Judge Reduces Sentence for Man Selling Non-Existent Gun
10 July 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario) / QMI Agency, Opinion
TORONTO - On the surface, an Ontario judge striking down a mandatory minimum three-year sentence to someone for supposedly trying to sell a revolver seems another case of the law being an ass (or "a ass," to quote Charles Dickens).
In the case of Christopher Lewis, a judge imposed a sentence of three years — two for drug dealing (less one year for time served) and an additional year (instead of the mandatory minimum) for offering to sell a .45-calibre gun he didn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Muzzling Doctors on Guns, 'Shoot First' Laws – Florida's Gun Law Morass
9 July 2012
New York Times, Editorial
A federal court has struck down one of the more nonsensical of Florida's many risky gun laws — one that banned the state's thousands of doctors from ever discussing firearms with their patients. There was no evidence that this was ever a problem or a common occurrence, yet the law was enacted last year on the strength of an anecdote from a couple who complained to their gun-obsessed legislator that their physician inquired if they owned guns.
The court wisely upheld... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal Advocates Arms Trade Treaty in UN
7 July 2012
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU - Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Gyan Chandra Acharya yesterday reminded that millions of lives and livelihoods have perished, and serious violations of fundamental human rights have occurred due to irresponsible and illicit transfer of weapons and munitions around the troubled parts of the world.
Delivering his statement at the UN Conference on Arms Trade Treaty in New York, the Nepali envoy emphasized that a robust Arms Trade Treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia's Position on the Arms Trade Treaty
6 July 2012
Voice of Russia (Moscow)
Russia has one of the most well developed arms control systems in the world and we have only one arms exporting nongovernmental agency which controls all arms trade.
Interview with Sergey Denisentsev – expert of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies from Moscow, Russia.
What is the position of Russia on IATT?
Well, the key difference between the Russian approach towards IATT and the approach of countries of the EU is the matter of goals of IATT.... (GunPolicy.org)
Palestinian President Launched Broadest Crackdown on Illicit Arms Trade
4 July 2012
Washington Post / AP
Palestinian lawmaker Shami Al-Shami, 47, is treated by medics for gun wounds sustained outside his home in the West Bank town of Jenin, Sunday, July 1, 2012. Al-Shami said Sunday he has been shot twice in the leg by assailants as he got out of his car outside his home. Jenin once served as a model for Palestinian law and order, but has experienced a wave of brazen attacks by gunmen over
JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has launched... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 2 Million Lawfully Held Guns in Italy, But a Very Soft Law [IT]
29 June 2012
La Stampa (Italy)
[Translated summary: Yesterday in Giugliano, Naples, a three-year-old child found a gun in his house and accidentally shot himself to death. An analogous fact took place in Catania on June 18 and caused the death of a fifteen-year-old. But how many weapons are in circulation in Italian homes? The exact number has never been released by the Interior Ministry, but it is estimated that there are over 2 million lawfully held guns.]
ROMA - Ieri a Giugliano (Napoli) un... (GunPolicy.org)
Stuff You Couldn't Make Up: Controversial US Killer Killed by Stray Bullet
26 June 2012
Miami Herald
Greyston Garcia was killed in his truck three months after a judge granted him immunity under Florida's controversial self-defense law.
After he beat a murder charge under Florida's controversial self-defense law, Miami's Greyston Garcia took an anonymous job as a cashier in a cramped all-night convenience store in Liberty City.
Tuesday night, he asked to go home early.
Sure, his boss said, but first drive to the gas station to get change for some $20 bills. Garcia... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Gun Lobby and Bad Law Block a Crime-busting Tool to Catch Killers
26 June 2012
CNN, Opinion
The gun lobby is fiercely, and so far successfully, blocking what easily could be the greatest technological breakthrough to catching killers and deterring others.
The simple method allows bullet manufacturers to stamp a numeric code on shell casings that would make it very easy to identify the gun that fired the shot. But the National Rifle Association is lobbying against states enacting laws to require such "microstamping."
The gun lobby is likely to prevail, given... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Pistol Handout Backfires: Corrupt Thai Officials Sell Handguns to Thugs
25 June 2012
Bangkok Post
Shootouts involving hot-blooded youngsters are a common occurrence and the problem may be rooted in a government gun distribution policy gone wrong.
Police have been alarmed by the easy availability of firearms which have ended up in the hands of people who should not be carrying them, including youngsters.
They have found that arms smugglers are not the main suppliers of the weapons to the young people.
Rather, it is state officials and security personnel who are... (GunPolicy.org)
7,987 Guns Registered under Women's Names in Guatemala [ES]
18 June 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: Responding to the increase of violence Guatemalans turn to firearms, as shown by the increase of licence applications.]
Guatemala - Las guatemaltecas encuentran en las armas de fuego una forma de defenderse de la violencia y aumentó el número de las que solicitaron licencia o ya las registraron para portarlas, afirma hoy una publicación.(RadioPL)
Ese incremento fue confirmado por la Dirección General de Control de Armas y Municiones, en tanto... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Raises Concerns about the Security Guard Business in Canada
17 June 2012
New York Times
OTTAWA — The capture at the American border of a Canadian security guard wanted in the slaying of three colleagues and the wounding of a fourth ended a nationwide manhunt and brought a sense of relief to western Canada on Sunday.
The search for the suspect, Travis Baumgartner, 21, began Friday after, the police said, he shot his co-workers while they were refilling A.T.M.'s at a university campus in Edmonton, Alberta.
After the early morning shooting, Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
With Ministers Carrying Guns Could Bahamas Become a 'Gun-toting' Society?
10 June 2012
Tribune (Bahamas)
Government ministers carrying weapons could open the door to the Bahamas becoming a "gun-toting" society.
The warning came from the FNM's deputy leader after it was revealed two ministers were personally armed.
Loretta Butler-Turner, who said she had received two death threats herself, branded the government "reckless" and said it was sending the wrong message by allowing ministers to carry guns.
"I would ask this government to reflect on the gravity of what is... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: MP Calls to Facilitate, Promote Lawful Access to Guns [ES]
8 June 2012
La Jornada Aguascalientes (Mexico)
[Translated summary: PAN coordinator in the Congress of Aguascalientes said that the process to legally obtain firearms must be publicised among citizens, as the Constitution itself refers to the right of everyone to own a firearm for self-defence.]
Alfredo Reyes Velázquez, coordinador de los panistas en el Legislativo de Aguascalientes, opinó que el método para conseguir armas de manera legal debe ser publicitado entre la ciudadanía, pues la misma Carta Magna... (GunPolicy.org)
People of Ahmedabad District, India Rush for Gun Licences
8 June 2012
Indian Express
AHMEDABAD - With land prices having shot up in the auto hub of Sanand and land-owners flush with cash, the township in Ahmedabad district now wants more and more of guns.
Since 2010, when the Tatas changed the once-sleepy town into a destination of global auto majors like Ford and Peugeot by relocating its Nano plant here, Sanand has topped the list of firearms licencees.
According to data obtained from Ahmedabad district collectorate, between 2010 and May 2012, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Puerto Rico Police Support to Citizens Using Guns for Defence Raises Concern [ES]
7 June 2012
La Prensa / EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Amnesty International in Puerto Rico raises concern on the possible consequences of the explicit support of the police superintendent to citizens using firearms for self-defence.]
SAN JUAN - Amnistía Internacional (AI) Sección de Puerto Rico expresó hoy a través de un comunicado su preocupación ante las posibles consecuencias del apoyo explícito del jefe de la Policía de la isla, Héctor Pesquera, a que la ciudadanía utilice armas de fuego... (GunPolicy.org)
Bahamas Minister's Decision to Carry a Handgun Raises Debate
7 June 2012
Nassau Guardian (Bahamas)
Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell said yesterday he does not understand why anyone would criticize his decision and that of National Security Minister Dr. Bernard Nottage to carry guns.
Bell confirmed to The Nassau Guardian on Tuesday that both he and Nottage are personally armed.
He also pointed out that both he and Nottage have been trained to use firearms.
Former Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest said at a press conference on... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Lebanon,Venezuela,United Arab Emirates,Canada,Syria
No Gun Control Plus Idle Youth Equals Recipe for Trouble - Opinion
6 June 2012
National (Abu Dhabi), Opinion
'The weapon first, fighting second," goes an Arabic proverb, which pretty much explains why there is so much conflict in the world today. But it also describes perfectly what I have had the misfortune of seeing as I've travelled and worked in war zones across the region.
I remember the time I was in Iraq, and the family I was staying with insisted that I carry some form of weapon as "defence" and protection. Even their grandmother carried a small hand gun in her purse... (GunPolicy.org)
In Fear of Gun Violence, Dominicans Carry More Hidden Handguns
1 June 2012
Diario Libre (Dominican Republic)
SANTO DOMINGO - In the face of the advance of criminality in the country, it seems that the Dominicans have decided to purchase weapons for themselves for their defense, which is demonstrated by the 298,432 legally registered firearms at the Ministry of the Interior and the Police.
In February of this year, Interior and Police only had 203,394 firearms registered, and from then until now there has been an increase of 95,038.
The majority of these weapons have carry... (GunPolicy.org)
Seattle Cafe Mass Killer Mentally Ill, Had Legal Hidden Handgun Permit
1 June 2012
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
Ian L. Stawicki, who shot five people to death Wednesday in Seattle before putting a bullet in his own head, had a long history of violence and mental problems, though not the kind that show up on official records. He was charged with misdemeanor assault in 2008 and 2010, but charges in both cases were dismissed after first his girlfriend, whose nose he allegedly bloodied, and then his brother declined to testify against him. Other charges reported by Seattle police,... (GunPolicy.org)
Rwanda Police Call Civilians to Hand in Illegal Firearms
31 May 2012
News of Rwanda
The Rwanda National Police has called upon the people to hand in illegal arms which they say that are the reason for the various blasts around the country.
According to police, the liberation war and genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 left grenades, unexploded ordnances (UXO's) and other small arms on the surface of Rwanda.
"These undetonated UXO's and recent series of grenade blasts across the country that have claimed innocent lives including children who played... (GunPolicy.org)
Marsabit, Upper Eastern Kenya - Where the Gun Rules
30 May 2012
Capital FM (Nairobi)
MARSABIT, Kenya — They brave through the empty, lonely and insecure all-weather Marsabit roads to attend to their daily businesses.
In this town in upper Eastern Kenya, residents can only walk in groups or hire Administration Police officers to escort them to their places of work.
Instead of herding animals with the traditional shepherd's staff, herders in the North Eastern District graze their animals carrying guns and swords!
Indeed, this is the daily life in... (GunPolicy.org)
Curbing 'Rampant Misuse,' Mumbai Denies 84% of Gun Licence Requests
28 May 2012
Times of India
MUMBAI - In a bid to rein in rampant misuse of licensed weapons, the police rejected more than 80% of applications for gun licences last year, with not a single builder or film personality granted sanction. Even among those who did receive the approval, around 18% were policemen who had sought licences for personal use of firearms.
Statistics obtained through a query filed under the RTI Act show that out of 340 applications filed for gun licences in 2011, 284 were... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Police Consider 3-months Ban on Permits to Carry Firearms
25 May 2012
Philippine Daily Inquirer
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna—The top police official in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region said his office was considering at least a three-month suspension on permits to carry firearms in Cavite and Batangas.
Calabarzon police director Chief Supt. James Melad on Wednesday said he was considering the ban after they realized an "abnormality" in the number of reported crimes committed with the use of firearms.
When asked if he meant a rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Proliferation in Philippines, a Threat to Innocent Families
25 May 2012
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Editorial
Last Saturday's shooting of a 14-year-old by an 11-year-old school mate in barangay Pasil underscores the problem of small arms proliferation in the country.
According to the gunshot victim, Mark Rey Abano, a few moments before he got a bullet in the head, he saw the father of the 11-year-old boy give the gun, a paltik .38 revolver, as a "gift".
Based on 2011 data from the Philippine National Police, there are about 2 million loose firearms in the country, enough to... (GunPolicy.org)
Understanding Arms Trafficking in France Using Geopolitics [FR]
23 May 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Arms trafficking has become a recurrent and increasing part of the social life of France society. In Marseilles, Lyons and Stains (near Paris), the number of homicides committed with AK-47 or automatic pistols has considerably increased in the past weeks. It is crucial to understand how and especially why these killers acquire such arms. For this, the geopolitical approach is efficient.]
L'actualité française vient de le rappeler : le trafic... (GunPolicy.org)
Kurdish Government Stops Issuing, Renewing Gun Licences
23 May 2012
Rudaw (Kurdistan)
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- Hiwa Hassan, 34, visited the Erbil Governorate Office twice last year to renew his firearm license. He was turned down both times, even though he says he needs a firearm because his job requires him to constantly move between cities.
Hassan says, "A lot of times, I return home at night. I always have a Kalashnikov with me, but I have never shot a round. I carry a Kalashnikov for personal safety."
Hassan's firearm license expired a month ago.... (GunPolicy.org)
Control Strategies of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Africa - Analysis
22 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily, Opinion
Introduction
Most of the definitions of small arms and light weapons agree that they are the personal arms used by an individual person of a less than one hundred millimeter caliber. The extensive proliferation of the illegal small arms and light weapons is considered among the greatest challenges facing most of the African states.
The threats of the small illegal arms are not only confined to the security aspect, rather they go beyond that to extended effects on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Uncontrolled Circulation of Guns in Indonesia Jeopardizes Development
22 May 2012
Jakarta Post
The media coverage of an Army officer who brandished his gun in a street quarrel with a motorcycle rider recently raised concerns about the inappropriate use of arms.
The circulation of small arms has clearly reached a point that puts development sustainability and security in many countries in the world at risk.
The uncontrolled circulation of arms has contributed much to the mounting tension, terrorism or any other security threats to a country, such as what has... (GunPolicy.org)
Growing Number of Indian Women Turning to Firearms for Protection
21 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
When Dr Harveen Kaur Sidhu travels from her home in an upmarket neighbourhood of the north-western Indian city of Chandigarh, she always slips her lightweight .22 revolver in her bag. The gun is a new purchase – Sidhu got her licence only a year ago – but now the 33-year-old dentist won't travel without it.
"I don't have faith in the police to protect me. There are so many attacks on women these days. It's everybody's right to defend themselves. I think all women... (GunPolicy.org)
In Turkey, Debating a Woman's Right to Have a Gun in Domestic Violence
19 May 2012
National Public Radio (USA)
In Turkey, hundreds of women die each year at the hands of a husband or family member, in a society that critics say too often ignores violence against women. After years of frustration, one organization has shaken up the debate with a controversial proposal: arming women and training them to defend themselves.
Looking back, Yagmur Askin thinks perhaps she should have paid more attention on her wedding day, when her husband's family welcomed her by saying, "You enter... (GunPolicy.org)
Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
Where Do 20 Million Illegal Guns Come From? Afghanistan, Says Pakistan
17 May 2012
Express Tribune (Pakistan)
KARACHI - There are an estimated 20 million illegal arms in circulation in Pakistan.
This includes serious firepower: law enforcement authorities are increasingly coming under attack from criminals and terrorists armed with heavy weapons such as grenades (including rocket-propelled ones), long-range sniper rifles and machine guns. The volatile situation in Lyari was a case in point, where despite the fact that police were equipped with tank-like armoured personnel... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence in South Africa, a National Public Health Priority - Analysis
17 May 2012
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
ANALYSIS
South Africa faces numerous challenges in preventing and reducing the levels of violence and crime. The burden of mortality and morbidity arising from violence and injury affects the lives of millions of individuals annually and continues to undermine social harmony and socio-economic development.
This is, now more than ever, a national public health priority - one that needs to be monitored and controlled so as to limit the number of injuries and non-natural... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
Black Market Handguns Advertised Openly in Remote Regions of China
17 May 2012
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Black market explosives and pistols are advertised openly in the remote, mountainous Yunnan county where a mysterious suicide bomber killed three people and injured 16 last week, the South China Morning Post can reveal.
Most advertisers claim they can arrange delivery by car within an hour in central Kunming , the provincial capital, with guns handed over outside supermarkets and post offices.
Some advertisers also said they had delivery networks in remote counties.... (GunPolicy.org)
Debate Over Disarmament Bill in Venezuela [ES]
14 May 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: A debate over proposals for public policies, which address the situation of gun violence in Venezuela, was held in Caracas. During the meeting, members of the commission highlighted the importance of including people of varied social and religious sectors in formulating legislation for disarmament, after stating that in Venezuela, 98% of homicides are committed with firearms. The possibility of an amnesty was also mentionned.]
CARACAS - Periodistas... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican MP Suggests Military Sell Arms to Civilians Directly [ES]
10 May 2012
Frontenet (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: MP Gloria Guadalupe Rodriguez (PRI) has put forward a controversial initiative, suggesting the formal installation of a unit for selling arms in each military zone so that civilians could acquire them legally.]
La diputada Gloria Guadalupe Rodríguez (PRI), presentó una polémica iniciativa que pretende solicitar formalmente la instalación de una unidad de comercialización de armamento en cada zona militar, para que los ciudadanos puedan... (GunPolicy.org)
Tighter Gun Control Laws Demanded in Indonesia
7 May 2012
Jakarta Post
Tighter gun-controls are being demanded by politicians and activists following a spike in firearm-related violence across the country.
Poengky Indarti, executive director of human rights watchdog Imparsial, urged the government and the House of Representatives to work together to change the firearms policy.
"Both should amend the law on the control of firearms and explosive, audit all firearm possession in the country and strengthen supervision and control," she said.... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq Legalises Civilian Possession of Guns Amid Security Handover
6 May 2012
CRI English (China)
The Iraqi government on Sunday legalized the possession of one gun in each house in the country, as Iraqi army soldiers started the gradual handover of security control to the police, government officials said.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said in a statement that the Iraqi security authority "decided to license a rifle or a pistol in each house, on condition that the owner must register it (the gun) in the nearest police station."
Dabbagh warned that those... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Ends Silence, Fights to Defend US Vigilante Gun Laws
2 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
Initially silent amid controversy of Trayvon Martin's death, gun-lobby group vows to defend the controversial statutes.
The National Rifle Association has begun a rearguard action to shore up the controversial "stand-your-ground" laws that it has promoted across America, in the wake of the eruption of public anger over the killing in Florida of the unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
Since Martin was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a self-declared neighborhood... (GunPolicy.org)
Improved Gun Tracing, Registration Needed in Ghana, Says Commission
25 April 2012
Ghana web (Ghana)
The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCSALW) says there are approximately 30 arms importers licensed in Ghana, with mostly no credible database on their activities.
State institutions do not have exact statistics on the number of arms these licensed arms dealers import annually, or who they sell these weapons to because current State legislations lack the capacity to ensure the effective monitoring of their activities.
There are varied statistics... (GunPolicy.org)
Ghanaian Police Urged to Educate Public: There's No Need to Carry Guns
23 April 2012
Joy Online (Ghana)
A Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Cape Coast, Mr Takyi Akonnor, has charged security institutions in the country to 'step up their game' to convince the citizenry of their safety. Doing so, he said, will assure people that there is no need for them to acquire small arms to protect themselves.
Mr Akonnor was speaking in an interview with Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on Joy FM's Super Morning Show Monday. He was commenting on reports suggesting... (GunPolicy.org)
Increase in Number of Illegal Arms Circulating in Ghana
23 April 2012
Joy Online (Ghana)
One hundred and twenty-five thousand illicit guns are in circulation in the country without any form of data or record indicating where and who owns them, according to a baseline study in 2004.
According to the report, about 400,000 small arms are in circulation in the country. A little over half of the number 220,000 is in civilian hands. Only 95,000, representing 43.2 per cent, are registered, leaving a significant 56.8 per cent or 125,000 unaccounted for.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Police Battle Over Removal of Firearms from Unfit Officers
23 April 2012
Times (South Africa)
The SA Police Service is locked in a battle with a union over the removal of firearms from more than 27000 officers found unfit to carry them and the placing of seasoned policemen as security guards.
The SA Policing Union made a successful urgent application late last week for an interdict prohibiting Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and acting national police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi from disarming policemen in all nine provinces who have been declared unfit to handle... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shootings Not Tightening US Gun Control Laws Anymore - Expert
22 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — The statistics are staggering, the stories heartbreaking, yet there is little chance that any amount of bloodshed will lead to stiffer gun controls in the United States in the foreseeable future.
"It's not something that any politician thinks is winnable," said Kristin Goss, a politics professor at Duke University and author of "Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America."
Five years after the worst school shooting in US history left 32... (GunPolicy.org)
Proposal to Allow the Right to Carry Hidden Handguns in Mexico [ES]
19 April 2012
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: University Professor and lawyer Ernesto Villanueva suggests allowing the free carrying of firearms in Mexico, under administrative regulations and ensuring prior technical qualification of the carriers.]
El catedrático y jurista Ernesto Villanueva aseguró que con ello se erradicará el tráfico ilegal y los delitos; además mencionó "pareciera que hay dos cárteles, uno operado por el presidente Calderón y otro operado por las bandas... (GunPolicy.org)
Vigilante Street Shooting a Turning Point in US Gun Control Debate?
19 April 2012
Christian Science Monitor
For years, gun laws had grown less restrictive. But some gun rights advocacy has been curtailed after the Trayvon Martin shooting, which has provided ammunition for gun control groups.
ATLANTA - Will Americans leery of a decade of gun rights expansions stand their ground over the Trayvon Martin case?
The Feb. 26 shooting of the unarmed teenager in Sanford, Fla., by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, and the initial police decision not to charge Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Dip in Gun Licence Applications Due to Improved Law and Order?
18 April 2012
Telegraph (India)
Firearms are losing their spark in Patna or so it seems from the decline in the number of people seeking arms licences over the past five years.
Till a few years ago, public display of firearms was common on the roads of the state capital. This trend, however, has taken a beating since 2007 (see chart).
A source in the arms magistrate office said: "From 1990 to 2005, the annual number of applications for arms licences was almost 2,000 on an average but after 2006, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Number of Gun Permits in Hawaii, More Women Taking Gun Classes
18 April 2012
News Now (Hawaii)
HONOLULU – Numbers released by the Department of the Attorney General show a record number of permits were issued for firearms and a record number of firearms were registered in Hawaii in 2011.
Last year 14,460 permits were issued statewide compared to 12,214 in 2010. And 36,804 firearms were registered in Hawaii in 2011 compared to 31,390 the year before.
"Most of the folks we get are acquiring firearms for the purposes of protection," said Bill Richter, President... (GunPolicy.org)
Cattle Herders Avoiding Disarmament in South Sudan for Fear of Attacks
17 April 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — South Sudan's army (SPLA) says that some Murle cattle herders are avoiding handing over their weapons to the military as part of a statewide disarmament campaign in Jonglei following severe violence earlier this year.
The SPLA captain responsible for disarmament in the Anyidi area, Philip Bol Akuei, said that reports of Murle raiders were reaching his forces but poor roads and the distances involved means that they are not mobile enough to respond.
Some... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Gunfest Focuses US Fight Over 'Shoot First' Hidden Handgun Laws
14 April 2012
CBS News (USA)
ST. LOUIS - Avid hunter Rob West drove from Chillicothe, Ohio, to St. Louis this week to join some 70,000 fellow National Rifle Association members at the organization's annual convention, where seven acres of guns and gear were on display and where politics was never far from anyone's mind.
For the NRA, which opposes any restrictions on gun ownership and President Barack Obama's re-election, the Second Amendment right to bear arms is sacrosanct.
"We don't want... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
US Presidential Hopeful: Enshrine 'Right to Bear Arms' in UN Treaty
13 April 2012
C-Span / YouTube (USA), Video
Newt Gingrich, presidential candidate and former US House speaker (1995-99), speaks at the National Rifle Association Annual Meeting.
Right To Bear Arms Is A Human Right (Newt Gingrich)
Play video:... (GunPolicy.org)
Private Guards with Semi-automatic Guns to Defend German Ships from Pirates
13 April 2012
Spiegel (Germany)
Using private security firms to protect ships from Somali pirates has long been a legal gray area in Germany. Conceding that it doesn't have enough soldiers to do the job, the German government is considering a draft law allowing shipowners to deploy private armed guards. But there's one caveat: Security personnel would be limited to using semi-automatic firearms.
Shipping companies and Western governments have been struggling with the problem of piracy off the Horn of... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Americans Back Gun Lobby, Right to Use Deadly Force, Shoot to Kill
13 April 2012
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Most Americans support the right to use deadly force to protect themselves - even in public places - and have a favorable view of the National Rifle Association, the main gun-lobby group, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
The online survey showed that 68 percent, or two out of three respondents, had a favorable opinion of the NRA, which starts its annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday.
Eighty-two percent of Republicans saw the gun lobbying group... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Dealers Faking Gun Licences 'Security Threat' to India
12 April 2012
Nagaland Post (India)
GUWAHATI - Several armed private security guards and criminals of Assam possess firearms bought using fraudulent arms licences procured from Kangpokpi in Manipur and Dimapur in Nagaland.
Sources in the criminal investigation department (CID) of police, which is investigating the matter, said the arms and ammunition procured by using these licences, many of which were fake, had become a threat to public safety and a major concern for security forces.
"If anybody... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor Launches Campaign Against 'Shoot First' US Gun Laws
12 April 2012
Washington Post / AP
WASHINGTON — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a national campaign against gun laws that he said "justify civilian gun play."
Bloomberg was joined by the leaders from the NAACP, National Urban League and other groups Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., as he announced "Second Chance on Shoot First."
The campaign aims to repeal or reform the laws that eliminated a person's duty to retreat when threatened with serious bodily harm or... (GunPolicy.org)
The Law of the Gun in Florida - Editorial
5 April 2012
New York Times, Editorial
Florida leads the pack in passing bills written by the gun lobby that block any sensible attempt to control the purchase and use of firearms. The dangerous folly of these laws was on display in the Trayvon Martin shooting, and will again be on display when Republicans gather for their presidential convention in Tampa this August.
The City Council is sensibly preparing tight security precautions for the downtown area by temporarily banning clubs, hatchets,... (GunPolicy.org)
Federally Funded Research on US Gun Violence Banned for 10 Years
5 April 2012
Sacramento Bee (California) / McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Opinion
Yet another senseless killing spree shocked America this week, as word spread of Monday's tragedy at Oikos University in Oakland, Calif.
The pattern is all too familiar: A shooter possessed by pent-up anger or resentment apparently sets out to kill - not necessarily the people who caused his misery, but anyone connected to a place or institution with which it was associated. All of these deaths are tragic, but there is something especially poignant when the setting is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sacramento Bee (California) / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Rise in Justifiable Homicides Linked to Weak US Gun Control Laws
5 April 2012
Guardian (UK)
NEW YORK - Rising numbers of civilian justifiable homicides across the US are closely linked to states with both weak gun controls and stand-your-ground laws, according to a Guardian analysis of FBI and other data, which show a 25% increase in such killings since the controversial self-defence laws started being introduced around 2005.
Stand-your-ground (SYG) measures, which have attracted increasing scrutiny since the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon... (GunPolicy.org)
US: We Need to Talk About Guns - Blog by Andrew Rosenthal
5 April 2012
New York Times, Blog
How many students have to be shot to death in their schools before this country has a serious discussion about guns? Are the 10 who have been gunned down just since Feb. 27 enough?
The question of the constitutional right to own guns is irrelevant here—even if you believe that the Constitution gives every last American the right to own a firearm (which The Times editorial board does not, but many other reasonable people do).
There is simply no defending the many... (GunPolicy.org)
Fearing the Public, US Politicians Carry Hidden Handguns in State Capitols
4 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — When Wisconsin lawmakers gather to discuss the business of the day at least one of them is legally packing a concealed weapon, amid the ever-present and heated gun law debate in the United States.
Wisconsin is one of just nine US states -- out of 50 -- which have expanded conceal-carry laws to allow gun owners to enter state capitols with their weapons, including on the assembly floor.
After the law was passed in November, state representative Bill Kramer... (GunPolicy.org)
The Fatal Flaw in Florida-Style 'Shoot First' Gun Laws – NY Times Editorial
29 March 2012
New York Times, Editorial
As the investigation of the shooting death of the teenager Trayvon Martin by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman goes forward in Florida, news accounts are reporting a toll of shootings, knifings and other violent homicides in which the state's dangerous Stand Your Ground law was successfully claimed as a defense.
The killings included domestic disputes, barroom brawls and drug violence, according to The Tampa Bay Times, which surveyed 130 cases in which the 2005... (GunPolicy.org)
Vietnam,Thailand,Singapore,Philippines,Myanmar,Malaysia,Laos,Indonesia,Cambodia,Brunei
Southeast Asian Nations Meet in Cambodia to Strengthen Small Arms Control
29 March 2012
Xinhua
PHNOM PENH -- The ASEAN security officials gathered here on Wednesday to seek effective measures for cooperation to prevent disasters caused by illegal arms smuggling and trafficking, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day ASEAN workshop on Small Arms, Light Weapons and Unexploded Ordnances Control, Sar Kheng said the meeting was very important to identify effective measures for... (GunPolicy.org)
In 23 Rich Nations, 80% of Gun Death, 87% of Kids Shot Are American
28 March 2012
New Jersey Today
In a report released this month, the Children's Defense Fund has analyzed recent national data on gunfire deaths and produced some alarming figures on child casualties.
The report also criticizes a wave of new state gun-rights laws that the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group argues put children in ever more peril.
The nonprofit advocacy group dedicated its report, "Protect Kids, Not Guns 2012,"to Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead in February by a... (GunPolicy.org)
Nearly Twice as Many US Preschoolers Die by Gunshot Than Police
28 March 2012
New Jersey Today
In a report released this month, the Children's Defense Fund has analyzed recent national data on gunfire deaths and produced some alarming figures on child casualties.
The report also criticizes a wave of new state gun-rights laws that the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group argues put children in ever more peril.
The nonprofit advocacy group dedicated its report, "Protect Kids, Not Guns 2012,"to Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead in February by a... (GunPolicy.org)