All Articles Tagged "firearms"
Very Necessary: Trayvon Martin’s Dad Puts Out Father’s Day Message About Gun Violence
Source: tweetbuzz.us
Following in the footsteps of Sybrina Fulton and her touching Mother’s Day PSA about Trayvon Martin and the problems with the “Stand Your Ground” law, Tracy Martin has put out his own PSA about his son, his first Father’s Day without Trayvon, and the need to combat “Stand Your Ground” laws and help prevent a Father’s Day where 30,000 fathers will be without their sons. Those were the statistics presented for the number of sons and daughters slain through gun violence just last year alone.
The video is one that tugs at the heart strings, especially when images of Trayvon and Tracy are presented (especially the one where Tracy is kissing his son on the cheek).The main point of the video seems to be that it’s important for people to contact their governors and ask them to re-examine the “Stand Your Ground” laws that stand across the country. There are about 25 in all. If you know anybody who has been killed by senseless acts of violence involving firearms, I’m sure you can understand Tracy’s pain, and can feel him when he says, “Life can be beautiful.” To help do your part, go to SecondChanceOnShootFirst.org to gain more information on the many reckless gun laws and what you can do to help put a halt to them. Until then, check out the video below and let us know your thoughts. Happy Father’s Day Mr. Martin.
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The District of Columbia Would Like To Sell You A Gun
By J. Smith
The District of Columbia fancies itself an arms dealer, apparently. Just like when the United States supplied arms to future enemies in the Middle East, the Washington, D.C. government would like to sell guns to city residents (and, I assume, use the money to combat gun violence some day). The only gun shop within D.C.’s borders has been temporarily closed since April, and apparently the ability to buy a gun righ this second deserves “emergency legislation.”
“In a twist for the District, which once banned the weapons before its rules were struck down by the Supreme Court, Councilman Phil Mendelson is sponsoring emergency legislation that would make D.C. a licensed firearms dealer. Under the legislation, gun owners who want to bring handguns into the District would have their guns shipped to government offices to get the stamp of approval to carry them within D.C. borders. D.C. needs the law, Mendelson said, because the only licensed firearms dealer in the District is temporarily closed for business as of April. That amounts to a de facto ban on handguns, since no one can now legally bring a gun into the District,” The Washington Examiner reports.
I am immediately struck by how quickly the government can move on things that serve its interest most. Guns are clearly a priority within the local government, so much so, that it is willing to become the catalyst for the commerce they generate. Much of the government is reluctant to get involved in selling affordable insurance to the poor, but selling guns is ok?
Imagine the tangled webs beginning to mat under the thought of guns being issued by the state. Regulation already sounds like a nightmare, and the timing of the issue couldn’t be worse, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in hot water because of a botched operation involving – you guessed it – the government’s handling of guns. Stop the madness, D.C., and let the local gun market regulate itself.
Ill. Lawmakers Say Gun-Permit Holder Names Private
(AP) — Illinois lawmakers voted overwhelming Friday to bar the public from knowing who holds a firearm owner identification card, a victory for gun owners who say they have a right to privacy over open-government advocates who say such records should not be secret. In a 42-1 vote, the Senate passed a measure overturning a ruling by Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office that said the names are public under the state’s open records law. It now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn, who said he agrees the information should remain confidential and will “act accordingly” after reviewing the legislation. Madigan’s office issued the decree earlier this year after the Illinois State Police refused to release to The Associated Press the names of 1.3 million people who are registered to own firearms. The AP’s request set off howls of protests from gun owners and the state police, who said they feared criminals would use the information to steal guns or target those who aren’t armed.
A Clamor for Gun Limits, but Few Expect Real Changes
(New York) — The National Rifle Association has gone uncommonly dark since the weekend shootings here. A posting on its Web site expresses sympathies for the victims of the violence, and N.R.A. officials said they would have nothing to say until the funerals and memorial services were over. In Washington, bills were being drafted to step up background checks, create no-gun zones around members of Congress and ban the big-volume magazines that allowed the Tucson gunman to shoot so many bullets so fast. Gun control advocates say they believe the shock of the attack has altered the political atmosphere, in no small part because one of the victims is a member of Congress.
A Rush for New Gun Restrictions, but Odds Appear Long
(Washington Post) — The road to firearms policy in America is paved in blood. Every major change in the regulation of U.S. gun ownership was prompted in part by a national gun tragedy, such as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy or the attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan. The 1960s killings of Kennedy, his brother Robert and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led to the Gun Control Act of 1968, the cornerstone of gun law in America today.
The Hidden Life of Guns: Sellers Shut Down by ATF Find Other Ways
(Washington Post) — About a hundred times a year, regulators strip gun dealers of their licenses for violations of federal law, an extreme step taken only when repeated infractions are deemed a threat to public safety. But a year-long Washington Post investigation documented about 60 cases since 2003 in which the businesses stayed open, often re-licensed through relatives, employees, associates or newly formed companies. “We’ll just have to play musical licenses,” the owner of the Highland Gun Barn in Michigan said when a federal inspector served him with a final notice to surrender his license.
