More and more gun violence. Every single day of the week, gunshots ring out around America. How many will it take before we’re woken by the noise? TN: Police identify victims of shooting outside Hooters restaurant TX: Man shot on highway has died four days after accident DC: 19-year-old volunteer and journalist shot to death [...]
Another round of gun violence, this time at a shopping area in Kansas City, Missouri. A man there allegedly shot a neighbor, and then fired on a police officer before driving to a Target where he was previously employed and shooting two people in the parking lot. Police trying to make sense of the four [...]
Our good friend Saul Cornell has a commentary focusing on exactly what purpose the Second Amendment serves according to our Founding Fathers. The NRA would have us all believe that the Second Amendment lets them get away with whatever they want (and that we should be forced to accept all the gun deaths that happen [...]
Elayne Boosler has posted a must-read essay over at the Huffington Post. With great intelligence and searing wit, she lays into the gun lobby and the legislators who, despite all reason and common sense, continue to support them. We agree 100% with her– we too, like most Americans these days, are “tired of prying your [...]
Even while our legislators refuse to pass stronger gun laws, more and more Americans are getting shot. Why are we just waiting for yet another tragedy? AR: Son of presidential candidate is arrested because he forgot he had a concealed weapon in his bag. Won’t be a problem any more– police are going to revoke [...]
Josh Sugarmann of the VPC has posted an analysis on the Huffington Post of the NRA’s response to last week’s tragedy, which worked the same way as how they respond to all tragedies. First, they take all the steps they can to actually remove the issue of firearms out of an incident that had firearms [...]
Bob Herbert has written a great column in the New York Times about how our country seems to be “hooked on violence”– even after a week where we see the worst mass-shooting in modern American history, we’re still talking about putting more and more guns into both public and private life. Just what is this [...]
The Justice Department is pushing forward a new bill that would keep terrorism suspects from buying weapons. It seems like a no-brainer (why would you allow those suspected of terrorism to purchase guns?), but apparently it’s still a loophole in the law– a loophole that Senator Frank Lautenberg is looking to close. The Justice Department [...]
More violence– it happens every day in a country with 250 million firearms in it. FL: Teen arrested, charged with shooting two in attempted robbery outside strip club CA: New Zealand woman found dead in apartment with American boyfriend LA: Woman killed, her estranged husband is arrested CO: Shots fired into home as family sleeps [...]
Finally today, it looks like we were right about the NRA’s first move after last week’s shooting at Virginia Tech– they have now said they will support that bill that will require states to enter their mental health information into the federal background check database. And strangely enough, it’s earned the NRA a new enemy– [...]
Two very different public rallies have taken place in the past week outside of the Pennsylvania legislature, and the differences show just how things work within the gun debate in America. Yesterday, anti-gun-violence advocates appeared outside the Capitol, along with leaders and legislators from districts around the state. And what they said differed very greatly [...]
Another shooting death at a gun range. Rentals are easy for almost anyone to do at gun ranges (in some states, you don’t even need a permit to rent a firearm), and so they are unfortunately magnets for suicides. In this case, if a gun rental hadn’t taken place, the suicide never would have happened. [...]
Gunshots ring out on almost every street in every city. When will we end it? VA: Virginia Tech shooter fired 170 shots in 9 minutes, say police NY: Authorities release name of state trooper shot and killed yesterday AK: 18-year-old in critical condition after being accidentally shot by a friend IL: No charges in accidental [...]
Two editorials today from two great anti-gun-violence advocates in the Pennsylvania Daily News. First up, Barbara Montgomery talks about the choice we’re unfortunately being forced to make on firearms in the United States: when it comes to gun violence, it’s going to be our kids or our guns. We must ask the question — why [...]
We’ve knocked this one down again and again, but it keeps climbing back up. Newt Gingrich is the latest advocate of the insane “the way to stop guns is with more guns” line– he showed up on the sunday talk shows this week advocating that we pour gasoline on the burning problem of gun violence. [...]
There’s an extremely interesting post by Bruce Reed over at Slate about just how beneficial stronger gun laws can be for politicians. Conventional political wisdom (driven, no doubt, by the lobbyists at the NRA) says that stronger gun laws are a loser issue, and that any politician that speaks out against the NRA won’t do [...]
More violence, every day of the week. It won’t change until our legislators decide to. MT: 13-year-old boy killed by police after he opened fire on them NY: Police looking for man who shot state trooper NY: “Fracas” in neighborhood left one man killed and two injured by gunfire CA: Lawyer says shooting of police [...]
Finally today, here’s a great editorial from the Economist that lays out just what our loose firearms laws have done to this country– the problem isn’t just the school shootings at Virginia Tech and Columbine. It’s a wide wash of deaths that affect every state, city, and county in this nation. Our citizens are dying [...]
Eric Schneiderman over at the DMIBlog has posted a very dense but interesting article providing a really in-depth background on the battle over the Tiahrt Amendment. He goes step by step into the factors behind the bill– this is a piece of legislation that actually keeps police departments from sharing important data about where crime [...]
A college professor has been fired after making comments in class about the Virginia Tech shootings. The AP is reporting that he mimed shooting a student, and expressed opinions that the students on Virginia Tech’s campus would have been safer if they were armed. An adjunct professor was fired after leading a classroom discussion about [...]
Week to week, day to day, we’re seeing violence from coast to coast. TX: Gunman and hostage dead after standoff Friday at Johnson Space Center TX: Two people dead and several others wounded in shooting at apartment complex NC: Two die in seperate weekend shootings MI: City official’s son shot to death on highway NY: [...]
Finally today, here’s the most interesting thing we’ve heard yet about the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting– while the NRA has been officially silent since their three sentence statement about the shooting, rumors are spreading that they’ve been talking in private instead, and get this– it’s with Democrats about stronger gun laws. The National [...]
Once again, while our legislators can’t seem to figure out what to do about gun violence, our nation’s newspapers are far from silent on the issue. After last week’s violence, the media from coast to coast has responded, and the editorial pages, just like the citizens they write to, are overwhelmingly in favor of reintroducing [...]
Dennis Henigan, the legal director of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, went head-to-head with the readers of the Washington Post this morning, and solidly answered a lot of questions running through American minds after the Virginia Tech shooting that took place a week ago. Jackson, Wyo.: We have more gun laws than any [...]
Is this what the NRA expects us to live with, just so they can get their kicks on the shooting range? We can’t abide yet another day of gun violence– and yet they keep coming. TX: Johnson Space Center building evacuated after reports of employee inside with a gun TX: Gunshots heard at Johnson Space [...]
Finally, at the end of a week filled with chaos, mourning and argument about what to do next, we finish with a moment of silence. On Tuesday, the Freedom States Alliance announced that it was inviting the nation to join in a nationwide Moment of Silence, and today at noon Eastern time, thousands of people [...]
We’ve already learned that one of the handguns Cho Seung-Hui used to kill 32 people and himself on Monday at Virginia Tech was purchased “legally” (despite Cho’s history of mental illness which, if our gun laws were stronger, should have prevented him from obtaining a gun at all). And now, we’ve found out about the [...]
Lots and lots of voices, opinions, and editorials are coming out about Monday’s massacre at Virginia Tech. Here’s a quick runaround. At the Washington Post, EJ Dionne points out the problem– we’re stuck in the same old arguments. Monday’s shooting was a tragedy unlike any this country has ever seen– we need a change more [...]
Another day, more violence. In every corner of the country, widespread gun availability is costing us American lives. IN: Authorities say they’re investigating “possible” shooting– what else could it be? NM: Shotgun and ammo discovered in vehicle at high school, school locked down FL: Teen plots to “out-do” Virginia shooting, say police IN: Gang member [...]
Well after all the bad news from Viriginia this week, we have to say that we are thrilled to finally, finally bring you some good news: The NRA has been punted out of the Florida legislature yet again. On that heinous guns at work bill, Marion Hammer has been sent running with her tail between [...]
Lots and lots (and lots) of media coverage in the past week about the Virginia Tech shooting. Here’s a few highlights. -First off, check out this can’t miss commentary by Robert Reich on NPR. He compares buying a firearm in America to buying anti-depressants or other types of prescription medications. To get any or all [...]
It’s now been discovered that Cho Seung-Hui, the shooter in Monday’s massacre at Virginia Tech, sent a package of photos, videos, and writings to NBC News in between the two shootings. The network only discovered the video within the past day or so (Cho had accidentally put the wrong zip code on the package), and [...]
Another day in the now constant flow of gun violence. When will we be able to stop it? NY: Queens man kills his mother, two others, and then himself GA: Man shoots and kills his wife because he thought she was a burglar TN: 3-year-old struck by bullet during shootout after argument at convenience store [...]
Our colleagues at the Violence Policy Center have released a few very informative reports that help to fill in a lot of the background information about Monday’s shooting. Yesterday, they released a very in-depth report on the guns used in the shooting, which have been reported as a Glock Model 19 and a Walther P22, [...]
Here’s a look at two pieces of legislation that are being affected already by what happened at Virginia Tech earlier this week. In Louisiana, legislators are moving forward on a bill that would make sure college campuses have the right to protect their students from gun violence by keeping firearms out of dorms once and [...]
ABC News has put together a video report which goes in-depth into explaining why Virginia is called the “gun-running capital of America.” They explain exactly why and how criminals like Monday’s gunman are able to obtain weapons, even when it’s clear they shouldn’t have them. The video can be seen right here. In the video, [...]
Gun violence didn’t wait to give us a tragedy, and it doesn’t wait after one has happened either. CO: Suspect in shooting of wife is found dead at bottom of cliff TX: One person killed and four people were injured in freeway shooting after crash WA: Police find two people injured after shooting at apartment [...]
Finally today, there are a few editorials already posted about yesterday’s shooting. There’s no question at all that when the time for mourning is over, and all the dust settles on what happened in Virginia Tech yesterday, then we’ll need to face what we really require to make sure this never happens again: a serious [...]
Lots of reponses from around the world to yesterday’s mass shooting at Virginia Tech. The shooting was the worst mass shooting in this history of the United States, and though it’s only been a day, leaders and advocates around the world are starting to point out how vitally important it is to make sure this [...]
All of the news today, unsurprisingly, is about yesterday’s Virginia Tech shooting, in which a gunman killed 32 people and then was killed himself (either by his own hand or by police officers). Lots of news is being released about the shooter– he’s a 23-year-old man named Cho Seung-Hui who was born in South Korea [...]
Our nation was struck by the worst mass shooting in history today. Gun violence is the worst it has ever been. And it’s time, once and for all, to make things better. VA: At least 33 dead in rampage at Virginia Tech VA: “Mass chaos” as gunman locks doors of classroom and opens fire with [...]
According to a recent study, violent crime is up all over the Midwest. The Chicago Tribune reports that the situation in Milwaukee and many other Midwestern cities, is getting worse and worse. “I feel violated, and I’m afraid a lot,” said Warford, who was last robbed in early March. “I’m not looking forward to the [...]
New Jersey’s Courier Post Online has written a strong editorial advocating the .50 caliber ban proposed by legislators there. .50 caliber weapons, as you’re surely aware by now, are gigantic, unnecessary firearms– the bullets they use are nearly five inches long, and can shoot through steel. And yet these firearms are practically unregulated in the [...]
CNN is reporting the breaking news that “at least” 20 people have been killed and seventeen others wounded at Virginia Tech when a gunman opened fire in the middle of the college campus. The Virginia Tech police chief said at least 20 people were killed in twin shootings on the Blacksburg campus Monday morning. “Some [...]
The NRA is meeting in St. Louis, but the violence made possible by their policies continues all over the nation. SC: Two suspects arrested in shooting outside of Best Buy KS: One dead, four more wounded in shooting at Wichita apartment building NY: Police officer, former Marine, killed during routine traffic stop AZ: Police shoot [...]
Bloomberg has struck again. This time he’s in Cinncinnati, where he unveiled, along with mayors from Ohio, a brand new campaign, designed to let the public know what the NRA is trying to do to our police officers in Congress. They’re working to try and pass the Tiahrt Amendment, which would actually keep law enforcement [...]
The NRA is currently having their annual convention in St. Louis, MO, so if you happen to be headed that way, make sure to put your bulletproof on. Wayne LaPierre and his cronies will likely spend the weekend gloating that because of their work, it’s so much easier for criminals in America to obtain the [...]
A week and a day ago, Anthony LaCalamita III was fired from his job at an office in a Detroit suburb. The day after that, last Friday, he went out to a gun store and was able to purchase a shotgun. And then, this Monday, he used that shotgun to shoot up his former workplace, [...]
Another day, and lots more gun violence. How can the NRA look at these stories every day and say that we don’t have a gun problem? NV: Gunfire in two different cities fueled by arguments NE: 4-year-old finds and drops ammunition, one of the bullets fires without a gun and hits him in the foot [...]
A Florida newspaper reports on a brand new group standing up to fight the NRA’s guns at work law down there– Floridians Against Workplace Violence are going to set out to show the public, via a few different forms of media, that the NRA is wrong for trying to put even more firearms into a [...]
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