Gun Control

We as a nation are still reeling from what has happened in Colorado, and knowing that it has happened twice there. There are families who are asking the big questions, why, what was he thinking, who was he so mad at, was it something that was done to him. And the sad part is we may never know the answers to those and many other questions.

I do not believe the movie was the reason, I believe the movie was the vehicle, the way the crime was carried out. He aspired to be the Joker, his inner demon. He was meticulous, he planned, he bought what he needed and did not raise any eye brows. The internet was perfect because no one questioned the quantities he bought or asked pertinent questions as to why and what purpose he was going to use what he purchased. I mean who buys 6000 rounds of ammunition, unless you are starting a small war. And on the internet he could find all the information he needed for his booby traps.

We need a national data base that is updated and current with people (terrorist, militia, psychological problems, ex felons) who are not allowed to buy, own, negotiate guns, ammo, target ranges, anything that fits into the 'guns' category. These are my thoughts I am not talking for the general public, I just hope that there are people out there that feel the way I do. I do not hate guns, because they are part of the American culture, and we have IInd amendment rights, but how far do we have to go over the line be4 hitting ourselves in the head and saying "What the hell are we doing?"

I am doing a bunch of articles on gun control because I believe it is very important and critical in this an election year. I would love to hear the candidates talk and debate on this subject. Too many of our young people (not based on color, ethnicity, or sex) are dying needlessly from those individuals who think that deciding disputes, robing people, family problems, can only be defined and solved with guns. There are laws on the books called "stand your ground" I vehemently do not approve of these laws they are racial in nature and were proposed by ALEC. And republicans have shamed their states into adopting these laws in 21 states.

ALEC, lobbying group behind Stand Your Ground laws, changes tack.

I know in this election year, there are no middle grounds, no politician worth their weight in gold who will stand up for the people of America against the NRA. The NRA is the strongest, most powerful lobbying group in Washington and they own every congressperson in D.C. But somehow there has to be a logical discussion among smart, logical, reasonable people to figure out a national response to this national blotch on America.

Jay Paul
Updated: Jan. 14, 2011

For three decades, the story of gun control was one of notorious crimes and laws passed in response, beginning with the federal law that followed the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. But after a Democratic-controlled Congress in 1994 passed bills proposed by President Clinton to restrict certain kinds of assault weapons and to create a national system of background checks for gun purchases, the political pendulum began to swing the other way. President Bush's defeat of Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election was attributed in part to the perception among gun owners that Mr. Gore was "anti-gun."

In the wake of the shootings in Arizona in January 2011, in which a gunman with a Glock semiautomatic killed six people and wounded 14 wounded, including a congresswoman, polls will likely gauge the public’s support for stricter gun control laws.

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. 

Yet gun rights advocates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said that there was little chance the attack would produce significant new legislation or a change in a national culture that has long been accepting of guns. If anything, they said, lawmakers are less receptive than ever to new gun restrictions.

Recent battles have taken place in the courts, revolving around fundamentally differing interpretations of the oddly punctuated, often-debated Second Amendment, which reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The Supreme Court in 2008 embraced the view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own a gun for personal use, ruling 5 to 4 that there is a constitutional right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-defense.

But the landmark ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller addressed only federal laws; it left open the question of whether Second Amendment rights protect gun owners from overreaching by state and local governments.

On June 28, 2010, the court ruled in another 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment restrains government's ability to significantly limit "the right to keep and bear arms." The case involved a challenge to Chicago's gun control law, regarded as among the strictest in the nation.

Writing for the court, Justice Samuel Alito said that the Second Amendment right "applies equally to the federal government and the states."

The McDonald v. Chicago ruling is an enormous symbolic victory for supporters of gun rights, but its short-term practical impact is unclear. As in the Heller decision, the justices left for another day the question of just what kinds of gun control laws can be reconciled with Second Amendment protection.

A 1939 decision by the Supreme Court suggested, without explicitly deciding, that the Second Amendment right should be understood in connection with service in a militia. The "collective rights'' interpretation of the amendment became the dominant one, and formed the basis for the many laws restricting firearm ownership passed in the decades since. But many conservatives, and in recent years even some liberal legal scholars, have argued in favor of an "individual rights'' interpretation that would severely limit government's ability to regulate gun ownership.

In May 2009, President Obama signed into law a provision allowing visitors to national parks and refuges to carry loaded and concealed weapons. The amendment was added to a consumer-friendly credit card measure that the president has said is important.

The provision represents a Congressional victory that eluded gun rights advocates under a Republican president.

But in July 2009, the Senate turned aside the latest attempt by gun advocates to expand the rights of gun owners, narrowly voting down a provision that would have allowed gun owners with valid permits from one state to carry concealed weapons in other states.

When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition.

But Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past.

And, gun control advocates say, Mr. Obama has failed to deliver on campaign promises to close a loophole that allows unlicensed dealers at gun shows to sell firearms without background checks; to revive the assault weapons ban; and to push states to release data about guns used in crimes.


Highlights From the Archives


A Clamor for Gun Limits, but Few Expect Real Changes
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Gun rights advocates said that there was little chance the attack would produce new legislation or a change in the national culture.January 14, 2011USNEWS

Beyond Guns: N.R.A. Expands Agenda
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
The National Rifle Association’s defining battle has become a matter of settled law, so it has moved into other areas.July 13, 2010USNEWS

JUSTICES, RULING 5-4, ENDORSE PERSONAL RIGHT TO OWN GUN
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
The Supreme Court on Thursday embraced the long-disputed view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own a gun for personal use, ruling 5 to 4 that there is a constitutional right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-defense. The landmark ruling overturned the District of Columbia ban on handguns, the strictest gun-control law in the country, and appeared certain to usher in a new round of litigation over gun rights throughout the country.June 27, 2008USNEWS

ARTICLES ABOUT GUN CONTROL

The Massacre in a Movie Theater
The shooting in Aurora, Colo., brings calls for increased regulation of handguns.July 20, 2012, Friday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: FIREARMS, GUN CONTROL

Guns and the Slog
By GAIL COLLINS
If anyone, gun control advocates know what it’s like to go from one tragedy to the next in order to push for sensible laws.July 20, 2012, Friday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: NATIONAL RIFLE ASSN, OBAMA, BARACK, MCCARTHY, CAROLYN, BLOOMBERG, MICHAEL R, MAUSER, TOM, ROMNEY, MITT, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2012, GUN CONTROL, LOBBYING AND LOBBYISTS

The Shootings in Colorado
This latest in a series of murderous acts is a moment to reflect and to search for sensible answers about guns.July 20, 2012, Friday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: GUN CONTROL, SECOND AMENDMENT (US CONSTITUTION), AURORA (COLO)

Mourning and Mulling
By CHARLES M. BLOWAs America heals from the tragedy in Aurora, Colo., we will be called to question our values and laws, especially our gun laws.July 20, 2012, Friday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: NATIONAL RIFLE ASSN, HOLMES, JAMES, POLLS AND PUBLIC OPINION, GUN CONTROL, SECOND AMENDMENT (US CONSTITUTION), AURORA (COLO)

Aurora Shooting: We’ve Seen This Before
By ROGER EBERTI don’t know if James Holmes cared about Batman. I suspect he cared deeply about seeing himself on the news.July 20, 2012, Friday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: MOVIES, GUN CONTROL, MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS

Colorado Gun Laws Remain Lax, Despite Changes After Columbine
By JOHN SCHWARTZSince the Columbine tragedy, the state’s lawmakers and voters have passed some gun restrictions, but gun control opponents have successfully fought other efforts.July 20, 2012, Friday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL,HOLMES, JAMES, LAW AND LEGISLATION, STATE LEGISLATURES,GUN CONTROL, MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS, AURORA (COLO), COLORADO

Florida’s Gun Law MorassA federal court struck down one of the more nonsensical of Florida’s many risky gun laws. Similar wisdom should be applied to the Stand Your Ground law.July 09, 2012, Monday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: MARTIN, TRAYVON, ZIMMERMAN, GEORGE, DECISIONS AND VERDICTS, DOCTORS, GUN CONTROL,SELF-DEFENSE, EDITORIALS, FLORIDA

Score One for the Gun Lobby

The House’s vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress was a shameless exercise in political gamesmanship.June 30, 2012, Saturday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: NATIONAL RIFLE ASSN, BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, SENATE, ISSA, DARRELL E, HOLDER, ERIC H JR,OBAMA, BARACK, LOBBYING AND LOBBYISTS, GUN CONTROL,UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT, EDITORIALS

Fast and Furious Contempt Citation for Holder
By JONATHAN WEISMAN and CHARLIE SAVAGE

The Republican-led House of Representatives voted to hold Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt for failing to disclose internal documents in response to a subpoena.June 29, 2012, Friday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, HOLDER, ERIC H JR, GUN CONTROL, ATTORNEYS GENERAL, EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, DOCTRINE OF

Democrats Feel Pressure From Gun Lobby on Contempt Vote
By JONATHAN WEISMAN

The National Rifle Association has joined a Republican push to hold Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress, turning the matter into a proxy war over gun control.June 27, 2012, Wednesday
MORE ON GUN CONTROL AND: NATIONAL RIFLE ASSN, BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS, GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA,HOLDER, ERIC H JR, OBAMA, BARACK, GUN CONTROL, SMUGGLING,UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Headlines Around the Web
What's This?
NEWS.YAHOO.COMJULY 21, 2012
Calls for gun control stir little support

ALAN COLMES' LIBERALAND
JULY 21, 2012
NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg To Respond To Colorado By Introducing Gun Control Legislation

TOWNHALL.COM BLOG
JULY 21, 2012
Before the Dust Settles in Aurora, Democrats Call for Gun Control

REUTERS
JULY 21, 2012
Analysis: Colorado shooting unlikely to spur changes in gun laws

THE HILL
JULY 21, 2012
Gun control calls follow shooting, but few expect major changes

More at Blogrunner »

Multimedia
 

Interactive Feature

The Events Leading to the Shooting of Trayvon MartinWhat may have happened on the night George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla.

District Attorney’s Letter on Ryan JeromeA letter sent by Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, to a lawyer representing former Marine Ryan Jerome, denying the lawyer’s request to dismiss the charges against Mr. Jerome.
 

Interactive Feature

Fatally Flawed: Five Years of Gun-walking in ArizonaDemocrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a report on the disputed gun trafficking investigation called Operation Fast and Furious.

Documents: William James Holisky IIOver the course of several months, The Times worked with courts across the country to identify felons who have had their firearms rights reinstated and went through hundreds of pages of documents associated with those cases. In many instances, people who got their gun rights back went on to commit n

Documents: Erik H. ZettergrenOver the course of several months, The Times worked with courts across the country to identify felons who have had their firearms rights reinstated and went through hundreds of pages of documents associated with those cases. In many instances, people who got their gun rights back went on to commit n

More Multimedia »

Gun Control Navigator
A list of resources from around the Web about gun control as selected by researchers and editors of The New York Times.
Federal gun laws
State gun laws
Resources relating to the Second AmendmentGun control — historical timeline
CBS News, Dec. 9, 2002
National Rifle Association
Links to groups opposed to gun control.
Open Directory Project
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Links to groups supporting gun control

Open Directory Project
RESOURCES RELATED TO PARKER V. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Appelate ruling in Parker v. District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, March 9, 2007 — supports individual rights under 2d Amendment.
Ruling in U.S. v. Emerson
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Nov. 2, 2001 — supports individual rights.
Silveira v. Lockyer
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Dec. 5, 2002 — supports collective rights view.
U.S. v. Miller
Supreme Court’s most recent 2d Amendment ruling, May 15, 1939
Parker case documents
Prof. Cass Sunstein podcast
University of Chicago, Nov. 2, 2007
DOCUMENTS
The Year of the Gun: Second Amendment Rights and the Supreme Court
Texas Law Review, Forthcoming, via SSRN, 2008
New Brady Scorecard Shows Most States Lack Common Sense Gun Restrictions
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Jan. 31, 2008
Less Lethal Weapons for Law Enforcement: A Performance-Based Analysis
Law Enforcement Executive Forum, Jan. 14, 2008

RESOURCES RELATED TO UNITED STATES V. MILLER, AN EARLIER INTERPRETATION OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT
United States vs. Miller
1939 Supreme Court Case
Opinion of the Court
“The Peculiar Story of United States vs. Miller”
NYU Journal of Law & Liberty, Vol. 3, 2008
“Supreme Court Bars Sawed-Off Shotgun; Denies Constitution Gives Right to Carry This Weapon”
The New York Times archives, May 16, 1939