Some blame out-of-state guns brought from New Hampshire and Maine.
Despite it's relatively strong gun laws, Massachusetts has seen a rise in the number of firearm-related injuries over the past decade, according to the Boston Globe. In particular, murders involving guns have gone up (188 percent), but so have aggravated assaults (26.7 percent), armed robberies (20.7 percent) using guns. The leap in these types of crime has occurred even as Massachusetts tightened its gun laws in 1998, including a ban on semiautomatic assault weapons, tougher licensing requirements and stricter rules on how guns are stored. Some are attributing the rise to the high number of guns brought in from out of state, especially from New Hampshire and Maine, which don't require a permit to buy a gun. "Those states alone …
The gathering coincided with similar rallies across the country Saturday.
About 200 people rallied in front of the State House Saturday morning to demand tougher gun laws, including bans on assault weapons and and background checks for all gun sales, according to Boston.com. The rally, organized by One Million Moms for Gun Control, coincided with gun-control rallies across the country. It happened a week after 700 gun-rights advocates demonstrated in front of the State House last week. U.S. Rep. Ed Markey and state Rep. David Linsky of Natick, both Democrats, addressed the crowd, asking them to contact their legislators and demand tighter gun control, in particular in light of what they called a "flood" of letters from gun-rights activists. Linsky, who filed a bill earlier this month aimed at closing loopholes…
In this Article:
Warren is sponsoring three bills that would support gun control reform, a gun buyer background check, and making gun trafficking a federal crime.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Senator Elizabeth Warren discussed gun violence prevention on Friday, championing reforms including a criminal background check on anyone buying a gun in the country. "Now is the time to turn words into actions, to line up supporters and to mobilize all Americans behind common sense gun reform," Menino said after walking to the podium with a cane at the Parkman House. Menino joked with Warren, calling her the "senior" senator of Massachusetts, then turned serious about three major points key to gun violence prevention: Warren said she's sponsored three bills being unveiled next week that support those three points. Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, is filing the Fix Gun Checks Act to close the gap in current …
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy doesn't mince words: 'No matter what outrageous new tool they use, the NRA cannot make a straight-faced case that sport shooters need military-style weapons to enjoy their hobby.'
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) did not waste time ripping into the National Rifle Association and Apple on Tuesday for a newly-released app for iPhone and iPad that allows children as young as 4 to fire military-style weapons like M-16s and AK-47s. "The NRA seems intent on continuing to insult the families of the victims of Sandy Hook,” said Murphy in a press release. “How could they think it was a good idea to use the one month anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook to release a game that teaches four year olds to shoot assault weapons? No matter what outrageous new tool they use, the NRA cannot make a straight-faced case that sport shooters need military-style weapons to enjoy their hobby." Here is the full text of Senator Murphy…
In this Article:
The bill looks to close loopholes in existing state laws, require mental health background checks, strengthen gun storage requirements and require liability insurance for gun owners.
The following is a press release sent by the office of state Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick: State Rep. David P. Linsky announced today that he has filed “An Act to Reduce Gun Violence and to Protect the Citizens of the Commonwealth,” comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation aimed at closing loopholes in existing state laws, requiring mental health background checks, strengthening gun storage requirements, and requiring liability insurance for gun owners. “This bill is a comprehensive effort to reduce all types of gun violence – murders, intentional shootings, accidental shootings and suicides. There is not one solution to reducing gun violence – we can’t eliminate it – but there are a lot of common-sense steps that we can take to …
9:20 am on Saturday, January 19, 2013
"Imposes 25% sales tax on ammunition, firearms, shotguns, and rifles; dedicates funds towards firearms licensing, police training, mental health services, and victim’s services." Lets see now 25% to pay for firearms licensing, police training, mental health services, and victim’s services. 1)firearms licensing..isn't that what we currently pay for now? Are the costs / number of licences sky … more ›
Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would tighten gun control laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services and enhance background checks. Is this sensible, or reactionary?
Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps, or reactionary measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, CT. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. The bill would require gun purchasers to undergo background checks at gun shows, reduce access to high-powered rounds of ammunition, and limit licensed individuals to purchasing a maximum of one gun per month. Punishments …
In this Article:
10:50 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
The NRA has its roots in the Union Army of the North. Both George Wood Wingate and Ambrose Burnside served as Union generals before founding the NRA. Ambrose Burnside lamented over the poor marksmanship of the Union Army when firing at Confederates soldiers. The KKK was founded by Confederate veterans. They couldn't have possibly been on more opposite sides, more ›
The governor also announced that he will couple the bill with increased support for mental health services.
Hooking on to the national and local momentum to tighten gun laws in the wake of last month's school shootings in Connecticut, Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday that seeks to strengthen gun control. At the same time, he announced plans to increase funding for mental health services. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. Specifically, the bill seeks to: Patrick also announced Wednesday that he will propose a 3.3 percent increase in Department of Mental Health funding in the FY2014 budget he submits next week. That money …
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino writes about taking action against gun violence in the U.S.
The following was submitted by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's office: As a parent and grandparent, I remain overcome with sadness, grief and outrage by the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. This unspeakable act of violence will forever imprint December 14, 2012 in our hearts and minds, and my heart goes out to the families impacted by this senseless tragedy and the many others we have recently witnessed across the United States. As a Mayor who has seen too many lives forever altered by gun violence, it is my responsibility to fight for action. Now is the time for that action. Each day in the United States, 33 people are murdered by guns. Our nation has been brought to a tipping point. Now is the time for a real dialogue on national …
If you are licensed to own a gun, would you want your name and address publicized?
A news publication in New York is under scrutiny for publishing the names and addresses of gun owners in certain parts of the state. Less than two weeks after the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn., the New York Journal News earlier this week published the names and addresses of local gun owners in three New York counties. A story titled, "The gun owner next door: What you don't know about the weapons in your neighborhood," highlights the names and addresses of residents who are licensed to own handguns through Freedom of Information Law requests, according to The Huffington Post. The Journal News reportedly requested the information from New York's Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, though the publication was only able to …
9:04 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
Go baCk to the old days when everyone carried a gun,there would be less crime ,and less criminals. People would think twice about breaking into someone's house,robbing, and plain out committing crimes if they thought for a minute that the person they were assaulting ,robbing or any other act was going to be faced with a gun. Make it a level playing field. more ›
Does the massacre at Newtown, CT, signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?
Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, CT, massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control. Some fought back, asking for respect and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News. The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber bushmaster rifle and two handguns. …
6:21 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012
Adama Lanza broke myriad gun laws as Connecticut has some of the strongest gun laws in the country. More laws is NOT the answer. Improvements in dealing with the mentally ill is. Blaming the guns is like blaming the fork and spoon for making Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell fat. Think about that. more ›
Briny O'Boy
3:20 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Calvin that all sounds great, but the British were in fact Lying to the slaves. Oh yes they did free them as long as they fought, But so did Washington. All a slave had to do was fight for one year with a militia or with Washington's army and they were free. The only problem with it was it was only them, and they had to stay within the state to which they were freed. The British took most that … more ›