Thursday, January 17, 2013
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 …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What are your thoughts on President Obama's proposals to curb gun violence? Let us know by posting a comment below.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a number of efforts Wednesday aimed at curbing gun violence in the United States. Massachusetts is home to some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, with local members of Congress urging the federal government do more to prevent tragedies like that in Newtown, Conn. The state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security provided Patch with a summary of active firearms licenses in Arlington from 2008 through 2012. Here are the numbers for Arlington: More information on the kinds of firearms permits available in Massachusetts can be found here. What are your thoughts on President Obama's proposals to curb gun violence? Let us know by posting a comment below.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Congressman Ed Markey sent a letter to Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday calling for a new assault weapons ban and improved background checks, among other measures.
Congressman Ed Markey sent a letter to the vice president Wednesday with proposed recommendations for his task force on guns. In the letter (attached), the Malden Democrat asks Joe Biden to consider recommending “a new assault weapons ban that includes all semi-automatic weapons capable of accommodating an ammunition magazine greater than 10 rounds.” He also asks the vice president to consider “a ban on ‘drums’ or ‘magazines’ of ammunition that can carry more than 10 bullets, which were used to deadly effect in both the Newtown and Aurora kilings.” “These are weapons designed for war – not for hunting or protecting one’s home – and have no purpose except to kill as many people as possible without the need to reload,” Markey wrote. In the …
Monday, December 10, 2012
A Massachusetts gun owners group is lobbying for passage of a bill that would confer lifetime gun licenses—no renewals necessary.
Way too much red tape. That's the complaint of the Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts, a group that is urging passage of a law that would abolish the requirement of having to renew a gun permit every six years, according to the Boston Herald. For comparison, Massachusetts vehicle drivers' licenses need to be renewed every five years. But the league says local police cannot keep up with timely gun permit renewals, and legitimate gunowners go license-less until the cops get time to do the paperwork. The law now allows 40 days for turning around license applications. In Boston, almost 1,000 people have applied for gun permits so far this year, with waits running about 10 weeks, the Herald quotes police spokeswoman Cheryl Fiandaca as …
Wind Dummy 25
5:14 pm on Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Fatty that's the beauty of having an issue. If you don't have one make one . Look at the latest nut, the guy with the knife the other day on a campus in Texas. Unlike recent high-profile attacks where guns were used, Tuesday's incident likely won't lead to national debates on knife safety or tighter regulations on their sales, said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in … more ›