Friday, January 18, 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 this week 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 Norton from 2008 through 2012. Here are the numbers for Norton and the surrounding area: NORTON DEDHAM NORWOOD WALPOLE SHARON 360 CANTON STOUGHTON FOXBOROUGH WRENTHAM MANSFIELD EASTON SEEKONK More information on the kinds of firearms permits available in Massachusetts can be found here. …
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 …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
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. Those …
Tuesday, December 11, 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 …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
In the aftermath of the Colorado shooting last week that left 12 dead, gun sales surge in the United States, according to the Guardian.
Gun sales are up following the Colorado shooting last Friday. James Holmes, 24, is accused of firing weapons into the audience of the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight" in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater July 20. The massacre left 12 dead and 58 injured. The weapons Holmes allegedly used included a shotgun, semiautomatic riafle and a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, according to the New York Times. Many gun buyers are afraid that politicans will "use the shootings" to enact stricter gun controls, according to the Guardian. In Colorado, applications for background checks during the three days following the shootings jumped 43 percent over the previous week. Do you support stricter gun controls? Let us know in the comments. If we don't…
Gretchen Robinson
3:32 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
here's governor Rick Perry TX on prayer saving children from gun violence. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/16/rick-perry-claims-prayer-not-gun-control-keep-children-safe_n_2490672.html more ›