Assault Weapons

It's shameful that when child and teen gun deaths are compared in 23 high-income countries, 87 percent of all children under 15 killed by guns were in the United States. Our gun homicide rate for teens and young adults 15-24 years old was 42.7 times higher than the rate for the other countries combined. There are an estimated 283 million guns in civilian hands in America -- almost one gun per person. Why is the United States alone in allowing this unbridled epidemic of guns and public health hazard all over America to continue? As parents and grandparents and concerned adults and voters, it is up to us to tell our leaders no more.

To honor the 80 Americans who lose their lives to gunfire every day and the families, and communities like Carson City, that suffer so grievously, let us do what we can to stop the toll of gun violence.

Three years, 400 legal challenges, and "millions of dollars in legal bills" later, all the gun lobby has had to show for its efforts is a body of case law affirming the right of the people to have strong gun laws.

In response to the horrific tragedy of September 11, 2001, federal officials have taken extraordinary steps to prevent other airliners from being turned into incendiary devices. Yet Congress has repeatedly failed to deny suspected or known terrorists easy access to guns and explosives.

The Obama administration has taken a modest, though useful, step toward curbing the torrent of assault rifles flowing from U.S. gun shops into the hands of the Mexican drug cartels. Hopefully, it reflects a new willingness by the president to take on the gun lobby.

It is time for Washington's politicians to look out for average people who do not deserve to have unethical gun dealers -- and the gun lobby that shields them -- pushing illegal guns into their neighborhoods.

The Supreme Court's ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller has largely resulted in a reaffirmation of the constitutionality of laws to restrict access to firearms. For the "gun rights" forces, it has been three long years of frustration.

In yet another sign of how out of touch it is with how people interact in a civilized society, the National Rifle Association is apparently so wrapped...

On Tuesday, I attended a meeting at the U.S. Justice Department with representatives from the White House. The Administration indicated that this was the first of what they hoped would be a series of discussions on ending gun violence.

What happened in Tucson, if you were there? Seconds felt like an eternity for those on the scene; taut cracks of sound the human mind interprets as ...

I think we can agree in our muddled political environment of 2011 that any candidate who could answer "yes" to all 10 of the following questions would make America a much better place than it's become in recent years.

The Washington Post has recently reported that the already under-funded ATF may soon face a 13% budget cut, which would be devastating to the the agency's ability to interrupt the flow of illegal guns across America and Mexico.

Just so you know: There are plenty of perfectly good reasons to buy high-capacity magazines for your favorite firearm. Unfortunately, I seem to have m...

In the week since the shootings in Arizona, there have been many comments about Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, and civility. And comparatively very litt...

Another devastating chapter in our long history of massacres with guns unfolded in Tucson Arizona on January 8th with the ambush of Congresswoman Gabr...

First, some personal history. I am a southerner who grew up with and around guns. I own some still. My father gave me a .22 rifle when I was 9 and a...

The political finger-pointing that has followed the Tucson shooting has been revolting. It's not too early to start grappling with some of the pertinent questions this tragedy actually raises.

We can describe Saturday's shooting rampage in Tucson as shocking, horrifying, and unthinkable; but no one -- no elected official, no media commentator, no opinion maker -- can truthfully say it was a surprise.

Question: How does a mentally unstable man who was kicked out of school and had run-ins with the law buy an assault weapon?

Now that the NRA bosses have exposed themselves as the mass gunman's best friend, President Obama and Congress should move swiftly to get an ATF director in place.

If Democrats want to know what women want this election season, I encourage their campaign gurus to start talking about an issue that has strong consistent support from women of all ages, races, and locations: gun control.