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Posted by: resqjyw0

Monday, February 25, 2008

By JO-ANN MORIARTY
Jo-ann.moriarty@newhouse.com

WASHINGTON - Massachusetts has tied with neighboring Connecticut for third place in the nation for having strong gun laws aimed at keeping criminals and other perpetrators from easy access to weapons, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

The watchdog organization, based in the nation's capital, scores states on their gun legislation and issues annual report cards. States may score up to 100 points across five major categories of laws, including the curbing of firearm trafficking, strengthening criminal background checks, child safety, bans of military-style assault weapons, and laws to make it more difficult to carry weapons in public places.

Two-thirds of all states score less than 20 points out of 100. Almost half of all states score 10 points or less out of 100. Massachusetts earned 54 out of 100 points, a score which some activists believe does not reflect the state's comprehensive effort to keep guns in the hands of responsible owners and away from criminals.

The organization is named after late President Ronald Reagan's press secretary, James S. Brady, who was gunned down with the president outside a Washington hotel in 1981. The president recovered, but Brady's left side remains paralyzed.

John E. Rosenthal, the co-founder of Stop Handgun Violence in Boston, said he disagrees with the report's conclusions about the Bay State.

"I think it misses a lot," he said. "Massachusetts, I believe overall, has the most effective and comprehensive gun laws in the nation in total. You don't have to look farther from the fact that we have the second-lowest firearm fatality rate in the nation, second only to Hawaii."

The Massachusetts fatality rate by firearms is 3.1 per 100,000 in population, compared to the national rate of 10.6 per 100,000 in population. Last year, guns were used in eight of 20 slayings in Springfield and in two Holyoke slayings.

Nearby Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire are three of 32 states in the country that do not require criminal background checks or identification for private gun sales, said Rosenthal, who identified himself as a gun owner.

California was ranked the best in the nation by the Brady Campaign at a grade of 79 out of 100 for its guns laws, followed by New Jersey with a grade of 63.

Kentucky and Oklahoma scored worst in the country - tied at minus 49 points.

Maine received a grade point of 12, and ranked the 21st state for its gun laws - tying with Wisconsin. New Hampshire was given a grade of 11, and tied for 23rd place with Nevada, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Wyoming. Vermont earned 9 out of 100 points and ranked 29th in the country, tying with Texas and Georgia.

"We make it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign when it released the report cards this month. "While Massachusetts has made progress, much more needs to be done," he said.

The organization faults the state for not having "childproof handguns" which would allow only the authorized user to operate the handguns - a loss of 7 points, and for not having a limit on the purchase of handguns to one a month, at a loss of 10 points.

The state lost 17 points for not having universal background checks for all firearms.

The report states that in Massachusetts there is "no state requirement that criminal background checks be done on each and every firearm sale. State law requires people buying any firearm to obtain a license to purchase firearms from local law enforcement, which includes a criminal background check. But the Class A and Class B licenses are valid for six years and have no limit on the number of firearms that can be purchased. This much time allows buyers to fall into prohibited categories and yet still be able to purchase firearms."

Rosenthal disagreed with the grade.

"To buy a handgun in Massachusetts, you have to have a license and be registered," he said, adding that in order to be licensed, gun owners have had to pass background checks.
"Gun laws for the sake of gun laws are not effective," he added.

Rosenthal said he does support the micro-stamping law that California passed - the only state in the nation - which would require new semi-automatic handguns to be fitted with technology that would engrave on each round fired microscopic identifying markings specific to the firearm. This would aid law enforcement officers with an investigative tool to trace guns used in crimes.

U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., introduced legislation last week to prohibit licensed firearms dealers from making, importing, or transferring certain semi-automatic pistols that are not capable of micro-stamping ammunition.

"Congress should be quick to support emerging technologies that enable law enforcement to make more effective use of evidence at crime scenes," Kennedy said when introducing the legislation. "We have a clear responsibility to do all we can to supply police officers and investigators with the most technologically advanced means to solve these horrific crimes."

"This bill makes good sense; given that about 40 percent of homicides go unsolved, we need to give law enforcement every tool necessary to solve gun murders," said U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst. "Micro-stamping is the low-hanging fruit - it's inexpensive for manufacturers, does not infringe on gun owners' rights, and could make a big difference in helping to solve crimes."

http://www.masslive.com/news/topstor...130.xml&coll=1

Posted by: Sniper

Yah the LAWS are GREAT !!!!!!! It's the COURTS that are unbelievably FCUKED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: mpd61

Oh God don't get me started!

Posted by: resqjyw0

Quote:

Originally Posted by resqjyw0

U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., introduced legislation last week to prohibit licensed firearms dealers from making, importing, or transferring certain semi-automatic pistols that are not capable of micro-stamping ammunition.

"Micro-stamping is the low-hanging fruit - it's inexpensive for manufacturers, does not infringe on gun owners' rights, and could make a big difference in helping to solve crimes."

It does infringe on my rights. As far as I'm concerned, a gun is a gun whether it be a M60 or a single-shot handgun. That legislation WILL ban more guns ("certain semi-automatic pistols that are not capable of micro-stamping ammunition") further infringing on my rights to own a gun.

Posted by: AbleOne

Massachusetts always scores high in ways that hurt law abiding tax payers the most. And they wonder why we are losing population.

Posted by: Wolfman

What an unbelievably biased and worthless article. Rosenthal the FELON who apparently gets a passof rconducting a straw purchase of a handgun a while back spouts his drivel, the Brady Bunch spout their drivel - where is the rebuttal from GOAL, NRA, or any pro-rights organization?

Massachusttes laws are absurd, unduly restrictive to the legitimate gun owner, and arbitrary to say the least. Microstamping is a feel-good but useless tool that will only make some people richer, solve no crimes, and drive the cost and availability of guns and ammo through the roof. This incemental chipping away of gun owner's rights one law at a time will still result in the ultimate goal of completely disarming the law-abiding citizen, ensuring that people remain at the mercy of their government (who we all trust with out safety and future, right?) and the criminal.

Posted by: paulgta

How Will Micro Stamping Work When People Reload????

Posted by: resqjyw0

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulgta

How Will Micro Stamping Work When People Reload????

When you reload, even though the hull or brass is reused, you still have to replace the primer...........not that I think this microstamping crap is going to do anything to reduce crime or solve them for that matter.

Posted by: Killjoy

If California and New Jersey have such great, safe gun laws, then why are absolutely rife with violent crime? Massachusetts, with the most restrictive gun laws in New England, certainly leads the way as far gun crime and violent crime. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine should be in flames, according to the twisted logic of their argument.

Gun control, along with communism, is the only premise that keeps being sold and believed by the public, despite its resounding failure in every way shape and form.

Posted by: USMCMP5811

Posted by: DPDM

I will agree that Massachusetts has very extensive laws, that make it more difficult to lawfully posess handguns.

Posted by: frank

I think the only state that has more restrictive gun laws than Massachusetts is Illinois...and I don't see them anywhere in that article, which is just damn funny.

Posted by: cj3441

The "leaders" of this liberal state will continue to trample the 2nd Amendment with usless feel good legislation that placates the moonbats. Why wouldn't they? The vast majority of voters in this state continue to vote these communist legislators in!

Posted by: celticsfan

Our gun laws are not the toughest--they are the most confusing, incomplete and contradictory. Our laws leave the average permit holder wondering how to even comply with the restrictions he has placed upon him...

Apparently our legislature feels that by making it so confounding to actually attempt to own a gun legally, we will be safer.

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