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Study By AP Finds U.S. Gun Laws Getting More Lax

December 31, 2009 by  

Study by AP finds U.S. gun laws getting more lax In a blow to gun-regulation proponents, a review by the Associated Press (AP) has found that during the last two years, 24 states, mostly in the Southwest, have passed 47 new laws loosening gun restrictions.

Among them are Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Utah that have made it illegal for businesses to prevent their employees from storing guns in cars parked on company lots, while Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Virginia have made some or all handgun permit information confidential, according to the news agency.

The AP also notes that Tennessee and Montana have passed laws that exempt weapons made and owned in-state from federal restrictions.

While this may be welcome news to proponents of the Second Amendment rights, not everyone is happy with these developments.

Kristin Rand, legislative director at the Violence Policy Center, a gun control group in Washington, says they are the result of the "stranglehold" the National Rifle Association (NRA) holds on many state legislatures.

"They basically have convinced lawmakers they can cost them their seats, even though there’s no real evidence to back that up," she said, quoted by the news provider.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimates that the number of new guns in the U.S. increases by about 4.5 million each year.
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  • Che King

    You are very unhappy, And very paranoid , Very gloomy… Very sad.. I am sorry for you.
    This must be a horrible life for you . I don’t think the world you want is possible..

  • ted

    Unfortunately the public that voted in the majority last election were seeking something for nothing because they believe the world owes them a living and don’t care if your gun is taken from you.

    • Joe H.

      ted,
      I think that will be one of the hardest “TAKES” they will ever do!!!

  • http://PersonalLibertyDigest Ron

    Ron says, we know why some of these politicans (mostly Dem.) want new gun laws. When you are screwing the American public, and stealing from us as they are, a person would see how they would’n want anyone to be able to defend themselves.

    • James

      Ron, Do you believe the federal government was delegated power to regulate a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms? If yes, would you please cite the constitutional clause that so delegated it? Thank you.

  • Dennis

    Hi Folks,
    Here in Florida its called a ( Concealed Weapon (or) Fiream License ) atleast thats the one i have. I read this somewhere and i like it it says ( A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost ) let me tell you something You and I have the God given rite to protect ourselves, our Families, our Homes or property, Jesus said, and this is in the Bible, If you have a cloak and no sword, Sell the cloak and by a sword. Very well said Jesus Very well said.

    • jim

      Hi Dennis Illinios has no concealed carry, unless you are in law enforcement or an officer of the court. I do have a Utah concealed carry permit and can carry in 29 states, but not my own.Alot of Illinios residents are getting out of state permits to kind of exercize our rights and to let the statistic be out there for the leaders to see, the citizens want this. It of course falls on deaf ears.

      • Dennis

        Jim ( OPEN THERE EAR’S,) They work for you and your State, You and the people of the state hired them you can fire them, They have know rite to take your rite to protect your self. The only reason the Government want’s to take the ( Right To Bear Arms From Americans ) is so they (THE GOVERNMENT) can ( TAKE OUR RIGHTS OUR FREEDOM FROM US THE AMERICANS ) Nuff said.

      • Claire

        Jim–I am from Illinois and I believe we can carry a gun in our glove compartment of our car but it cannot be loaded. The bullets/shells must be laid beside the gun. A lot of good that does us if we are attacked by someone. Who would have time to load the gun???!!! As I have said before I keep my crowbar handy and my mace and I know how to use both weapons.

      • jim

        I agree Claire, A carjacker has the clip in, one ine the chamber and the hammer pulled back. By time I reach in the box, Insert the clip and chamber a round, I’ll have six rounds in me. We are getting closer though. I just pray to God you don’t have to be the one bringing a tire iron to a gunfight. Daily thinks this new law is to wreakless, but he has personal bodyguards, so no skin off his teeth.

      • c lee

        Your right jim I too hope Claire dosent have to bring a tire iron to a gun fight. They can take the right to bear arms away from me if they like but they will never take my guns. They will pry my guns from my cold dead hands.

      • Claire

        JIm—Daley is worthless. He and others cannot seem to realize that criminals always get guns regardless. There is no way to prevent this. You can bet he makes sure his cronies have them handy. Therefore, the decent people of Illinois should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. If someone tries to break into my home or harm me and my husband you can darn well bet they’ll get shot.I’ve never been in trouble with the law, I have always been a law abiding citizen but enough is enough. I will NOT tolerate anyone that tries to inflict injury on me or my husband.

      • jim

        Claire, I like your attitude. If 911 isn’t doing the job, call on 357.

      • Claire

        There are so many robberies. Two banks, businesses, and homes are really being targeted. I have always heard that if a robber tries to break into a home, they must actually be inside or the homeowner will be in trouble if they shoot the robber. I wonder if this is true. Geez, it seems like laws were made for the benefit of the criminals.

      • Joe H.

        Claire,
        Unfortunately it’s true and in some states if you have a route of escape you must take it!! What a crock!! The guy is in my home and I gotta run from him?

      • cr747

        Claire, I would check and see, but I think that if you carry that crowbar inside your vehicle that it is considered a deadly weapon. The reason I say that is because my Son was driving one of my pickups, and got pulled over. The officer found a broken axe handle behind the seat and a bowie knife. He asked my son if he had a concealed weapon permit. At that time he didn’t. My son told the officer that it was his dads truck, and that I had a concealed weapon permit. Got my name from my ins. papers and realized he new me. He let him go,but he told him that if it had been his vehicle, and he didn’t have a concealed weapons permit, that he could have arrested him, because the axe handle was considered a deadly weapon.

        If it had been in the bed of the truck, it was legal there, but not in the cab behind the seat.

        Just thought I would give a little insight on the issue here. I have been a life member of the NRA for thirty-eight years, and have had nothing but a good experience with them. Am also a Trophy Life Member with the North American Hunting Club, also nothing but a good experience with them.

        Recommend them both very highly!!!!!!!!! Hope this might be of some help to anyone out there. I truly believe in our second amendment rights.

      • jim

        747& Clare, Get a softball bat, it’s just sporting equiptment, have an old ball glove next to it to make it look good.

  • jim

    Happy New Year everybody,I hope it goes off with a bang.

    • Dennis

      LOL Thats a good one.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-17034-Chicago-Gun-Rights-Examiner Don Gwinn

    No evidence to back that up? Tell that to Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Tell that to the candidates for Illinois Governor who are running in one of the most reliably anti-gun states in the union, home to the Joyce Foundation, who are scrambling to pretend they’re either pro-gun or, following the Obama model, too busy on other things to bother being anti-gun.

    For that matter, why do you suppose President Obama felt the need to deny his anti-gun credentials from Illinois and declare that “even if he wanted to,” he wouldn’t have the votes for new gun bans? Because his pollsters were telling him there’s no electoral cost to being anti-gun?

    Lots of people are outraged, but at least some gun owners are organized, and that’s a whole different idea.

  • R.C.

    We must remember that criminals or potential criminals have no respect for laws, they could care less. When our right to bear arms is diminished by laws and more laws from various and multiple levels of governments we law abiding folks are rendered defenseless. Our Constitutional Right to be armed is quite brief and direct with no limitations. It is presumed that people are good and will act accordingly. Sadly not everybody fits into that catagory thereby requireing the need for self protection.

    Yes, we have police forces for protection, but one unarmed can be long dead waiting for police help. We know the familiar saying; God helps those who help themselves and it applies to this subject matter.
    I personaly believe in personal responsibility for everything I say and do, In fact I would love to see this phrase replace our Congresses in our Constitutions – “Do no man or women harm in their person or property.” This one brief sentence entails personal responsibility for all one says and does. If this short sentence could be made a part of the Constitution, congress could be erased as there is no need for laws to govern us as We The People would be responsible for our actions and words without government’s interference in our private lives. Think about it!

  • s c

    Kristin Rand may need a high colonic and a brain transplant. Such people live in la la land, and when reality confronts them, they want more laws passed to ‘counter’ reality’s nasty side-effects.
    Criminals have too many advantages as it is, starting with elected paranoids and groups such as the scuzzoids at the ACLU. The Second Amendment will not be sacrificed on insanity’s altar.
    This is America. We don’t want or need the advice of those who hate this nation.

  • http://qualityassurance.synthasite.com Arthur

    There are several major defects with anti-gun proponents, and these are the same dwfwcts we find in the reporting of political news, and in the way Congress twists and spins their lies and deceit into an attractive (but clearly destructive) social policies. As a former police officer and federal investigator I can tell you that the media is complicit in not reporting, or falsely reporting the news about firearms.

    We basically have a law abiding society. And, unlike politicians, where most are criminals or brain-dead, the American people are basically law-abiding, helpful, dependable, and fairly honest. We, the People, have ever right to defend ourselves against the muggers and dreggs of life, of which there will always be those rotten apples, and there are in every part of society. Just take a look at wall street or some of our corporations, or the CIA, etc, etc.

    Not only that, the average citizen is actually responsible for thwarting more crimes and with assisting the police than the media actually reports.

    Further, every society which confiscated or restricted guns faced oppression or tyranny from its own government – think about that.

    Further, as a resident of Montana, where almost everyone owns or carries a firearm, there is extremely low violent crime rate, as with any community where residents are free to carry and bear arms.

    The anit-gun proponents either have no clue to the realities of life, or have an agenda that is not in the best interests of society. Stand firm, folks – we have that right to defend ourselves, especially from a corrupted and despotic government.

    • DaveH

      Thank you Arthur for that well-articulated comment.

  • George

    Disappointed that this article gets any attention

    The proof of “facts”,4.5 million purchases of new guns a year,
    discount Kristin Rand’s “opinion” from an anti-gun group.

    • Dennis

      I love that # 4.5 million guns sold every year :-) it makes me proud to be an American.

  • jim

    I opened up my E-mail today to this report of gun laws being relaxed. I also got an E-mail report from the NRA stating that an FBI report shows the murder rate is down 10% from the previuos year. coincidence?

    • JC

      Jim the NRA newsletter makes a correlation between the gun buying spike in the last 3 months of 08 to the drop in crime in the first half of 09. Its the largest single spike in gun purchases in American history followed by the largest drop in crime since the early 60′s….coincidence?

      • jim

        JC, It’s no coincidence, it works, but the powers that be are to stuborn to recognize it.

      • DaveH

        Banning firearms would be good for the Political class, as they could then do as they please with us. If you don’t believe that, just think about how brazen they already are even with the heavily armed population.

      • JC

        They aren’t too stubborn to recognize it jim. They know damn well that it works. Thing is, they want to disarm us so they keep pounding away at the gun laws and every now and then they get enough support from emotionlly unstable and unrealistic people to push their agenda a little farther. And everytime they do people hoard guns and ammo.
        They’re basically shooting themselves in the foot! ;)

      • Danny Kirkpatrick

        Jim, the ” Powers that be, ” are well aware of this, and it scares them to death. They want to take our right to own guns away from us, so they can more easily control us. Our founding father’s knew an unarmed people are no more than sheep being led to the slaughter. ” The Right To Have AND Bare Arms Shall NOT Be Infringed Apon.”

      • jim

        The Second Amendment, The other Checks and Balances.

  • c lee

    Kentucky requires no registration of firearms when purchased. Any law abideing citizen may oa firearm. Kentucky is also an open carry state.The only time the state gets involved in firearms is if you would like to carry concealed for this you take a class study the laws pertaining to carrying concealed and show your firearm proficianty at the range, this includes an F.B.I. background check. You are not on any list of names of people with a weapons permit as you are in some states. I think all states should follow Kentuckys example. ke up new york and d.c. your also in America were so far we still have a constitution that guarentees us the right to bear arms, I wonder how they get away with that anyway.

    • DaveH

      Lee,
      I like Vermont’s approach better. No concealed carry permit necessary. At any rate, I would much rather people carry concealed than openly. If a criminal knows you have a gun that gives them valuable information that they can use to their advantage.
      If an ordinary citizen wants to protect themselves against a rare violent event by carrying concealed, they would need to carry most of the time as a criminal event is rarely advertised in advance. On the other hand, the criminal only needs to lock and load shortly before his anticipated crime. So the only people that are really deterred by concealed carry laws are the good citizens.

      • c lee

        I too carry concealed I was simply saying in kentucky they fully embrace the constitutional right to bear arms. I carried openly for many years as a police officer untill I made Detective Grade, in both situations I always carried a back up. But on the other hand I do think If I were planning something and walked into a bank or store etc. and everyone I saw had a side arm on I would leave faster than I came in.I have not been unarmed since I turned 12 years old comming from a family of Law Enforcement Officers, and every member of my family is of the philosify that an unarmed man or women is a potential victom.

      • M Barnard

        Huzzah! to Dennis. Texas here. We’ve heard it before, but it should be repeated: If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. Research the countries who have been stripped of their guns and see how the government treats the people. Our government is not above hiring mercs (aka Blackwater)… what does that tell you about our future without guns?

      • Che King

        You feel like a victim if you are unarmed?.. I think that’s an awaful way to feel about yourself… I couldn’t imagin going through my life in fear…

      • Che King

        Where is the freedom if you feel you must be armed to be secure… I couldn’t be like that..

  • my911

    The do-good mentality of “punish ALL” because of a few is likely responsible for more damage than ALL law-abiding owners in total.

    Of course criminals will respect gun laws?!!!!

  • BillRT

    Kristin Rand needs to get a life. Criminals abuse firearms, knives, fire, automobiles, etc. when it helps them commit a crime or escape the law. They bleeding heart liberal want gun control because they blame responsible use of liberties for the abuse we focus news reports upon. They fear the guy parked next to them because they might pull out a gun, aim at them and shoot! Try therapy. Since Liberal love to talk about fear and threats from lawful gun owners, perhaps they should focus on the Communists they support and the real threat to American safety. Funny how these people want Government to control everything so they can live a risk free life. It still won’t keep criminals from abusing firearms, and so the Liberal dog chases it’s tail.

    • Joe H.

      BillRT,
      Remember this is the dems we are talking about!!! They could be right!!!HEHE!!

  • Bill Fox

    I believe just as anyone with common sense should, that a criminal should not be able to buy or possess a firearm. A criminal should be put away in a cage, or preferably hung. Should he survive after completing his full sentence, he should walk out of prison, not just free, but a fully restored citizen. Should he choose again to use deadly force to commit a crime, he should be executed. Otherwise, he should be allowed to do what any honest, law abiding citzen can do. Gun control has obviously failed in preventing criminals from getting guns. Gun control has criminalized the People.

    • DaveH

      Bill,
      The problem with that is not all criminals are equal. The government has used that excuse to prevent many good people from protecting themselves. As an example, one of the questions on the California form for handgun registration was “Are you under a restraining order?”. Anybody who has any experience with Divorce Law knows that restraining orders are issued commonly.
      I don’t recall a qualification in the Second Amendment that only non-criminals have the right to bear arms. And even if you do think that should be the case, do you really think it would do any good? That’s why they are called “criminals” – they don’t obey the law.

    • Paul Revere

      Every American Has the right to keep and bear arms,Every and All Tyeps Howawitzers, Machine Guns SemiAutomatic’s or bombs. and the only law that needs EVER to be Enforced is the missuse of that firearm. all the Anti American,Anti Constitution,Anti Christ Zionist,Ateiest Jew lobbys are trying to disarm you,to take over this Nation as they did in Russia,the only reason they have not done it is because they need us to do their killing for them And we have the God Given right to defend and protect our Families,Lives,property and Nation. And that GOD Givrn Right is to protect themselves from all threats he or she is indangered with, mostly against our presently oppresive Sell Out Government, Our Rights Come Frome God not Government and we as americans have the right to have an atomicbomb if we feel it nessesary to save us from all the Crimanals that are now in our Government. the Same as Iran does to protect them selves from the Isralies, and thereterrorist activitys they the Jews who infiltrated our government stole the atomic bomb information from the U.S.andGave it to Isril Rusia and China and if we who let them steal it, as Americans Who know and beleive we have the RIGHT to Keep and Bear Arms, Then We must Allow them in Iran Iraqe have them too aswell. The World Zionist Organization World Jewish Congress,American Jewish Congress, ADL.,ACLU.,oganizations and their terroris activitys in the middel east are doing in this nation what they did in Germaney and Russia,Japan and Italy,And NOW to the U.S.A. one step At a Time. You are Right about a person convicted of a crime and is incarseated does not have the right to have a Weapon of Any Kind while incarcerted,
      BUT when he or She seves their time they have every right to defend them selves and posses what ever needed to protect themselves. If that party Misuses them again and they used with deadly force they are to be charged with atempted premeditated Murder…and when they are arested Found Guilty convicted, and incarcerated untill the apeal prossed and final, then Executed or serve life sentenceses with or with out parol depending on the Jury Not the Judge for the misuse, not the possesion.The Same Goes for Pedifile, Sex ofenders, Homosexual
      Rappist,Hostage and Kidnapers.All of the obove can or will result in Murder if the Victim resists .
      Case in point Gov.Hulkelbe released a Man that then kills three police officers.
      Bill Ayes with the Weatherman and th death of another police officer

      Merry Christmas and a Happy Tea Party New Year
      In the Year of our Lord Ddeember 30Th 2009A.D.again in the Year of our Lord Jesus Christ December 30Th 2009 A.D.

      • Danny Kirkpatrick

        Paul, most times i agree with the things you have to say, and in this a lot of things you say are true, that said, did you have to much coffee this morning? The second amendment CLEARLY states ” The right of the people to HAVE and BARE ARMS, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED APPON.” Now lets break this down shall we, THE PEOPLE, well that’s very clear to me, it means all AMERICANS. Next, to HAVE, well that means to HAVE, or to OWN, now we get to the WORDS that everyone seems to trip over, to BARE ARMS, OK, fist we talk about to BARE, anyone with COMMON since knows it means to carry on your person, now ARMS, of course means a GUN, a rifle or a pistol, in there time and ours. Only the Armed Forces should ever have a Howitzer or an Atomic bomb. According to the Bill of Rights NO ONE has the right to tell us other wise, Not even the supreme court. The only exceptions should be a person convicted of a felony or a person medically diagnosed with a mental affliction. A gun is just a tool, if we allow the government to take this right away from us, what is next? Knives, baseball bats, crowbars, tire irons, all pointy objects. Did i leave anything out? Honest citizens are being punished for what the criminal element of our society is doing. We must not allow this to continue. Things are not going to get any better in the future, we have to many far left judges, all the way up the line to the supreme court. Most judges are voted for, those we can change, the supreme court will be a problem for some time to come. Obama put Sotomayor on that august panel, we must see to it she is the last liberal to do so.

  • steve

    “They basically have convinced lawmakers they can cost them their seats, even though there’s no real evidence to back that up,” she said, quoted by the news provider.
    Really! I believe the Dems know full well how law abiding citizens feel about any new laws. We just want the courts to do their jobs. Use a gun you go to jail. The NRA is people like myself who want them to protect my right to own a gun.

    • DaveH

      Yep, the Dems have long tried to convince people that the NRA is not representative of citizens across the country (of all parties). Actually I prefer the GOA (Gun Owners of America) who I think give much more bang for the buck.

    • JC

      Life member here. And I am appalled and repelled by the hysterical Marxist left as any good American should be. Support the NRA with all you can. They really are the most important defenders of our rights out there working everyday.

      • Dennis

        My membership is up in 2015 and i will resign :-) Happy New Year Brother :-) And may god bless your new year to come.

    • James

      Steve, the NRA has sat in on every federal congressional committee, from its inception, to negotiate what arms regulations would be acceptable to Americans. Isn’t it time to question the NRA’s motives?

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