February 09, 2010

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The Candidates’ Positions

Hillary Clinton
U.S. Senator from New York.

Barack Obama

U.S. Senator from Illinois.

John Edwards
Former U.S. Senator from North Carolina.

Mike Gravel
Former U.S. Senator (AK)

>> More on Election 2008

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Fast Facts

The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 (known as the Brady Law), required a mandatory 5-day waiting period for gun purchases.
In 2000, 71% of homicides involved a gun.
The first major federal gun law, which went into effect in 1934, restricted the sale and ownership of high-risk weapons such as machine guns and sawed-off shotguns.

Gun Control

The United States is the leader in per capita gun deaths among industrial nations. This has resulted in various gun control laws at the federal and state levels that seek to reduce crime and violence by restricting private gun ownership. Supporters of gun control would like even tighter restrictions. They face strong opposition from those trying to protect what they view as the right to own and bear firearms.

Gun Control Overview

When British troops were occupying Boston in 1774, they attempted to confiscate the inhabitants' firearms in hopes of preventing an uprising. Knowing of the British plan, the Americans hid their weapons and eventually used them to win their independence. After the war, the drafters of the U.S. Constitution recalled that…>> (read more)

Gun Control Points of View

4 Right to Own a Gun Is Guaranteed by the Constitution
5 Right to Own a Gun Is Not Guaranteed by the Constitution
6 Founding Fathers Intended to Protect the Individual's Right to Bear Arms
7 It Is Unproven That the Founding Fathers Intended to Protect the Individual's Right to Bear Arms
8 Owning Guns Is Rooted in America's Cultural Past
9 Gun Control Is Constitutional
10 Gun Control Is Not Constitutional
11 Restrictive Gun Laws Will Reduce Crime
12 Permissive Gun Laws Will Reduce Crime
13 Assault Weapons Should Not Be Banned
14 Lax U.S. Gun Laws Encourage Terrorism

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Gun Control in the News

The Second Amendment, the states, and the people: as the case McDonald v. City of Chicago, which will determine if States are allowed to have gun control, wends its way to the Supreme Court, the issues are examined.(CONSTITUTION CORNER)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Amazing as it may seem, since ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791, the Supreme Court has never provided a definitive statement as to…>> (read more)

Gun control losing ground.(EXERCISING THE RIGHT)(Brief article)

On October 5, Rasmussen reported that a new poll shows that just "39% of Americans now say the United States needs stricter gun control, as the U.S. Supreme Court…>> (read more)

Posturing politician.(EXERCISING THE RIGHT)(senator R.C. Soles)(Brief article)

Karen Decoster of LewRockwell.com blogged on September 29, "When people still refuse to see the truth behind the politics, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, I…>> (read more)