In the interests of full disclosure, I have done some polling for the gun lobby and for gun control organizations.
The new legislation includes a 15-round limit on magazines, universal background checks for prospective gun buyers and a requirement for gun purchasers to pay for their own background checks.
The same Senate committee has already approved expanding the requirement for background checks on gun buyers, increasing penalties for gun traffickers and boosting aid for school safety.
In another show of support for gun rights, one group is calling for a Gun Appreciation Day on January 19.
Currently, background checks are required only for sales by the nation's 55, 000 federally licensed gun dealers, but not for gun show, person-to-person sales or other private transactions.
But there are dozens of other unresolved challenges expected - challenges to waiting periods for buying a gun, bans on gun ownership in public housing projects, bans on gun ownership for people who've had restraining orders issued against them in domestic violent situations.
Congress could win greater favor from the courts for gun-control measures, or President Obama could issue executive orders for a gun registry and background checks, on the claim that he is implementing the treaty.
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"In the first six months of the year, we seized three guns for every gun seized in Los Angeles and nine guns for every gun confiscated by the New York Police Department, " Mr McCarthy said.
And things like forced waiting periods for gun purchases, requiring background checks for firearms buyers at gun shows and a ban on assault weapons would certainly save some lives.
For the NRA to suggest that law-abiding gun owners are responsible in any way for gun violence would shatter the notion that only criminals are to blame.
Last May, the Senate narrowly approved modest gun control measures requiring background checks for gun show purchases and child safety locks on new weapons, banning assault weapons for juveniles, and banning the importation of large capacity ammunition clips.
To those who wish to blame gun owners or the National Rifle Association for gun violence.
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"Democrats should stand proud as a party that wants to protect gun rights, promote hunting, support hunters and other legitimate gun owners, " said Jonathan Cowan, of Americans for Gun Safety.
Larry Hicks credited Wyoming's high rate of gun ownership for a low rate of gun violence.
But I think that those of us who look at this problem have repeatedly said that responsible gun owners, people who have a gun for protection, for hunting, for sportsmanship, they don't have anything to worry about.
The President has called for the evaluation by the Consumer Products Safety Commission of all standards for gun locks and gun safes to make sure they do what they are designed for: to secure and protect weapons.
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" In her victory speech she vowed to fight for gun control until "gun violence is no longer a nightly feature on the evening news.
So far, gun control has been pretty good for this gun business.
NRA, worried by the growing trend of lawsuits against the gun industry, has seized on Project Exile as a chance for gun-lovers to appear responsible.
Your point about homicide and gun ownership was also wide of the mark: control statistically for gun ownership and the relationship between homicide and inequality becomes slightly stronger.
Advocates for tighter gun laws argue there's no need for Americans to own the powerful rifle, but the gun's proponents say the AR-15's accuracy makes it safe.
Perhaps the efforts of the anti-gun violence organization founded by Giffords -- a decidedly compelling advocate for gun control -- may sustain the media's attention.
Congress itself is considering a bill, the Children's Gun Violence Prevention Act, which would hold gun-owners responsible for keeping guns locked away from children and would require gun manufacturers to make child-proof weapons.
With states like Connecticut and Colorado passing strict new restrictions on gun owners and the President flying around the country to drum up support for national gun control, ammo buyers are like consumers queuing for gas or loading up on gold in the inflationary 1970s.
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Despite the agreement forged by Manchin and Toomey, both rated as strong supporters of gun rights by the NRA, the prospects for significant gun legislation to win congressional approval remained uncertain.
In March, Colorado introduced new gun legislation to impose limits on the size of ammunition magazines and expand background checks for gun buyers.
Nearly a decade ago I witnessed the South African police destroy guns given over in one of their many gun amnesty calls, but despite strict gun laws the fear of criminals with firearms has simply led to more people applying for gun licences in an endless spiral of arms to protect themselves.
We're not quite ready to give up on the Adam Lanza problem, but the Chicago problem is solved in principle, requiring only a willingness to inflict on certain communities the indignity of stop-and-frisk along with very high incarceration rates for illegal weapon possession (including people, let's face it, who have good reason to fear for their lives and to carry a gun for self-protection).
The shooting reignited the gun debate in the country and led to calls for increased gun control legislation on the federal and state levels.
Stories of seven-year-olds suspended for biting a pastry into the shape of a gun, first graders sent home for talking about toy guns, or kindergarteners suspended for bringing a toy gun to school or just discussing shooting a bubble squirt gun at another child are depressingly commonplace.
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