bullets for benjamins

Here's a good idea that's in discussion in Baltimore. Bmore might be one of the only east coast cities that is as bad off as we are with crime and ignorance.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.say28may28,0,3588562.story

-sorry for the cut copy link, but the computer I'm on didn't give me a hotlink option for some reason.

Is this all it takes to get bullets flying? And in the middle of the day!?

Harrisburg Ho!

Mayor Nutter is taking the fight to Harrisburg.

And again.

West Philly in the paper again

Catching up this morning, I'm realizing that those weren't just fireworks that were being shot off over the weekend.

Memorial day dissapointment

We were hoping to get through the weekend without something like this happening.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Maybe an all out urban ban would be a good thing

He shot the cop because "he didn't want to be arrested". Who does?

http://cbs3.com/local/antonio.coulter.officer.2.728369.html

House Bill 22

Here is the bill introduced in the state legislature limiting handgun purchases. This would never interfere in any honest recreational sportsman's life.

Gun retailer point of view

This article is told from a retailers point of view. Of course there are honest gun shops out there, but that's ignoring the issue that there are plenty of people going into the honest shops and buying multiple guns to sell on the street for profit because there are such lax restrictions on what people with a clean record can buy. It's akin to white collar crime. These people even if there are only a few, get away with it for years, providing a steady stream to the street because the police are obstructed in investigating multiple purchases due to the fact that they're legal. These straw purchasers as they're called, go in and buy 5 handguns at a time and then turn around and sell them to corner slingers that turn them around to kids or angry individuals that turn around and shoot eachother and others with them. And there's no requirement to report them lost or stolen, so even if one shows up and is tracked back the original buyer, they only get a lecture. There's only been one incident that I've ever heard of where a straw buyer got caught and jailed as an accomplice to a crime. If anyone has heard of other cases I'd appreciate hearing about them.

Photo by: CLEM MURRAY

Mayor Nutter gave a speech today outlining how the laws he has proposed will help to slow the trafficing of illegal guns. Read it here.

On the edge

A judge is set today to deliver a ruling on whether Mayor Nutters gun restricting legislation will be passed or be pushed on to the next level of the justice system. Here is the article.

Guns on trial

Mayor Nutter is trying to help the city curb it's gun problem by enacting very mild restrictions on gun purchasing and ownership responsibilities in Philadelphia. "The five city ordinances passed April 10 ban the sale of assault weapons; require owners to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours; and limit firearms purchases to one a month."- AP

Who needs more than one a month?

Why are assult rifles even legal again?

Isn't it common sense that you should report anything stolen, let alone a gun?

These all seem like pretty straight forward motions that would never inhibit a responsible gun owner from enjoying thier right to own a gun or seven. But the NRA and the Pennsyltucky state council are so stubborn and power hungry that they are suing Nutter and the city to repeal these proposed laws therefore making it easier for people to buy multiple guns and sell them to angry ignorant kids on this city's streets and never take responsibility for their actions.

Click here and choose the email link at the bottom right to ask Frank DiCicco to support Mayor Nutter's measures that will help curb the flow of guns to the streets.

On the left side of that page there are links to all the city council members if you have a couple minutes to send them your message of urgency about the growing violence.

Last week, but the reason

I know this happened last week, but this is why we need tougher monitoring of guns and laws that make it harder for guns to get into irresponsible hands.

Open Season

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle the problem of gun violence in Philadelphia. It will hopefully give citizens a resource to find out what is wrong. Why it is wrong and how they can help to actively change the status quo in this city and eventually beyond.
As any news watching person knows, there's been a problem here for years and it's only growing. If enough people write to the state legislature and speak out to their friends and family about being intolerant of violence there can be a change. Most of the sources of material to help increase awareness were difficult to wade through and offered no tangible evidence or solutions, just words on a page.
We are going to collect as many options and sources of information as we can to help you understand the problem and formulate your own way to help solve it.