Washington, U.S.A. — The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, an alliance of nine major national police leadership organizations, announced its call for background checks for all firearms purchasers and a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines on July 27 at a news conference in Washington, DC. The group has been working with state law enforcement associations and leaders this summer in key states, pressing for expanded background checks for firearms purchasers and other public safety measures. But the Aurora theater shooting has intensified their calls for timely action.

“The nation is waiting for lawmakers to move beyond hand-wringing and shoulder-shrugging in response to these mass catastrophes,” said Hubert Williams, Chair of the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence and President of the Police Foundation. “These mass murders are neither acceptable, nor inevitable. There are numerous public safety initiatives – that are backed by the public and law enforcement – that will reduce the frequency and severity of this type of carnage. Our nation must establish as a top priority addressing this horrific gun violence that shatters our safety and security.”

The Partnership’s policy agenda includes background checks for all firearms purchasers and a limit on large-capacity ammunition magazines. The background check measure would complement the existing Brady Law, enacted in 1994, which established background checks for gun purchases at federally licensed gun dealers. But an estimated 40% of firearm transactions occur through non-dealers sales – leaving nearly half the firearm sales in the United States unregulated.

“Knowingly permitting four out of ten firearm sales to occur completely unregulated is irresponsible and counterproductive to public safety,” said James Johnson, incoming Chair, National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, and Chief of Police in Baltimore County, MD. “Police do our jobs everyday patrolling the streets and protecting the public while putting their own lives on the line. Law enforcement needs the support of our lawmakers to enact policies that will keep officers and the public safer.”

While the Aurora shooting suspect reportedly passed background checks in obtaining his firearms, Williams emphasized the importance and effectiveness of background checks in keeping guns from other dangerous people, stressing that nearly 2 million prohibited purchases were stopped between 1994 and 2009. He noted that background checks will help reduce gun violence that touches dozens of Americans every day.

“Gun violence is impacting us all,” Williams said. “In 2011, gunfire was the leading cause of death for police killed in the line of duty, surpassing motor vehicles for the first time in 14 years. Gun violence occurs day in and day out, claiming 34 Americans every single day.”

Background checks are overwhelmingly supported by the public – and gun owners themselves: 86% nationally, including 81% of gun owners, support background checks for all firearms purchasers, regardless of seller or venue.

The Partnership has been collaborating with law enforcement leadership organizations in key states to educate U.S. Senate candidates and the public, building bipartisan support to expand background checks to gun sales beyond licensed dealers. In Virginia and Wisconsin law enforcement leaders recently met with U.S. Senate candidates in private sessions specifically focused on gun violence, emphasizing the need for strengthened background checks.

The meetings were strictly educational in nature and candidates participated despite being told that there would be no endorsements made. The police leaders also held major press conferences in each state to publicize their calls for action.

Williams dismissed those saying action is impossible on gun issues, noting, that there were naysayers in the 80s and 90s when, “Law enforcement was pivotal in passing a string of federal gun laws:  the ban on cop-killer bullets; the ban on undetectable plastic guns; and the Brady Law requiring background checks for guns purchased through licensed dealers. We know that common sense can prevail.”

The article National Law Enforcement Calls for Stricter Gun Laws appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Christian Bale, the star of the latest box office hit ‘Dark Knight Rises,’ visited Aurora, Colorado on July 25 to visit the victims of the “Batman Shooting.”

Early the morning of Friday, July 20, twenty-four year old James Holmes entered theater 9 in the Aurora Cineplex and started shooting. He killed twelve people and injured another 58 at the premiere of the final film in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. Holmes was arrested the same night and will face the death penalty if he is found guilty of all of the charges. Recently the judge ordered that film crews be banned from the courts during the hearing.

Christian Bale originally just released a written statement about the tragedy stating: “Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them.”

On July 25 Bale paid a special visit to Aurora with his wife, Sibi Blazic. The couple put flowers on the memorial to the shooting victims that is nearby the theater. According to Access Hollywood most people left him alone either because they did not recognize him or wanted to leave him in peace.

Bale also visited the hospital and thanked the medical staff and the police. He was able to visit five victims in Aurora’s local hospital and also met with two others who were bused over from the Swedish Medical Center in ambulances. He spent about fifteen minutes with each person and stayed about a total of two hours, flanked by security and police.

According to hospital personnel Bale wanted to keep his visit out of the press and to not turn the visit into a publicity ploy. A Warner Bros. spokeswoman reported that Bale was not representing the studio, just himself.

Janie Bowman-Hayes, assistant vice president of surgical services at Swedish Medical Center said, “he just said he wanted to come to thank all of us because he has been thinking about this. He knows the whole world has been thinking about this. He took it upon himself to come and thank us.”

Bowman-Hayes added, “He did this out of his heart, and you could really tell. It was so sincere. It was just, ‘thank you’.”

Bale visit may have been influenced by an online campaign in which people encouraged the star to go and visit the victims. Other visitors to the hospital have included members of the Denver Broncos and President Barrack Obama.

Image Courtesy of cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

The article Christian Bale Visits Aurora Shooting Victims appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Twenty-four-year old James Holmes, the suspect behind the Colorado theatre massacre, made an appearance before a Colorado court Monday. Holmes looked lost and disoriented during the brief hearing and his hair was notably dyed red, possibly to resemble the character “the Joker” from the batman comic book universe.

The gunman is suspected of killing 12 and injuring 58, including a six year old girl, during the premiere of the Dark knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado.

According to police reports, Holmes views himself as an arch-villain from the Batman mythology and told police upon his arrest that he was the joker. During the attack he was dressed all in black, wearing body armor and a gas mask, as well as additional body protection.

Police did also find Batman merchandize such as a batman poster and a batman mask in the Gunman’s home. The police also came across intricate booby traps in the third floor apartment, with a number of trip wires connected to 30 homemade grenades in addition to containers of acid and gasoline.

In the months prior to the attack, Holmes purchased a shotgun, two handguns and a semi automatic assault rifle with customized magazines such as a 100-round drum clip, body armor, a gas mask, as well as 6,000 rounds of ammunition. These facts have once again raised the highly sensitive question of gun laws in the US, especially regarding military weapons such as assault rifles.

A California Senator said in a Fox news interview Sunday that “Weapons of war don’t belong on the streets.” According to police, the massacre could have turned out even worse if it weren’t for the fact that the killer’s assault rifle jammed, forcing him to resort to his backup weapons. In the wake of the shooting, police found a 100 round drum clip on the floor which apparently caused the jam.

In a brief interview, the the 18^th Judicial District Attorney Carol Chambers  said that “The death penalty certainly will be considered in this case.” However, the big upcoming legal issue will be to resolve whether or not Holmes can be considered insane.

The article Aurora Shooting, Colorado: Suspect James Holmes Before Court appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New York, U.S.A. — As President Obama arrived in Aurora, Colorado on July 22 to meet with the families of victims of the tragic shooting, a number of survivors and family members of victims of the January 2011 shooting in Tucson, Arizona released the following statement:

“Our hearts go out to the victims and survivors of the tragic mass shooting in Aurora. Please know that all of the people of Aurora are in our minds and hearts.

“There are no words to express the horror that the people of Aurora are experiencing now, or that we experienced on January 8, 2011. But words are not enough. We need our elected officials to take action to fix our nation’s broken gun laws to keep guns out of the wrong hands.  That’s why our group of survivors of the Tucson shooting are working hard to encourage our elected officials to take action. Some of us are gun owners and hunters ourselves, and we know that this can be done while still protecting the rights of lawful gun owners.

“In fact, it’s been 16 months since President Obama boldly outlined his plan to do just that. But since then, it appears that no action has been taken to implement the President’s plan. We look forward to meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder in the near future to discuss how we can work together to fix our gun background check system.

“We call on President Obama and Mitt Romney, and all elected officials and candidates for office to pledge to join us in working to fix our gun laws and help stop the tragic toll that gun violence has on communities across the country. They can honor the memory of the victims of Tucson, Aurora, Virginia Tech, and the 34 other Americans that are murdered with guns every day by taking action.

Their actions would save lives, maybe the life of someone they love. We have a simple question for our nation’s leaders: How much more pain, how much more sorrow, and how many more murders with guns must we suffer before we do something about it?”

This statement can be attributed to the following Tucson survivors and family members of victims:

• Dr. David Bowman, Tucson survivor
• Nancy Bowman, Tucson survivor
• Ken Dorushka, wounded in Tucson shooting
• Carol Dorushka, Tucson survivor
• Roxanna Green, mother of victim Christina-Taylor Green
• Pat Maisch, Tucson survivor
• Angela Robinson, daughter of victim Dorwan Stoddard
• Faith Salzgeber, Tucson survivor
• Roger Salzgeber, Tucson survivor
• Pam Simon, wounded in Tucson shooting
• Mavy Stoddard, wounded in Tucson shooting and wife of victim Dorwan Stoddard

The article Tucson Shooting Survivors Reach Out to Aurora Victims appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.