Gun Violence

When our elected officials announced something needed to be done about gun violence, I had hopes that we would see real solutions. On March 29, I abandoned all hope ("Gun bill advances to floor of House," March 30). Gov. Martin O'Malley's "gun safety bill" had amendments to enhance penalties and remove good time credit voted down. Actually, the amendment was approved, then the Democratic leadership strong armed delegates into re-voting and voting it down. Further, an amendment to allow off-duty police officers to carry their firearms on school grounds was voted down.

The Maryland Senate gave final approval to Gov. Martin O'Malley's sweeping gun control bill Thursday night, sending the legislation to the governor for his promised signature. O'Malley said in a statement that the bill strikes "a balance between protecting the safety of law enforcement and our children, and respecting the traditions of hunters and law-abiding citizens to purchase handguns for self-protection. " The legislation bans the sale of assault-style weapons, requires fingerprints and a license to buy a handgun, and limits magazines to 10 bullets, among other provisions, giving Maryland one of the strictest gun laws in the nation.

The House of Delegates voted Wednesday to give Maryland one of the toughest gun laws in the nation, passing a bill that would ban the sale of assault-type weapons, set a 10-bullet limit on magazines and require fingerprints and a license to buy a handgun. Delegates altered the Senate's bill during more than 10 hours of emotional floor debate that lasted over two days. Key lawmakers said they expect the differences to be resolved quickly and the legislation sent to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his promised signature.

I am writing to express my concern over the threat of further government restrictions on our Second Amendment rights. The Second Amendment is very clear and straightforward, and it makes no mention of licensing or permit restrictions. The Obama administration believes government control is the way to fix everything. That's wrong. The state of our economy and our huge budget deficit are examples of that. The proposed assault weapon ban, like the one before it, will do nothing to prevent gun violence.

Despite the national horror at the massacre of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December, the effort in Congress to enact any meaningful legislation to address gun violence appears increasingly at risk. The first casualty of the gun lobby's efforts was the proposed reinstatement of the assault weapons ban. And now even the idea of extending background checks to gun shows and private sales appears to be in trouble. As each day passes, it seems, the memory of the Newtown massacre fades, and so does the will to act. That makes the votes on Gov. Martin O'Malley's gun violence legislation Friday in two House of Delegates Committees all the more significant.

A reality of the far-reaching gun regulations approved by committees in the House of Delegates on Friday night: Marylanders likely will buy more assault-style weapons in the next six months than they would have without a new law. In fact, it seems like the current version of the legislation encourages sales. Gun dealers would be allowed to sell out their present inventories of assault-style rifles even after the ban takes effect Oct. 1. If a Marylander just places an order for such a gun before then, he could still legally own it. You might ask: If something warrants banning, why wait six months to implement it?

Jonylah Watkins died on a Tuesday. She was with her father, who was sitting in a minivan in Chicago on the night of March 11 when someone opened fire. Doctors worked 17 hours trying to repair what a bullet had done to her body, but to no avail. She died the next morning. Her funeral was about two weeks ago. She was 6 months old. Antonio Santiago was 7 months older when his mother put him in a stroller and took him for a walk in their Brunswick, Ga., neighborhood. Sherry West says they were accosted by two teenagers demanding money.

As a key committee is set to vote on his gun bill Friday, Gov. Martin O'Malley on Thursday called for public support for an assault weapons ban and other gun-control reforms. In an email sent by his political action committee, O'Malley criticized federal lawmakers for inaction in the wake of Newtown and urged for Maryland to "do something real. " "While Congressional Republicans continue to sit on their hands instead of acting on the President's commonsense plan, we don't have to wait on them here in Maryland," the email said.

Delegates are considering scaling back the assault weapons ban in Gov. Martin O'Malley's gun bill to keep legal the sale of guns used recent mass shootings in Newtown, Conn. and Aurora, Colo. O'Malley blasted an email to supporters Thursday morning, calling on them to contact lawmakers to keep the assault weapons ban intact. "Military-style assault weapons belong on the battlefield, NOT on the streets of our cities and towns," the email said. "We need you to ACT NOW. "  Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, flanked by police chiefs, held a press conference Thursday morning to urge lawmakers to pass the "common-sense, balanced approach" that has already been approved by the Senate.

Gov. Martin O'Malley and gun-control advocates launched an offensive Thursday to protect his proposed ban on assault-type weapons from a House committee's efforts to scale it back. "Military-style assault weapons belong on the battlefield, NOT on the streets of our cities and towns," said an email O'Malley's political action committee sent to gun-control supporters, urging them to lobby against efforts to exempt some guns used in recent mass shootings. "We need you to ACT NOW. " Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, flanked by police chiefs and state's attorneys, held a news conference Thursday morning calling for lawmakers to pass the "common-sense, balanced approach" that has already been approved by the state Senate.