NEWS
April 7, 2012 | Inquirer Editorial
The six weeks since the senseless shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin by a town-watch volunteer have only served to intensify the scrutiny of reckless self-defense laws - like one on the books in Pennsylvania - that permit citizens to shoot first if they feel threatened. So it's good to hear that State Rep. Ronald G. Waters (D., Phila.) has issued a call for gun-safety reforms and to "not let Trayvon Martin's death go in vain. " The legal defense that, so far, has shielded George Zimmerman from being arrested for the Feb. 26 death of Martin, after an encounter in a gated central Florida community, is one that could be used in Pennsylvania and nearly two-dozen other states with what's known as "stand your ground" laws.
NEWS
March 28, 2012
Wild West meets Florida If I understand the Florida "stand your ground" law correctly, if Trayvon Martin had been carrying a gun, he would have been perfectly justified in shooting George Zimmerman, just as Zimmerman claims to have been justified in shooting Martin ("Debating 'castle' doctrine," Tuesday). Martin's life obviously was in danger. So, if two armed individuals confront each other in Florida and each feels threatened, each person is justified in killing the other one?
NEWS
March 28, 2012 | By Amy Worden, Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG - Mayor Nutter joined leaders of four other Pennsylvania cities on the Capitol steps to deliver a singular message to the General Assembly on Tuesday: Don't strip of us of our ability to make public safety decisions in our communities. That, the mayors fear, would be the consequence of bills pending in the state House and Senate that would penalize municipalities for enacting gun-control ordinances that go further than existing state law. Nutter, along with the mayors of Chester, Lancaster, and Allentown - all cities which, like Philadelphia, now require gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons - spoke against the legislation at a news conference and met privately with legislators to urge them to reject the bills.
NEWS
March 27, 2012 | By Dom Giordano
CAN THE HOODIE be rehabilitated? I ask that because, in the wake of the tragedy and furor surrounding the shooting death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, in Florida, the hoodie has been used as a symbol by those rallying for the arrest of Zimmerman. There have been million-hoodie marches in New York, Miami and two in Philadelphia. In the middle of this hoodie discussion rides Geraldo Rivera, Fox News host, who has said, "I believe George Zimmerman, the overzealous watch captain, should be investigated to the fullest extent of the law, and if he is criminally liable, he should be prosecuted.
NEWS
March 19, 2012
SO, MARK Fiorino is the new "Matt Dillon" in town. He and his posse will openly be carrying guns on their hips thanks to a court decision on a previously little-known law. Now I guess the police will have to stop everyone with a gun in view to check if they have a permit, potentially creating more lawsuits. Why doesn't the city just give everyone openly carrying $10,000 so we can save $15,000 for each idiot? Charles Veterano Philadelphia Come on, Stu Bykofsky, don't you have an ounce of common sense?
NEWS
February 16, 2012 | By Amy Worden, Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG - A bill fast-tracking through the General Assembly aims to send a tough message to local governments in Pennsylvania: Pass gun-control measures at your own financial peril. The legislation would penalize municipalities - including Philadelphia and 29 others - that have enacted laws to curb illegal gun sales by requiring them to pay damages and penalties to plaintiffs who challenge those laws in the courts. The bill is being applauded by the National Rifle Association and condemned by such local officials as Lancaster's mayor and Philadelphia's district attorney.
NEWS
February 16, 2012
This is an opinion of t he Daily News People's Editorial Board, a group of 10 citizens who gather to debate hot topics in the city. Watch video of the board's debate on gun laws . RASHI Anderson should have turned 18 today. But he didn't get the chance. A few weeks ago, this promising young man was gunned down a block from his house in East Germantown. There is no known motive, and no arrests have been made. We are 46 days into the new year, and 48 people have already been killed.
NEWS
February 15, 2012 | By Monica Yant Kinney, Inquirer Columnist
In 2008, when the General Assembly voted on a modest antiviolence bill most Pennsylvanians support, the 128-75 defeat confirmed that in this state, the lobbying muscle of the NRA trumps common sense and constituent safety. Pacifists and hunters agree that requiring gun owners to alert police when a weapon is lost or stolen makes financial sense and could protect innocents from harm. Why? Because guns are valuable and many crimes are committed with weapons purchased legally, then handed off or resold to evildoers.
NEWS
February 15, 2012 | By Amy Worden, INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU
HARRISBURG - A bill fast-tracking through the General Assembly aims to send a tough message to local governments in Pennsylvania: Pass gun-control measures at your own financial peril. The legislation would penalize municipalities - including Philadelphia and 29 others - that have enacted laws to curb illegal gun sales by requiring them to pay damages and penalties to plaintiffs who challenge those laws in the courts. The bill is being applauded by the National Rifle Association and condemned by such local officials as Lancaster's mayor and Philadelphia's district attorney.
NEWS
February 14, 2012 | BY MORGAN ZALOT, zalotm@phillynews.com 215-854-5928
MARK FIORINO was legally carrying his .40-caliber Glock on his hip as he walked along Frankford Avenue on Feb. 13, 2011, when he was stopped by Philadelphia police, who pointed a gun at him, harassed him and handcuffed him. Today, he plans to file a civil suit against the department for the incident. Fiorino, who recorded his 45-minute confrontation with police and posted it on YouTube, is suing for "violation of his constitutional rights to be free from unlawful searches, excessive force and malicious prosecution," according to the complaint filed on his behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union.