Helping Ex-cons Getting Back into Society

Guns dot com

The proposals will essentially help to give some 600,000 inmates released from state and federal prisons annually a second chance to become solid, law-abiding members of society by eliminating the barriers they often face after release. The administration believes this is achieved, in part, through expanded opportunities for education and jobs, reducing or eliminating obstructions to employment, and by providing housing assistance.

The Department of Education has allotted up to $8 million to be dispersed into nine communities over the next three years, with the goal of providing educational opportunities to criminals, something which has been proven to reduce recurring incarceration rates. Additionally, as part of the TechHire initiative, more than 30 communities have stepped up and are working together, along with national companies, to help make tech training and jobs more readily available to those with a criminal history.

The president has also asked for Congress’ support in federal employment applications to “ban the box,” referring to a question typically present about prior criminal convictions, which oftentimes keeps an individual with such a history from progressing through the federal employment process. This is a step already taken by a number of state, city and private companies, and by eliminating such questions, all individuals applying for the position – including those with a criminal history – will have the opportunity to fairly compete for federal jobs.

Gun ownership for some felons

Opinion

But should convicted non-violent felons be allowed to own a gun?

This question has found itself on the national stage and will likely be an issue in the 2016 Presidential Election. 

Last year, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called for the restoration of voting rights for some non-violent felons. This idea has caught on with both parties. However, voting rights legislation will never succeed without some of these folks getting back their right to own guns as well. 

The right to own a firearm is not like the privilege to possess a driver’s license. It is, like the right to vote, a fundamental civil right. 

People convicted of non-violent felonies should not have a Constitutional right removed just because of the stigma associated with a felony conviction. 

There are thousands of examples of people who have been convicted of forgery, theft, and many other non-violent offenses. The vast majority of those cases did not even involve a gun. 

While these are criminal acts and should not be tolerated, the offender does not put our community at risk by keeping a handgun at home for personal protection.

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence PSA Ads

The National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence Says Universal Background Checks

Washington Voters to Choose - Background Checks on Private Sales - Or Not

Local news reports

Voting begins this week to decide a long-brewing duel of ballot measures involving guns — one to require background checks on the buyers involved in nearly every weapon sale in the state, the other to block expansion of existing law.

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In all, more than $10 million is being spent in the nation's only electoral combat between backers of gun rights and gun control this year.

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Most of the money, and nearly all the attention, is on Initiative 594, which would expand state law to require background checks on private sales of firearms, such as transactions conducted online and at gun shows.

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Just above this measure on the ballot is Initiative 591, which would bar the state from enacting rules on background checks that exceed the requirements of federal law.

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In other words, it would prevent everything that I-594 sets out to do.

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State and federal laws require background checks to buy a pistol and other types of guns from federally licensed firearms dealers but are silent on purchases from private sellers.

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Initiative 594 sponsors say that the unregulated private market is where criminals and those barred from buying a weapon — because of a mental illness or a domestic-violence protective order — do their shopping.

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Closing what they deem a loophole in the law will make it harder for felons and other potentially dangerous people to evade a background checks and obtain guns, said Geoff Potter of the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the committee conducting the pro-594 campaign.

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If passed, I-594 won't prevent people from buying a gun online or at a private gun show, said Kristin Meilicke, of Edmonds, at an Edmonds City Council hearing on Tuesday.

Can Magazine Capacity Limitations Save Lives?

taken from another discussion

When a guy is pulling the trigger and sending lead down on his targets, any interruption, no matter how brief would be welcome. Am I wrong about that? When firing the next round requires only another trigger pull, that next round is almost guaranteed. But when it requires a magazine change, there's at least a momentary delay plus the chance of fumbling the mag, dropping it, anything could happen, all of which are better than another trigger pull and another round fired.

Bill Gates Joins the Gun Control Movement in Washington

The Daily Beast

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg already had the gun lobby in his sights. Now Bill Gates is donating $1 million for universal background checks—and there’s more where that came from.

Somewhere in a large glass tower in Northern Virginia, there’s a guy who runs guns with a French name having a bad day. With good reason.

It was reported Monday that Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and incredibly wealthy guy, and with his wife, Melinda, have given $1 million to Initiative 594 in Washington state. The ballot initiative, if passed by voters on November 4 (and it currently enjoys overwhelming support), will require universal background checks for all firearm purchases in the state.

Gates is only the latest Washington billionaire to give to the effort, with original Amazon investor Nick Hanauer providing crucial early funding, and more recently upping his overall donation to $1.4 million. Additionally, Gates’s Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, has provided $500,000 for the cause.

Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America vs. John Rosenthal, Chairman of Stop Handgun Violence

Another Win for the Moms

Thank you, @ChipotleTweets for your #GunSense! http://t.co/S1nmxXdn6y #MomsDemand pic.twitter.com/qPvsdGgihD That was quick! #winning

— Rebecca (@Rebecca_221B) May 20, 2014

Facebook Considering Acquiescing to the Sensible Requests of the Moms

Venture Beat

Facebook may announce company policy changes for gun-related pages in the coming weeks, VentureBeat has learned.

The social network has been under pressure from the powerful Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Moms Demand Action civic group to ban gun-themed fan pages on the site.

Sources close to the conversations told VentureBeat, “Talks are progressing. The discussions are ongoing; there have been positive developments.”

An extensive investigation by VentureBeat last week revealed that adults and children were making arrangements to buy, sell, and trade guns through the many Facebook fan pages devoted to guns and the people who use them, sometimes in violation of federal and state gun laws.

Florida Panel Passes ‘Common Sense’ Tweak To School Gun Policies

CBS

A bill backed by the National Rifle Association that lawmakers said would add “common sense” to zero-tolerance policies for guns in public schools sailed through a House education panel on Wednesday.

The measure (PCB KTS 14-02) by House Judiciary Chairman Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, would prevent children from being disciplined for simulating a gun while playing or wearing clothes that depict firearms.

Baxley called the measure “the pop-tart bill” — a reference to a widely reported news story about a Maryland 7-year-old who was suspended from school last year for chewing his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun.

“Obviously we don’t want firearms brought to school in a backpack,” Baxley said. “But we were definitely having some over-reactions.”

According to national news reports, incidents have included punishing students for drawing a picture of a gun, using a finger as an imaginary gun while making the sound of a gun, owning a miniature gun on a keychain, owning a gun made of Legos and wearing a National Rifle Association T-shirt to school.

Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, a Maitland Democrat and a public-school teacher, said the zero-tolerance policies often prevent administrators from using their common sense “because their hands are tied. I support the bill so that people will be able to have that flexibility.”