Chris Daly, the San Francisco supervisor who proposed the pending proposal to ban handguns, said he and his allies have received threatening calls and e-mails from gun supporters, reports the Associated Press. The proposal would bar residents from keeping handguns in their homes or businesses and prohibit their sale, manufacture, and distribution.
Only two other major U.S. cities – Washington and Chicago – have implemented handgun bans, and both were challenged in the courts. The gun lobby already has vowed to challenge San Francisco’s ban if voters approve it. San Francisco had 88 murders in 2004, up from 69 in 2003. Sixty-three of last year’s homicides involved a firearm. If approved by a majority of voters in November, the law would take effect in January 2006. Residents, who have bought nearly 22,000 handguns since 1996,would have 90 days to relinquish their weapons.
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22967-2005Jan20.html?ABTest=blurb_A