FOX News Claims New Law Requires Boxes for Amtrak Passengers with Guns

Apparent Typo Deletes Security Measures

Dec 17, 2009

Washington, D.C. - FOX News is reporting that a bill signed by President Obama this week, which was intended to require Amtrak passengers who want to bring a gun on the train to secure the gun, instead calls for the passengers themselves to place themselves in secure boxes.

Officials of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence note that a certain type of such box is readily available.  Each year in the U.S., some 30,000 Americans who are killed with guns are placed in similar boxes. 

Although the intent of the new law was clearly not to require that gun owners on Amtrak be placed in boxes, for anyone relying on FOX News’ interpretation of the law who wishes to secure such a box, the Brady Campaign offers information on some box suppliers.

Bert & Bud’s Vintage Coffins.  “You Get Only One Shot at Making a Last Impression.”  Visit them at www.vintagecoffins.com.

Abbey Caskets.  Traditional wooden caskets made by Monks at an archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana. At www.abbeycaskets.com.

Walmart. www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&search_query=casket&ic=20_0&sourceid=19659926393976951126.

The bill was sent to the President with an apparent typo that eliminates certain essential security provisions that gun violence prevention advocates fought for, and instead replaces it with an unclear new section, which FOX News claims requires passengers to be locked in boxes.  To read FOX News’ article on the odd insertion: http://congress.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/12/16/president-signs-bill-that-allows-gun-slinging-amtrak-passengers-to-be-locked-in-boxes/.

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As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities

Dennis Henigan is Acting President, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the author of Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths that Paralyze American Gun Policy (Potomac Books 2009).

A photo and more information about Dennis Henigan is available here.
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