Gun Violence

*** MISS BALA Directed by Gerardo Naranjo Written by Naranjo and Mauricio Katz Starring Stephanie Sigman, Noe Hernández, Lakshmi Picazo Running time: 113 minutes At: Boston Common Rated: R (intense gun violence) In Spanish, with English subtitles An action-packed tale about the Mexican drug trade, "Miss Bala" is a gritty account of the effect of daily violence on one young woman. Despite the grim subject matter, the film is more lurid thriller with art-house flourishes than a documentary-style approach.

Unlike four years ago, President Barack Obama's campaign speeches focus less on new promises and more on pledges he says he's kept. Here's a look at how his promises have held up: PROMISES KEPT —Sign legislation to remake the nation's health care system and extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans. —Kill Osama bin Laden. —End the ban on gays serving openly in the military. —Stop the use of torture on terror suspects —Overhaul rules governing the financial sector and establish a consumer protection bureau —Withdraw U.S....

GUN VIOLENCE is a cancer to some Boston neighborhoods (“Police ramp up after violence; Want to prevent retaliation after 4 killed, 15 hurt,’’ Page A1, July 6). And like cancer, unless its location is detected, it spreads. Until the Boston Police Department expands the highly effective ShotSpotter gunshot detection system to all Boston neighborhoods with identified gangs, residents will remain skeptical of its efforts to curb violence. In the 21st century, it is the absolute responsibility of the Boston Police Department to know the when, where, and how, every time...

Kids 6 and older The Lorax (94 min., PG) This animated version of the Dr. Seuss children's classic has two goons who loom large and might scare kids under age 6. An encounter with a foreboding wasteland is, well, foreboding. But nothing is really too scary here, even in 3-D. Kids 8 and older Mirror, Mirror (106 min., PG) Julia Roberts is the evil queen in this reimagining of "Snow White. " The bloodless violence involves more property damage than anything else. There's a lot of mild sexual innuendo, much of which likely will go over kids' heads.

WE ARE writing to commend Senator Scott Brown for joining Senator John Kerry in opposing legislation proposed by the gun lobby that would undermine the ability of Massachusetts and other states to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons ( "Brown opposes NRA weapons bill: Measure backs right to conceal guns," Metro, Nov. 9). In a recent letter to Mayor Thomas Menino, Senator Brown stated that he would vote against the dangerous bill, which passed in the US House of Representatives Wednesday.

Unlike four years ago, President Barack Obama's campaign speeches focus less on new promises and more on pledges he says he's kept. Here's a look at how his promises have held up: PROMISES KEPT —Sign legislation to remake the nation's health care system and extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans. —Kill Osama bin Laden. —End the ban on gays serving openly in the military. —Stop the use of torture on terror suspects —Overhaul rules governing the financial sector and establish a consumer protection bureau —Withdraw U.S....

WASHINGTON - Thirteen-year-old Steven Odom was shot to death four years ago walking to his Dorchester home. Ronald and Kim Odom, however, vow that their son's voice will never be silenced. The Odoms joined about 50 other victims of gun violence, several lawmakers, and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino in the nation's capital yesterday to call on Congress to vastly improve background checks for gun purchases. "We're getting the opportunity to bring Steven's voice to this arena, the United States Congress," Kim Odom said.

A rapper who was to perform at an Arizona nightclub until a shootout outside left 14 people wounded says his thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of "this senseless act of violence. " Rapper Nipsey Hussle issued a statement over the weekend saying he strongly opposes gun violence, and that his fans know he represents "nothing but peace and progress through hard work. " "I grew up on the streets of south central Los Angeles and have witnessed many tragedies in my lifetime," Hussle said.

A proposal to let people have guns while driving or walking through state university and community college campuses cleared its final hurdle in the Arizona Legislature on Thursday. The House passed the bill on a 33-24 vote, which will send it to Gov. Jan Brewer. The Senate previously approved the measure, after watering it down to no longer allow guns inside campus buildings. But the bill still sparked sharp debate before Thursday’s House vote. State Rep. Bob Robson said guns on campuses are a bad idea because students and others experience such emotional...

ATLANTA — The federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. has taken on added meaning for most Americans this year as they try to make sense of the violence in Arizona that left six people dead and a member of Congress fighting for her life. A state that once resisted the notion of a federal King holiday — and last year was the setting for a sharp-tongued debate on immigration — now finds itself in search of solace after the Jan. 8 attack on Representative Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat from Arizona, and the throng of people around her outside...

The explosion of drug-fueled violence along Mexico's border with the United States could harm relations between the two nations, President Barack Obama said Monday; Mexico's leader retorted that much of the problem of drugs and guns begins on the U.S. side of the line. In the thick of political contests in both the United States and Mexico, Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon traded unusually direct claims about the cause and effect of the drug violence that has consumed a swath of northeastern Mexico.

A rapper who was to perform at an Arizona nightclub until a shootout outside left 14 people wounded says his thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of "this senseless act of violence. " Rapper Nipsey Hussle issued a statement over the weekend saying he strongly opposes gun violence, and that his fans know he represents "nothing but peace and progress through hard work. " "I grew up on the streets of south central Los Angeles and have witnessed many tragedies in my lifetime," Hussle said.

*** MISS BALA Directed by Gerardo Naranjo Written by Naranjo and Mauricio Katz Starring Stephanie Sigman, Noe Hernández, Lakshmi Picazo Running time: 113 minutes At: Boston Common Rated: R (intense gun violence) In Spanish, with English subtitles An action-packed tale about the Mexican drug trade, "Miss Bala" is a gritty account of the effect of daily violence on one young woman. Despite the grim subject matter, the film is more lurid thriller with art-house flourishes than a documentary-style approach.

WE ARE writing to commend Senator Scott Brown for joining Senator John Kerry in opposing legislation proposed by the gun lobby that would undermine the ability of Massachusetts and other states to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons ( "Brown opposes NRA weapons bill: Measure backs right to conceal guns," Metro, Nov. 9). In a recent letter to Mayor Thomas Menino, Senator Brown stated that he would vote against the dangerous bill, which passed in the US House of Representatives Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - Thirteen-year-old Steven Odom was shot to death four years ago walking to his Dorchester home. Ronald and Kim Odom, however, vow that their son's voice will never be silenced. The Odoms joined about 50 other victims of gun violence, several lawmakers, and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino in the nation's capital yesterday to call on Congress to vastly improve background checks for gun purchases. "We're getting the opportunity to bring Steven's voice to this arena, the United States Congress," Kim Odom said.

GUN VIOLENCE is a cancer to some Boston neighborhoods (“Police ramp up after violence; Want to prevent retaliation after 4 killed, 15 hurt,’’ Page A1, July 6). And like cancer, unless its location is detected, it spreads. Until the Boston Police Department expands the highly effective ShotSpotter gunshot detection system to all Boston neighborhoods with identified gangs, residents will remain skeptical of its efforts to curb violence. In the 21st century, it is the absolute responsibility of the Boston Police Department to know the...

A child was shot in a Dorchester park Monday night, and motorized dirt bikes emerged as the villain, with the city moving swiftly to ban the buzzing vehicles, which the mayor and police commissioner blamed for fostering mayhem. City officials acknowledged yesterday that their assertion is based on anecdotal evidence, mainly citizen complaints, because they do not keep statistics that indicate the bikes are used to commit crimes. And now, some community members, and at least one city councilor, say the crackdown, dubbed Operation Kick Stand, is a knee-jerk reaction that distracts from the underlying...