Gun rights activists in the U.S. have built their case for access on the Second Amendment, but gun control has always been part of U.S. policy, from the time of the founding fathers through the wild west.

Likewise, the N.R.A. was not always a proponent of gun deregulation. During prohibition when guns were widely controlled by powerful criminal elements, the N.R.A. used to lobby for gun control.

Yesterday though, breaking their silence after the mass killing at Sandy Hook, NRA Vice-President Wayne LaPierre made a cultural and public safety case for more guns. He blamed the media and violent video games and proposed a plan to put armed guards in every American school. 

It was clear the NRA does not believe this is the time for gun control.

Adam Winkler is a professor of constitutional law at UCLA, and has written about the 2nd Amendment and the NRA in his book Gunfight: The Battle Over The Right To Bear Arms in America. He tells us why the moderate voice isn't part of the message we're getting from the NRA. 

Should I Read It?

Hey, what kind of person leaves Christmas shopping til the last minute?

It's usually smart, thoughtful, perfectionists like yourself, or someone who enjoys spending time and money in a bookshop more than a mall.

So we have solutions. Becky Toyne is our books columnist and she's put together a great list of books with a wide range of appeal. 

And (hint!) it's not too late to buy me Chris Ware's Building Stories, the graphic novel in a box. We can read it simultaneously.

2012 News Quiz

Can you beat the champ?

It's the Day 6 annual news quiz, and this year we have Jeopardy record holder Ken Jennings facing off against CBC heavy-hitters Peter Armstrong of World Report and Mary Walsh, internationally known as a warrior princess.

Will Ken work his Jeopardy magic? Or will the Canadians prevail? Together they probe the big stories of 2012 and you can play along too.

You may even win a copy of Ken's book Because I Said So. Just go here and be brilliant.

Christmas on Death Row

Earlier this year I spoke to Damien Echols and we talked about his autobiography Life After Death.

Damien has been free for just over a year after spending 18 years in an Arkansas prison. He was sentenced to die when the court found him guilty in the killings of three young boys.

The case was a mess. When significant outside pressure was brought to bear on Arkansas authorities, Damien and the other two young men convicted- the so-called West Memphis Three- were finally released.
 
This will be Damien's second Christmas as a free man since he went to jail in 1994. He reads to us from his prison diaries about Christmas on Death Row.

Newsmaker of the Year Nominee: Montreal

Next week we count down the top stories of the year concluding with newsmaker, the all-round biggest story of 2012.

The voting is now closed for the Big 6, but one of the intriguing newsmaker nominees is the City of Montreal.

This week we're looking at why Montreal had a wild 2012, and what makes it a contender for newsmaker of the year.

Student protests snaked through the streets for much of the first half of the year. University and CEGEP students wore red square patches and beat on pots and pans to protest the Charest government's planned tuition hikes.

Those angry demonstrations may have tipped Pauline Marois into power as the Partie Quebecois eked out a September minority government victory over the tired Liberals.

But then a fatal shooting marred the victory party of Quebec's first female premier.

And an inquiry into publicly funded construction projects seemed to indicate a shocking level of corruption with money literally being stuffed into socks and politicians turning a blind eye. The mayor proclaimed his innocence, but resigned.

There were other Montreal stories, a gruesome manhunt for Luka Magnotta, flash floods, even an earthquake. Was 2012 the year Canada's second largest city lost its collective marbles?

The Big 6 is next week.

Hope you'll join us for the last show of 2012.  

And hope you have a great Christmas if you're a Christmas-having person. Happy Holidays to everyone else and see you next Saturday as we eyeball the New Year. 
 

Brent Bambury, @cbcday6

Subscribe to the podcast: