Carl Bakal, 86; Journalist Was Avid Gun Control Supporter

Carl Bakal, 86, whose 1966 book “The Right to Bear Arms,” sparked debate on gun control, died March 18 in New York City after a brief illness.

A journalist, the New York-born Bakal served as a photographic officer in the Philippines and Japan during World War II. He later photographed for Life, Collier’s, Holiday, Cosmopolitan and Esquire and published two books on photos, “How to Shoot for Glamour” and “The Filter Manual.”

After starting as a writer on the New York Mirror newspaper, Bakal freelanced articles to such publications as Harper’s, Esquire, Playboy, Parade, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Saturday Review and Town & Country. He was also an editor of Coronet magazine and editorial consultant to McCall’s and Good Housekeeping, and later worked in public relations.

An avid advocate of legislation to limit guns, Bakal not only wrote his 1966 book about the controversy, but also spoke on such television forums as “Today” and “Good Morning America.” He was a founder and the vice president of the National Council for a Responsible Firearms Policy. Another book, the 1979 “Charity USA,” detailed problems with charitable fundraising programs