Editorials & Other Articles

Robb

(39,665 posts) Fri Jul 26, 2013, 08:36 AM Jul 2013

Background checks aren’t gun control, they’re crime control

I spent 33 years in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and if I had a dollar for every time a citizen asked me or my colleagues to run a background check on someone who wanted to purchase their firearm, I wouldn’t need my pension.

Of course we couldn’t do that, not even for the family, friends and acquaintances who asked, who only wanted to be sure their firearm wouldn’t be sold to just anyone. Such checks were allowed for law enforcement only.

The Gun Control Act of 1968, swept into law by the assassinations of the 1960’s, strengthened gun laws, and the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act of 1993, passed after the attempted assassination of President Reagan, did mandate background checks. These two laws have prevented uncountable murders and violent crimes. Without them, American life would be drastically different–and worse. I used to say to the Special Agents and detectives assigned to my division, “That gun trafficking ring you broke up was about to be a series of murders.” Or, “That armed felon you just arrested was a murder looking to happen.”

Even as we grieve for the victims of Aurora and Newtown, or lose promising young lives in Chicago and Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, America is enjoying an overall decrease in firearms violence. Many factors are involved, but an important one is the vigorous enforcement of firearms laws. That effort has spanned presidential administrations and has put trigger-pullers and predators in prison for long sentences. If you’re in a cell block, you’re not out with your piece, preying on your neighborhood.

That’s why I say that gun safety laws are not gun control–they are crime control.

Read More: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/07/25/background-checks-arent-gun-control-theyre-crime-control/

4 replies

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Background checks aren’t gun control, they’re crime control (Original Post) Robb Jul 2013 OP

This has to be the most fustrating thing as a gun owner ceonupe Jul 2013 #1

Privacy issues would prohibit pipoman Jul 2013 #3

That's why you use the token system ceonupe Jul 2013 #4

So, as I and others have been saying for a very long time... pipoman Jul 2013 #2

ceonupe

(597 posts)

1. This has to be the most fustrating thing as a gun owner

Reply to Robb (Original post)

Fri Jul 26, 2013, 08:54 AM

Jul 2013

We have no way outside of using the services of a dealer to transfer/sell a weapon and have a background check run.

For me I use either my local gun club (they have a ffl and do transferes for free for members and charge about $20 for non members) I don't want a gun I owned and sold going to a prohibited person.

I have personally bought guns from private sellers via the Internet but always by law have then sent to my local ffl where I show my ccw permit fill out the paperwork and leave with my gun.

I strongly belive we need to open NICS to private citizens so they can run their own checks on themself and submit a token to the seller to prove ability to purchase. The seller verifys the token as valid and sale is allowed to got thru.

One problem with this I was recently told is often persons under sealed indictment have NICS holds placed on them before they are notified of the indictments. Some fear opening NICS up would let criminals see if they have indictments. I'm sure that issue could be worked out.

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

3. Privacy issues would prohibit

Reply to ceonupe (Reply #1)

Fri Jul 26, 2013, 09:05 AM

Jul 2013

access to the general public, and the system would be misused. However, if FFLs were required to conduct timely BG checks for anyone who asked, and the fee for the transfer was set low by law...like $20, voluntary compliance would be high. Further as it is now, if a state wishes to require bg checks for private sales, they have to fund the program and set up their own system. If all FFL dealers were required to do them the state could simply mandate people use this already set up system and it would cost the state nothing..

ceonupe

(597 posts)

4. That's why you use the token system

Reply to pipoman (Reply #3)

Fri Jul 26, 2013, 09:43 AM

Jul 2013

You input your information similar to how u signup for a credit report from equifax.

If u are not prohibited person you get purchase certificate/token. The seller runs that token thru system for verification along with government issued id and then complete sale and token is marked as used.

This could be one way. Like I said for me I am luck to be a member at a close less than 2 miles away indoor gun range and 20miles away from a large outdoor gun club and as member of both I get free transfers but everyone does not have that option.

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

2. So, as I and others have been saying for a very long time...

Reply to Robb (Original post)

Fri Jul 26, 2013, 08:59 AM

Jul 2013

why not, in the absence of a law requiring background checks on private sales, wouldn't we at least make them available to all of these people, "who only wanted to be sure their firearm wouldn’t be sold to just anyone"? This would only require some regulatory changes...easily accomplished through executive order even..why?

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