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How do you enforce this universal background check?
This is a difficult area because it raises the specter of a gun registry where the government would have a ready database if they were in a position to wish to confiscate all the guns from law abiding citizens at some future date. I put that out there because I believe it needs to be done. Let me explain.
I have purchased several guns in my lifetime and as I have explained I am not some "gun nut" but someone who wants to have the ability to protect my family in event of an intruder or criminal. My first gun was when we lived out in the country off the county road and didn't yet own any weapons. Some night about 10 PM some guy (an older gentleman) comes to the door and wants directions to some other residence. We were a good 300 feet from the road. At that point it dawned on me that if this was a "bad guy" we would have had no chance at self defense. I purchased my first gun, a Marlin 22 semi auto rifle at K-Mart. It wasn't perfect but it would have provided a modicum of protection. As the saying goes, if you are murdered the cops are only 10 minutes away. I prefer to have my and my family's safety in my hands when it is required.
As to the specific question, I have owned several guns and when we moved to Texas several years ago I went to the local sheriff's office to inquire how I might register or whatever was required to ensure we were in compliance with Texas law. I was informed there was nothing needed there. I was surprised to hear this. Later on I happened to sell two weapons to people I knew to be citizens of the state of Texas and not crazy people. I also got bills of sales to show in the event they ever were to be used in the commission of a crime, although it is not actually required. I even did this when I took one to a local pawn shop. I wanted to be entirely 100% legal in all respects.
The problem we have right now is as I said, a gun can be sold at a gun show by a licensed dealer or at any gun dealer's place of business, including most pawn shops, and a background check must be done. It doesn't take very long sometimes as short as 10 minutes. Now that's fine and good. I'm all for that. But then the system breaks down. I can take that same gun and sell it to anyone off the street and be perfectly within the law. It might be irresponsible but there is no background check after it leaves the possession of the gun dealer. There is an exception to doing this. If one sells a gun to someone else in another state it must be transacted through a gun dealer. A private owner cannot sell a gun to someone else in another state. I don't have the federal statute at hand but am pretty certain this is fact.
So what do we do? Tough question. The NRA would raise a big stink and it would probably never happen BECAUSE of the fear the federal government will confiscate our guns. That's what happened in Australia but they don't have the Second Amendment but who is to say that a future Supreme Court won't reverse their previous position? This is what happened in Australia after the incident in Tasmania when a psychotic individual shot a number of people.
What might work is a revisiting of the Second Amendment where it specifically states that all law abiding citizens are granted the right to own any lawful weapons of their choice. It might also state that all gun background checks be conducted on ALL gun sales but that the database or chain of custody could never be used by the government to confiscate lawfully owned guns. And to make sure it would work as written, any government official who used the database to take a lawfully obtained gun away would be subject to a severe penalty such as breaking rocks at Leavenworth for a minimum of 10 years. This would apply to all government officials; appointed and elected up to and including the president. A prima facia case would automatically kick in for impeachment if the amendment was ever violated. Then it might work.
In just about all of these mass shootings, the perp was far from a "gun nut", usually getting the firearms shortly before using them on unarmed victims. We "gun nuts" have owned and used firearms for years, or even decades. My guns and I have never caused anyone harm. The same is true for millions upon millions of law-abiding gun owners.
Seems these shootings often occur in "gun free zones" also.
Perhaps the emphasis needs to be placed on the mental/emotional defectives who commit these crimes.
Did you have a change of mind? You have been on the gun grabber side too many times for me to trust you.
This is a difficult area because it raises the specter of a gun registry where the government would have a ready database if they were in a position to wish to confiscate all the guns from law abiding citizens at some future date. I put that out there because I believe it needs to be done. Let me explain.
I have purchased several guns in my lifetime and as I have explained I am not some "gun nut" but someone who wants to have the ability to protect my family in event of an intruder or criminal. My first gun was when we lived out in the country off the county road and didn't yet own any weapons. Some night about 10 PM some guy (an older gentleman) comes to the door and wants directions to some other residence. We were a good 300 feet from the road. At that point it dawned on me that if this was a "bad guy" we would have had no chance at self defense. I purchased my first gun, a Marlin 22 semi auto rifle at K-Mart. It wasn't perfect but it would have provided a modicum of protection. As the saying goes, if you are murdered the cops are only 10 minutes away. I prefer to have my and my family's safety in my hands when it is required.
As to the specific question, I have owned several guns and when we moved to Texas several years ago I went to the local sheriff's office to inquire how I might register or whatever was required to ensure we were in compliance with Texas law. I was informed there was nothing needed there. I was surprised to hear this. Later on I happened to sell two weapons to people I knew to be citizens of the state of Texas and not crazy people. I also got bills of sales to show in the event they ever were to be used in the commission of a crime, although it is not actually required. I even did this when I took one to a local pawn shop. I wanted to be entirely 100% legal in all respects.
The problem we have right now is as I said, a gun can be sold at a gun show by a licensed dealer or at any gun dealer's place of business, including most pawn shops, and a background check must be done. It doesn't take very long sometimes as short as 10 minutes. Now that's fine and good. I'm all for that. But then the system breaks down. I can take that same gun and sell it to anyone off the street and be perfectly within the law. It might be irresponsible but there is no background check after it leaves the possession of the gun dealer. There is an exception to doing this. If one sells a gun to someone else in another state it must be transacted through a gun dealer. A private owner cannot sell a gun to someone else in another state. I don't have the federal statute at hand but am pretty certain this is fact.
So what do we do? Tough question. The NRA would raise a big stink and it would probably never happen BECAUSE of the fear the federal government will confiscate our guns. That's what happened in Australia but they don't have the Second Amendment but who is to say that a future Supreme Court won't reverse their previous position? This is what happened in Australia after the incident in Tasmania when a psychotic individual shot a number of people.
What might work is a revisiting of the Second Amendment where it specifically states that all law abiding citizens are granted the right to own any lawful weapons of their choice. It might also state that all gun background checks be conducted on ALL gun sales but that the database or chain of custody could never be used by the government to confiscate lawfully owned guns. And to make sure it would work as written, any government official who used the database to take a lawfully obtained gun away would be subject to a severe penalty such as breaking rocks at Leavenworth for a minimum of 10 years. This would apply to all government officials; appointed and elected up to and including the president. A prima facia case would automatically kick in for impeachment if the amendment was ever violated. Then it might work.
Since you are trying to be reasonable I won't be rude, but No, any registry is out of the question. The feds can not and shall not be trusted. They have already proven beyond any shadow of any doubt they can not be trusted to lead or assist in any hope for the betterment of society.
The feds have divided We the People and take powers they were never to have assumed. In fact are creating a Police State of the Nation.
Every power they have assumed has been abused and what little hasn't has been dealt with in the most inept fashions.
I am, still stuck back with Bill Clinton selling us to red commie china. Everyone wants to know where industry went..... read up on Bill Clinton and his lying scum wife.
Long time since back then.... Younger people have no idea.
Biden wrote that 1994 gun ban and he is the enemy as well.
In the USA anymore we have 2 kinds of people. The Elite and us peasants. Some peasants think they are important to the Elite.
Since you are trying to be reasonable I won't be rude, but No, any registry is out of the question. The feds can not and shall not be trusted. They have already proven beyond any shadow of any doubt they can not be trusted to lead or assist in any hope for the betterment of society.
The feds have divided We the People and take powers they were never to have assumed. In fact are creating a Police State of the Nation.
Every power they have assumed has been abused and what little hasn't has been dealt with in the most inept fashions.
I am, still stuck back with Bill Clinton selling us to red commie china. Everyone wants to know where industry went..... read up on Bill Clinton and his lying scum wife.
Long time since back then.... Younger people have no idea.
Biden wrote that 1994 gun ban and he is the enemy as well.
In the USA anymore we have 2 kinds of people. The Elite and us peasants. Some peasants think they are important to the Elite.
I respect your views but what is your answer to the unregulated purchase and sale of guns outside registered gun dealers? What I am looking for is some method of chain of custody of firearms to see how they fall into the hands of criminals. I'm not worried about law abiding gun owners. I do worry about how guns happen to fall into the hands of criminals. Clearly there is something out of whack here.
But even if there is no agreement to be found here I do believe we are in agreement that mental defectives and psychotics should be barred from the possession of any firearms. If there was ever a situation that demanded attention it seems to me this is where the primary emphasis should be placed.
When we closed down the loony bins we loosed this evil upon ourselves. We squander billions on worthless projects, wars and government waste. How about we lock away these homicidal maniacs? Don't the law abiding citizens have any rights to be save and secure in their own homes or businesses?
Every time one of these mass murders occur it is the same thing. I could have predicted what would come of this. It's always the same; unless it is a terrorist activity but that is an entirely different problem to be dealt with.
I chuckle every time I hear a gun nut say that their gun zealotry is "protecting their freedom" when, in fact, it is doing exactly the opposite. For there is no more effective way to insure a growing police state than a no-compromise pro-gun stance. And it is happening as we speak. They think they are gliding down the highway when, in fact, they are slip-sliding away. Regrettably, so are we all.
This latest in the long chain of tragedies will once again crank security concerns up another notch, resulting in more suspicion, more checkpoints, more searches, more impediment to people being left alone to go about their business free of harassment and challenge.
Everyone can see where this is going....that is, everyone not blinded by the religion of their gun-centric upbringing. Gun nuts are gradually frittering away all other freedoms in trade for one. And anyone willing to trade freedom for guns deserves neither.
Of course you would for you don't really know anything do you
I respect your views but what is your answer to the unregulated purchase and sale of guns outside registered gun dealers? What I am looking for is some method of chain of custody of firearms to see how they fall into the hands of criminals. I'm not worried about law abiding gun owners. I do worry about how guns happen to fall into the hands of criminals. Clearly there is something out of whack here.
But even if there is no agreement to be found here I do believe we are in agreement that mental defectives and psychotics should be barred from the possession of any firearms. If there was ever a situation that demanded attention it seems to me this is where the primary emphasis should be placed.
When we closed down the loony bins we loosed this evil upon ourselves. We squander billions on worthless projects, wars and government waste. How about we lock away these homicidal maniacs? Don't the law abiding citizens have any rights to be save and secure in their own homes or businesses?
Every time one of these mass murders occur it is the same thing. I could have predicted what would come of this. It's always the same; unless it is a terrorist activity but that is an entirely different problem to be dealt with.
I don't know what there is to be done about criminals purchasing or stealing guns outside a legal gun store. Not much I guess since the law covers that. and these types of people should not have access to guns.
The problem is not solved my forcing me to abandon guns that belonged to my father or my brothers. I see no point in having to take a back ground check each and every time i buy a gun, but i put up with it since it is a free service in NH. Total waste of my time and agents doing this service.
Here on CD I have been told by gun grabbers that it isn't up to me to kick a store customer out! I was a gun store counter clerk before and had 1 customer wanting to buy 1 gun with 1 bullet. I kicked him out.
Perhaps you can tell me when criminals will obey the law, that is to say obey paper law?
More paper law isn't going to solve a thing. Paper gun laws are broken every day and I break them everyday myself.
For years and years now I have rented a PO Box in the local Post Office. it's against the LAW for me to carry in the post office. BUT I like knowing where my side arm IS, and I believe it is better on my person, than it is locked up in the car, truck or the hard bags on my bike.
So I carry in the Post Office and have for years. Not only do the PO employee's not know I do this, I haven't even shot anyone yet in there.
It's a stupid Fee; Good Law... I refuse to obey it.
I have blood in my family unit and I feel that allows me to do as I please. 2 dead gives me the RIGHT to just do as I please. The system of Injustice is a joke and a total farce.
You will never stop the criminal element with paper law. In fact you won't stop them so long as Parole is a option. Parole is based on hope. If a criminal thinks there is no hope for after he has committed a crime he will just kill.
The problem comes when the criminal kills on parole which is as typical. So I say end Parole now and forever and let the criminal Kill. It beats letting him out ever again to kill again which it typical.
I also understand that my carrying isn't fool proof. I accept that for what it is. But I at least have a chance to survive that otherwise i would not have.
Case in point the Navy yard had marines with weapons but no ammo. These Mariners were helpless and useless. If they each had just one round they may have been enabled to save lives.
We have law makers knowing nothing about what it is they make laws for. That doesn't cut it with me.
last I don't expect anyone to obey the LAW. The feds break the law every day. if they can do that on such a scale as they do why should anyone else obey the law?
I have to laugh at the myopia of people that see a tragedy and as a result think they should pass a law that clearly doesn't address the crime. I have to laugh when those people think they did something helpful just because a law was passed, even when it's irrelevant to the crime.
I have to laugh at the myopia of people that see a tragedy and as a result think they should pass a law that clearly doesn't address the crime. I have to laugh when those people think they did something helpful just because a law was passed, even when it's irrelevant to the crime.
Yeah "Feel Good' law....... That's how we got in the mess 55 years ago..
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That's how we got in the mess 55 years ago..