Everybody knows somebody who shouldn’t own a gun — but chances are, that somebody owns several.
Why is this? How are guns finding their way to irresponsible or dangerous owners? Shouldn’t there be some system in place that prevents the mentally ill, convicted felons and repeat offenders from obtaining deadly weapons?
There is — sort of.
The problem with America is the laws are different everywhere. Some view this as a way for each region of the country to express its uniqueness and individualism, but to others, it’s silly and annoying.
Some states (the responsible ones) already require background checks any time a firearm is sold. That includes pawn shops, retail stores and even gun shows or auctions.
Other states, like Louisiana, buy and sell guns as if they were mangoes, treating them as a harmless commodity.
Federal law only requires federally licensed firearm dealers to initiate a background check on potential gun buyers. Private gun sales, like those conducted on Craigslist, at gun shows and anywhere the federal government doesn’t have a presence, don’t require a check.
Even sales conducted over the Internet require no background check at all, which not only enables dangerous criminals but also makes their firearm acquisition convenient with at-home delivery.
I don’t want to say this is the National Rifle Association’s fault, but it is. The NRA does a lot of good by promoting gun safety and recreational shooting, especially for kids. However, it also protects every American’s Second Amendment rights.
Let me reiterate, every American’s Second Amendment rights, regardless of how insane or irresponsible he or she may be. The NRA claims to want to keep guns out of the hands of these people, but the legislation they push through Congress doesn’t support that claim.
How can you keep guns away from crazy people if you don’t bother to find out if they’re crazy before they buy them? Or felons? Or sex offenders?
The NRA mongers fear by telling small-minded Americans that the government is creating a national gun registry to track who has which guns, so eventually they can be confiscated and America can become England 2.0.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. The government wants basic responsibility. As guns evolve, do our rights evolve as well?
Eventually, rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs, will look like BB guns compared to the weapons of the future. Does that mean it’s every American’s right to own one?
You know, for protection? Can’t leave home without my RPG; you never know when I might have to fight off a helicopter.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love guns. I plan on owning at least one for the rest of my life. They’re fun to shoot and they make me feel safe.
That being said, I’m a better shot than most Americans. I’m more responsible than most Americans. That’s not arrogance, it’s just #realtalk.
I don’t want guns in the hands of dangerous people. If you agree with me, don’t be deceived by the NRA.
The NRA has bought off most of Congress, and that’s why we’re even having this debate, despite the overwhelming majority of Americans (as high as 86 percent in some polls) supporting background checks.
The NRA needs to protect responsible gun owners, not enable the irresponsible ones.
Editor’s Note: This column has been corrected. The original column contained the following sentence, “Private gun sales, like those conducted on Craigslist, at gun shows and anywhere the federal government doesn’t have a presence, don’t require a check,” which is false.
FILE - In this Dec. 21, 2012 file photo, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre speaks in Washington where he called for armed school officers in every American school following a mass shooting at a Connecticut school. His message carried extra heft because many lawmakers in the more than two dozen Republican-controlled states are NRA members, but four months later the quest has stalled in many traditionally gun-friendly states. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)
