Universal Background Checks

I understand that if everybody had a firearm it would raise the murder rate tremendously, but one must admit  should be a little harder to get a gun, just cause you don’t have a criminal background does not mean you are not capable of doing the same actions a criminal. The gun control law should be made to where if you wanted  to purchase a firearm, that you

Guns have had, and continue to have, an effect on American citizens. Given numerous recent events involving violence, the process of obtaining and possessing firearms needs to be taken into consideration. A major debate on the topic revolves around requiring a background check before the purchase of a gun. As of right now, a background check is required before purchasing a firearm. Are these background checks effective in preventing gun violence? Background checks should not only remain in place before the sale of a firearm but also become stricter.

At least two references are required for any potential gun owner, and their knowledge and understanding of that person has to have been apparent for a minimum of three years. Confirmation that a new owner is not likely to be a menace to society is also a prerequisite, along with a thorough background check. A minimum waiting period of 28 days is standard before any firearm is registered and the transaction approved. In contrast to these rules and regulations, the State of Connecticut, which was the latest example of a firearm tragedy, has only a 14 day waiting period before completing a firearm purchase. Under Federal Law, any individual who is considered mentally defective, convicted of a felony, or misdemeanours will be refused gun

Strict regulations and limitations have been pursued already and clearly do not suffice. Statics brought to attention by gun control opponents, show that gun control laws have done little to reduce crime rates. Several restrictions have been made on certain guns, considered as overly dangerous, though in the hands of an unstable criminal even a legal hunting gun can be deadly. Countless restrictions have been made, however people have still found ways around them. If people are unstable and determined enough, they will find a gun, regardless of the restrictions or regulations.

Since the use of the NICS system Approximately 916,000 individuals have been prohibited from purchasing a firearm for failing a background check between November 30, 1998, when the NICS system began operating on December 31 of 2004(Alters 118). This affects how people get gun drastically. If they are not able to go to the store anymore because background checks came up were not acceptable not allowing that person to purchase a firearm. The criteria for determining who should be able to possess a firearm. It should check for past legal issues not only for the individual but their family members.

There have been previous laws like The Brady Law instituted in 1993 that made a federal background check a requirement before an individual could purchase a gun (Kleck). Federal background checks are still being used today and the Legislature has agreed to pass an amendment that provides more funding for even stronger background checks. In 1994 President Clinton passed a law that banned semi-automatic weapons for civilian use (Kleck). This is still an ongoing issue today because semi-automatic weapons are readily available and have yet to be banned. There is no question that both parties are searching for answers, but the question remains how will the House make all Americans

Everyone here would probably be thinking that guns are more difficult to purchase then cars right? In fact, it’s the exact opposite. To get a car, you must first get a license, get car insurance, buy the actual car, get all the paperwork done, and finally register the car. Without including the training to get a license, this procedure can take over a month. However, to purchase a gun you need to go over to the nearest Walmart, answer some questions, and wait a couple of minutes to let the gun dealer make sure you haven’t committed any felonies and Voila!

(Richards, Paragraph 4) With the system being like this it leaves for a lot of loopholes for the criminals and their helpers to get through to purchase a gun. Stricter background checks in gun shows and online websites would make for a safer gun buying experience because a person will know who is getting the gun that is being sold. The people that do not want this, say it is harder for them and takes more time to go through the process of getting a gun, but if they know they have a clean record then what do they have to lose? A stricter background check should not affect anybody but the bad people and criminals that do not have any business with guns anyway. In a separate study, “Webster found that firearm-related homicides in Connecticut dropped 40 percent after the state adopted a 1995 law that required anyone seeking to buy a handgun to apply for a permit with the local police, complete at least eight hours of safety training, and be 21 years old.”

Certain people that are not allowed to buy guns in shops can still purchase them from private sellers or gun shows, where background checks are not actually required (Nakaya 10). Which is why criminals are still able to purchase guns, since they know of places where background checks are not required. In addition to that, anyone can sell their gun to another person without a license to sell or without completing a background check (Gun Control 109). Even though some places do require background checks there are still many flaws that can happen such as mental illness and certain criminal felonies. A flaw in the background checking system is what allowed Dylann Roof to purchase a gun then shoot people in a bible study at church.

Background and Significance Even though there are recent tragedies that happened in the country that resulted on many fatal injuries due to gun violence, gun laws are basically remains unchanged. One of recent gun law that was passed was The Brady Handgun Violence Act that was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993 that allowed a waiting period for criminal background check that dealers must perform before selling a handgun. However, an amendment was added to this bill which replaced the waiting period with National Instant Criminal Background Check System by licenses (Vizzard, 2015). The following year, The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act became law.

Enhanced Gun registration could potentially significantly lower the amount of guns bought through straw purchasing sales and corrupt FFL’s. Gun registration happens at the initial sale of the firearm, and legally binds the buyer to that gun, just like your car registration verifies the you are the legal owner of your car. What enhanced gun registration could do is deter someone from binding themselves to a weapon and then giving it to someone else, and be responsible for what is done or committed with that weapon. Background checks are another easy and affective means of preventing guns from getting in the wrong hands. The public opinion on background checks has changed drastically over the past decade; according to the Pew Research Center, in 2000, the overall populous of the United States was only 29% in favor of background checks as opposed to 2015 which is now a staggering 52% (Pew Research).

What these gaps in gun control mean is that purchasers of firearms who commit violent crimes have probably done so legally. Each year more guns are produced and purchased and more individuals go unchecked as they arm themselves for that point in the future where they will decide to use their destructive arms. It is estimated that over 300 million firearms are in possession of private US citizens, that is roughly one firearm per American (Horsley, 2016). This buildup in ownership only increases the probability of more firearms being sold off both legally and illegally to individuals with varying rages of motives, emotional states and situations that can combine into disastrous events such as those at Sandy Hook Elementary, Virginia Tech University

In this controversial debate, background checks are another point to consider. Background checks are defined as “checks on any private transfers of guns” (West Coast Publishing 11). This similarly debated topic is a large part of the gun control debate. The second amendment argument is a favorite topic for both sides of this argument. It can be used to help aid both sides of the gun control debate.

Alex Jones once stated that the second amendment is there to protect us from tyrannical government ad street thugs, not from duck hunting ("Should More Gun Laws Be Enacted"). In the state of Minnesota, a permit is needed to purchase handguns only, rifles and shotguns are not required to have a permit and you only need a permit to carry for handguns. Also in Minnesota you have to be 21 years of age to buy a handgun and 18 years of age to purchase a shotgun or rifle and no permit is required to possess any guns. It is not required to have the owners of the guns licensed or have your guns registered for anyone. A backround check is done at your big name gun dealers and your licensed gun dealers because of the Gun Control Act of 1968, but private dealers are not required to do a backround check on people through private sales at homes or in non licensed gun shows.

This would encourage firearms dealers to only sell weapons so individuals they do not believe will commit a crime. In the state of Florida, and many other states mental health checks are not required when purchasing a firearm ("Possession of Firearms by People with Mental Illness"). Regardless of their mental state, if the dealer themselves choose to sell an obviously mentally ill person a firearm, they can. In many states, they do not require any live fire training before firing a firearm (Mascia, Jennifer). This means that even if you have never fired a weapon before, you will still have the ability to own a weapon that can take somebody 's