So the usual suspects are trying again. Never let a tragedy go to waste.
President Obama noted last week that once again, someone got a gun who shouldn’t have had access to it.
…
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Tuesday that something must be done to expand background checks.
“Is that asking too much? Couldn’t we at least do this little thing to stop people who are mentally ill, people who are criminals from purchasing guns?” Reid said on the Senate floor.
Can Obama or Reid (or Toomey or Manchin for that matter) explain exactly what law they suggest that would have prevented Roof from buying a gun? He had no felony convictions or indictments or any documented history of mental illness.
So what’s wrong with universalizing background checks? I’m actually pretty pro-Second Amendment and oppose a ban on types of guns but this particular bill seems like common sense to me.
There are no quotes in your link saying that Roof would have been prevented from buying a gun from any legislation they propose, only people that are mentally ill. Nice try though.
Reid is a liar, and a mean little prick, to boot. Obama and Reid are both lame ducks, so they’re in the safest political position to try to take advantage of another tragedy. Reid would love to revive the Democrat Party position of registration and confiscation of all firearms. Fortunately, there are other Democrats who understand that gun owners, and 2nd Amendment supporters, have un-elected many Democrats who attack gun owner’s rights.
He’d been arrested earlier this year for felony drug possession so he should not have been able to legally purchase a gun since federal law prohibits people with felony charges pending from buying a gun and it should have turned up in a background check.
That said, it’s still not clear whether he bought it on his own or was given it as a gift.
This form is required to be filled out for handgun purchases from any FFL. If you answer yes to this question you are prohibited from purchasing a handgun from an FFL.
That being said, it’s unfortunately par for the course for politicians to use tragedy to promote their agenda.
ISTR that you are from Canada. This is a restricted but not prohibited firearm by Canadian law. Aside from maybe that one drug arrest, he wouldn’t have had anything in Canadian law prohibiting him from joining a shooting club (to justify a restricted license) and getting a Possession and Acquisition License that legally allowed him to buy exactly the same gun. The lead time is longer. The hassle is a little greater. The expense is higher. Effectiveness of the background check seems to be the big difference between US/Canada in this case not our Constitution.
Afghanistan, Iraq, Patriot Act, 9/11…not to mention ulterior motives and crocodile tears.
The funny thing about gun control is that there’s pretty much always a gun related controversy in the news. So if you had to wait until there wasn’t one you could never bring it up. I’m sure Republicans would be fine with that.
If you want to tar entire groups with the same brush, the demographic that shoots the most people per capita - both justifiable homicides and murders - isn’t Republicans, it’s African-Americans.