In North Missouri, we cherish our 2nd Amendment rights. We value the opportunity to teach our children how to safely hunt or target practice, and we feel far more secure knowing that we can capably defend ourselves if necessary.
Unfortunately, our rural values always seem to take a backseat to the latest reactionary ideological crusade to take away our gun rights.
We saw it last week when the House took up measures purporting to expand background checks for gun purchases. I strongly opposed them because what they really did was use anti-gun talking points to once again go after the 2nd Amendment.
Expanded background checks just make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to get a gun without increased cost, time and effort. That’s what this legislation did. Furthermore, it would essentially ban anyone under 21 from buying a handgun because they wouldn’t be able to find anyone who could sell one to them.
We saw it last week when the House took up measures purporting to expand background checks for gun purchases. I strongly opposed them because what they really did was use anti-gun talking points to once again go after the 2nd Amendment.
Expanded background checks just make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to get a gun without increased cost, time and effort. That’s what this legislation did. Furthermore, it would essentially ban anyone under 21 from buying a handgun because they wouldn’t be able to find anyone who could sell one to them.
Another disastrous gun control proposal was also put forward to get rid of the three-day waiting period for background checks, making it easier for the government to delay it for up to 20 days, or even keep law-abiding citizens from getting a gun if the government doesn’t bother to finish the background check. Can you imagine making a victim of domestic violence wait up to 20 days to get a firearm or criminalizing anyone who loans them a gun for protection? The fact is, our rights and our safety shouldn’t wait on the federal government.
Ultimately, background checks already exist; it should come as no surprise though that criminals generally don’t go through a legal process to obtain a firearm. If they are determined to get a gun, or any weapon for that matter, they’ll find a way.
Gun violence is a serious problem that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Our hearts go out to those affected by violence of any kind. However, good public policy should be rooted in facts; not emotions. The fact is that last week’s sham gun control votes would not have prevented the high-profile shootings that have taken place in recent years; these bills did nothing but further infringe on our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. We should address gun violence like we do every other crime; by enforcing the laws that are already on the books.
13 comments:
Graves is a liar, there are no background checks when an individual sells a firearm to another person. There is no requirement that anybody verify if the person buying the weapon is a legal buyer. If you buy from an individual, whether through a newspaper ad or just word of mouth there are no background checks done at all.
Guns are so scary...
9:11
Guns are not scary unless yielded by idiots that cannot even complete a sentence.
Oh, and you are scary like bad guns...
And all too many of them are idiots and the lack of will by Congress to better control their sale and transfer is as stupid as a lot of gun owners are. Just as more control over DWI offenders we need more control over gun sales. More effort is put into control the sale of alcohol and tobacco than in gun sales and possession. One only has to see where states like Oklahoma is now allowing CCA without training or oversight who can carry a weapon.
3:57, it has been proven the Congressman from Missouri is a liar, and although you have almost doubled your comment to seven words from four, you’re still an idiot if you think background checks are provided on the private sales of firearms. Once again for the addled, guns are not scary, morons wielding guns without a background check and congressmen that lie about such is a problem.
Idiots wielding words are scarier than guns.
11:31, Don’t be scared, Congressman Graves is not to be feared, just ridiculed.
Point proven.
Your right to swing your fist ends at my nose, Rep. Graves. With rights come responsibilities. I never hear gun owners mention those.
Steve... nevermind.
There is a reason the military keeps it's weapons in arms lockers. If you really want to cut down on gun violence, simply seize all the guns in civilian hands and melt them down. Then pass a law that anyone found in possession of a firearm, regardless of the reason, goes to prison for a minimum of twenty years. If you do this then people are going to have to find other ways to kill each other.
4:51, owning a weapon is a constitutional right, but this idiot, Congressman Graves, is saying that requiring a background check on private sales of weapons is a sham. It is not, it is a loophole in the lawful requirement that weapons cannot be sold without a background check. He knows that, as does any gun owner in America, and should support the same checks on private sales as the retailers comply with to prevent felons from acquiring firearms. The felons will still be able to steal them, but they won’t be afforded the opportunity to buy them from Joe Blow without any check at all. That is a “common sense” gun law, not a sham as the congressman states.
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