Since the terrorist attack on innocent citizens in Paris, the Republican officials have been beating the drums loudly on the danger of terrorism in the United States. They have even gone so far as to try and keep Syrian refugees out of this country -- even though those refugees are largely women and children, and would be thoroughly vetted in a two-year process by the FBI, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. They want Americans to believe it would be dangerous to let those refugees in (even though the refugees are fleeing from the terrorists).
But the Republicans are just playing a political game. If they were serious about protecting Americans, they would take action to keep the terrorists already in this country (and those who will come here) from easily buying firearms (and all the ammunition they desire). But they haven't done that. In fact, they have actively stopped that from being done.
It is just a fact that 40% of all the guns bought each year in this country are bought without any kind of background check being done. That's because there are some huge loopholes in our background check law for gun buyers. Anyone in this country (including psychotics diagnosed as dangerous to others, violent criminals, and terrorists) can buy a gun using these loopholes -- and that purchase would be legal (if it was done at a gun show, through the mail or off the internet, or from an individual).
And that would include those on this country's terrorist watch list. Those on that watch list could not fly in a commercial airplane (even after being thoroughly searched), but they would have no problem at all purchasing any kind of firearm (and ammunition) that they desire -- including assault weapons.
It makes no sense to deny thoroughly-vetted refugees from entering this country because of a fear of terrorism, but then to allow terrorists to legally purchase their tools of terrorism in this country. But that's the position of Republican officials.
If they truly wanted to prevent terrorist deaths in this country, they would go along with the wishes of about 90% of the American public and close the huge loopholes in the background check law. Doing so would save the lives of many Americans each year -- both from terrorists and other violent miscreants.
They won't do that though. They are just playing a political game with the refugees, and are getting too much money from the NRA to do anything that would actually help save lives. They are hypocrites.
Ted, you are a bit unclear here, and I think things are even worse than you imply. You imply that people on the no-fly list can buy weapons because of the lack of background checks. This IS a major problem -- and you have pointed out how many people agree with us on it. BUT, if I have read the stories correctly, even with the current system of background checks, being on the terrorist watchlist is NOT a reason for denying a person his '2nd Amendment rights.' There was a survey done on the people on the watchlist who tried to buy guns, and something like 90% were successful -- and those who weren't were stopped for other reasons, domestic abuse, history of drug possession, psychological reasons, etc. None were stopped because their name was on a watchlist alone, and there is apparently a provision in the law that prevents this, and the Republicans won't even allow the law changing this from coming to a vote in the Senate.
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