Why Does The GOP Want Criminals To Legally Buy Guns?

The chart above is from the Gun Violence Archive.

Earlier this year Congress actually passed a measure concerning guns. It was a pathetic and toothless bill, and no one expected it to have any real effect on gun deaths and mass shootings. And that turned out to be true. It had no effect.

With a few days left in this year, the United States has had 650 mass shootings and experienced 42,253 gun deaths -- far more than any other developed country. It doesn't have to be this way.

Republicans try to convince voters that any gun law would violate the Second Amendment. That is simply a lie. The United States Supreme Court has never said the Second Amendment is unlimited. Just the opposite -- the court has ruled that reasonable restrictions are allowed (such as restricting where guns are allowed and restricting felons from possessing a gun).

One gun law that could actually be effective is a strict background check law. The U.S. already has a background check law, but it is weak and full of holes. Those holes allow anyone to purchase a gun without anyone checking their background -- and as many as 40% of gun sales may be done without a background check.

Over 80% of Americans, and a huge majority of gun owners, want to see a strict and effective background check law. The only thing stopping such a law are the Republicans in Congress.

Such a law would be constitutional, and it would go a long way toward keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people (like criminals). Why then do the Republicans oppose such a law? Do they really want to protect the right of a criminal to legally buy a gun?

A strict background check law would not impinge on the right of law-abiding citizens to buy and own a gun. They could easily pass a background check. The worst that could happen for law-abiding citizens is that they might have to wait a few days for the check to be completed, but they would be allowed a gun.

The only people affected by a strict background check are dangerous people -- criminals, terrorists, and the dangerously mentally ill. Those people should not have guns.

Some might say those people could still buy a gun on the black market. But it's much harder to buy a gun on the black market, and more dangerous because both the buyer and seller could go to prison for it. And it could be made even harder. It is not an excuse to allow dangerous people to easily and legally buy a gun.

A strict background check law could be effective in reducing both the number of gun deaths and the number of mass shootings. It could save thousands of innocent lives each year. But it won't happen until voters get serious about it, and vote the obstructionists out of office. 

I urge all voters of both parties to refuse to vote for any politician who opposes a strict background check law.