This statement by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) has to be the dumbest thing I have ever read.
“To date, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has prevented more than two million convicted felons and other prohibited purchasers from buying guns. The law also has a deterrent effect—prohibited purchasers are less likely to try to buy guns when they know comprehensive background check requirements are in place.”
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Read it this way:
“Prohibited purchasers are less likely to try to buy guns when they know comprehensive background check requirements are in place; but it didn’t stop two million convicted felons and other prohibited purchasers from trying to buy a gun.”
And those two million rejected applications might not reflect keeping guns out of the hands of two million convicted felons and other prohibited purchasers. Why?
- One felon may have tried multiple times to buy a firearm from different dealers. They are able to do this because although there is a penalty of five years in prison for lying on the application, they are rarely prosecuted.
- Many applications are rejected because of erroneous information in the NICS database.
- Many applications are rejected because the applicant did not list their SSAN on the form (it’s optional) and they have the same name as a prohibited person.
By not prosecuting a person intent on obtaining a firearm for criminal purposes, you are allowing that person to remain free to pursue obtaining a legal firearm. And to believe they would stop trying because their background check came back disapproved is naïve. Most likely they will eventually turn to the most used methods of illegally obtaining a firearm: straw purchaser, theft or buying a stolen gun.
Why do Liberals support Universal Background Checks? They say they will support any initiative that would save even one innocent life. If that’s the case, why don’t they support concealed carry laws or even individual ownership of firearms? The study conducted by the Center for Disease Control, done at President Obama’s request, determined that firearms are used between 500,000 and 1,500,000 times a year to prevent a crime. The Crime Prevention Research Center says this number is closer to 2,500,000. There’s something that’s works.
California, New York and nine other States already perform background checks on all firearms transfers. Eight States including New Jersey and Massachusetts require a permit be obtained before they can purchase a firearm. The permit process includes a background check. Are violent crime rates considerably lower in these States than States without similar laws? No.
The real reason Liberals are pushing Universal Background Checks is for it to work, 100% firearms registration is required. This is the “dirty little secret” Liberals never talk about while they’re pushing Universal Background Checks. And as history shows, registration is always the first step to confiscation.