Re: Senate gun violence hearing streaming live - 1/30 9:30am
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:32 am
Umm, given these two options, why did you choose to have everyone get a NICS check? My choice is to stop doing them altogether. As you and others have pointed out, criminals will get guns anyway. That makes it just a hassle for honest (as in non-criminal) people and of no use and costing taxpayers and shooters money.powerboatr wrote:i merely feel imo, that if i need to get a nics check, then so should everyone else. or stop doing them altogether.
As for opposing the checks, I can give you two very good reasons. One is it is no one's business but my own what my background is. I have a right to a firearm if I want one. No one should have the legal ability to deny me my rights. And yes, that includes criminals and mentally ill and drug users. If I cannot trust the people to be in society, why are we letting them out of the institutions (jails or hospitals)?
Second, and even more importantly, what good are checks if they are not enforced. VP Biden has been quoted as saying the federal government cannot go out and arrest everyone who lies on the form 4473. They have more important things to do. Passing laws that are not enforced encourages people to disregard all laws. This is a sure route to trouble. The only thing worse is passing laws that are both unenforceable and unpopular. That is a guarantee of making people criminals. Two great examples of that are the prohibition of alcohol and some drugs and the national 55 MPH speed limit. Both were spectacular failures that helped get this country into this mess.