House OKs Bill to Strengthen Background Check System

[Locke]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,281777,00.html

At first glance this looks fine. Just requires states to submit data on felons and mental conditions to the FBI background check system. Seems like they should have been doing that anyway. But should we be worried about this? Is it another step towards more restrictive gun laws? And should we be worried that the NRA helped with this?

[swiven]

Wayne LaPierre. "We've always been vigilant about protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens to purchase guns, and equally vigilant about keeping the guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally defective and people who shouldn't have them."

Ummm ... nice to see my NRA dollar at work. I'm sorry, but basically my take on this is that the Second Amendment should apply only to those that the NRA approves of. So the difference between them and the antis is one of degree? I'm seriously hoping this was quoted way out of context.

I joined the NRA 2 years ago, and between this and the bull the NRA-ILA is always putting in my mailbox, I'm not sure I'm going to renew.

[KBCraig]

Is it another step towards more restrictive gun laws? And should we be worried that the NRA helped with this?

Yes, and yes.

I voiced the same concern in another thread.

I will add this: Ron Paul was the only member of Congress to vote against this, citing (as he usually does) a lack of Constitutional authority.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/06/1 ... ntrol.html


Bill to strengthen gun background checks passed by U.S. House
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 | 4:11 PM ET
The Associated Press

The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday passed what could become the first major federal gun control law in over a decade, spurred by the Virginia Tech campus killings and buttressed by National Rifle Association help.

( . . . )

The only dissenting vote in the short House debate on the bill was voiced by presidential aspirant Ron Paul of Texas. He described the bill as "a flagrantly unconstitutional expansion of restriction on the exercise of the right to bear arms."

Amen, Dr. Paul.

Kevin

[cjlandry]

I have to wonder if this will affect Texas CHL holders who can currently use our CHL's as a substitute for the NICS background check when buying a gun.

I ask because I have a common name, and have always been delayed by NICS before getting my Texas CHL. This has cost me a few good deals on used guns that I wanted, as they were picked up by other buyers while I was waiting for NICS to give me their permission to buy a gun.