Serious question for gun control advocates - has the Brady Bill helped?

[banned from Kos]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brady_Bill

Yes or No?

[rrneck]

1. Yes. nt

[msongs]

2. not much, people who own guns are still blasting people left and right nt

[neverforget]

3. What's your opinion?

[banned from Kos]

5. I honestly don't know.

Background checks are more formal now but crime is down while mass shootings continue.

[rDigital]

4. No, you have to ban all guns and imprison/deport all NRA members. nt

[Lizzie Poppet]

7. Do you have any serious suggestions?

Although I realize venting is cathartic, what we need are serious, pragmatic, do-able suggestions...

[rDigital]

9. I think it would be easy. If they resist... Too bad. nt

[Lizzie Poppet]

13. Did you think this through?

Actual active enforcement would not be something the police could handle. They'd be vastly outnumbered, and all but the SWAT guys would be outgunned. A significant percentage would probably comply with orders to enforce confiscation (cops these days have an incredibly insular, "us vs the rest of the word" culture), but they'd fail. Spectacularly.

Any attempt would thus require military intervention. Leaving aside the obvious violation of posse comitatus, you do realize that the military is markedly conservative and its members overwhelmingly support civilian ownership of firearms, right? It doesn't possess that insular cop culture (that's strongly discouraged, in fact...as it tends to lead to military juntas). There is virtually zero chance that orders to actively enforce confiscation of civilian firearms would be more than sporadically obeyed.

Like I said...we need serious, practical suggestions...

[MotherPetrie]

6. Any post addressed tp gun control advocates that begins with "Serious question"

Is not a serious question. It is bait - stinky bait.

[banned from Kos]

10. I am only fishing for knowledgeable responses - because like I said

I DON'T KNOW!

[donco]

11. How would you

have worded the OP?

[morningfog]

8. Yes. We need more.

[leeroysphitz]

12. Any control is better than no control. n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. Minimal, It has limited scope and has been weakened in the courts.

Typical for such legislation, it is a good idea mucked up by the pols who among other things specifically blocked its use for private transactions.

[banned from Kos]

16. Thanks. But I thought all gun sales were retail "private" sales?

That is another thorny side issue.

I can buy a gun from any individual without a background check.

[X_Digger]

18. Depends on the state.

Sales between state residents are intra-state commerce (as opposed to inter-state). But a few states have placed limits on such person-to-person sales, requiring a background check and/or registration.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

21. No

Dealer sales require NCIS check or equivalent, which includes transactions that cross state lines. Waiting periods also vary by state. IIRC in some states a CCW waives the background check and the waiting period. The dealer just checks that the CCW is still valid.

Private party sales within a state may not require a background check depending on the state. If the state (like CA) requires a background check, it must go through a dealer.

Currently private sellers cannot perform background checks, something I think should change.

[Agnosticsherbet]

15. Serious answer, research shows that gun control saves lives...

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/12/what-research-can-tell-us-about-newtown-shootings/60022/
The assault weapons ban passed in 1994 expired. The Brady bill that authorizes background checks is still in effect.

We need serioius regulation of gun sales and owner ship. An unregulated militia just murders children.

[X_Digger]

17. Parts of it helped, parts were useless..

The waiting period for handguns did nothing to deter crime or suicide, and may have contributed to harm to those in actual danger.

The background check has turned away some criminals, but there's no way to know how many of those turned down went on to acquire a firearm through other means. According to the DOJ, the main source of guns is friends/family and 'illegal sources' (totalling 80% between those two sources).

In that way, I'm sure it did help somewhat.

[banned from Kos]

19. Thanks. I don't see any upside on more gun control.

Tighten up the Brady Bill on background checks? Sure. Do it.;

[X_Digger]

20. One big glaring hole that needs to be plugged is mental health records in NICS.

Some states have ZERO records in NICS for mental health committments. *sigh*

[banned from Kos]

22. I agree. But mass shootings will not end in full.

There is no way to end gun violence fully.

[alcibiades_mystery]

23. Obviously not...we need far, far, far more restrictive gun laws at the federal level

Europe-level restrictions.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[ellisonz]

24. Yes, we need more legislation like the Brady Bill.

[Skittles]

25. written for you

http://www.theonion.com/articles/right-to-own-handheld-device-that-shoots-deadly-me,30742/

[Glassunion]

26. Yes. And I'll explain.

The have been denials via NICS (current name of Brady Background Check System). From those denials, criminals have been arrested.

However, I feel that there should be more funding to aggressively go after those who try to violate the system.

From 2000 to 2008 some relatively gun friendly states have made a huge chunk of arrests directly stemming from the attempt of an illegal purchase stemming from a background check.

Virginia 6,661
Pennsylvania 2,524
Colorado 1,826
Oregon 1,048

However there are a lot of holes that still need to be plugged up. PA for example checks their purchases using their own system called PICS, it is a mash up of the NICS and the state's own system. The problem is that PA does not share its state info with the NICS system. So if you have a mental illness in PA, the state of PA will deny you from purchasing. However if you move out of the state, you could buy one, because PA did not share your mental health history with the national system that all of the states use.