Shooting victims press Obama, Romney for tougher gun screenings

[SecularMotion]

"We demand a plan from you to fix the broken background check system and reduce gun violence," the Virginia Tech victims wrote Thursday.

The letter highlights the shifting tactics adopted by gun reformers in recent years. No longer are they arguing against gun ownership — a 2008 Supreme Court decision pretty much settled that matter — but instead they're fighting for ways to keep violent people from obtaining the weapons they would use on others.

That debate centers around the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), an FBI database through which licensed gun dealers are required to screen potential buyers before making a sale. Under federal law, felons, illegal immigrants, spousal abusers and the severely mentally ill are barred from buying or owning firearms.

The system is largely voluntary, however, as states are encouraged — but not required — to report such information to NICS. Additionally, unlicensed gun sellers are not required to screen buyers at all — an enormous hole in the screening process that allows most anyone to purchase firearms.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/244199-shooting-victims-press-obama-romney-for-tougher-gun-screenings

[Jenoch]

1. Do you have an opinion

on the background check system currently in place? By not providing your views on the subject you are supporting the status quo.

[Lizzie Poppet]

3. The OP is a copypasta spammer and almost never inserts his/her own comments.

Some of the copypasta, however, produces interesting discussions...

[slackmaster]

2. "Unlicensed gun sellers" i.e. private individuals selling used personal firearms, are not permitted

...to use NICS. Not even holders of Type 03 Federal Firearms Licenses - licensed collectors of curios and relics, can use NICS even though we are permitted to acquire and dispose of curio and relic firearms through interstate commerce.

I can take a C&R handgun, drive to another state, and legally sell it to anyone who I have no reason to believe is not disqualified from owning it. But if I really want to do a background check to cover myself legally in case the person turns out to be a convicted felon or member of some other prohibited class, I have no way to perform a check that would protect me from prosecution.

[ileus]

4. On the used side....

I've sold two
Bought one
Traded one

All to people who I know and trust....My motto, don't sell/buy guns to/from strangers.

[Jenoch]

5. Although not recently,

I've made some private gun purchases. Those transactions included those from a cousin who is a police chief, his sister who is a probation officer, their father, a retired physician, my oldest brother who is a cop and my next oldest brother who is a police detective. All of them are stand up citizens, as am I.