Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Senate Committee Approves Bill Requiring Background Checks

Yahoo News reports

A divided Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday endorsed President Barack Obama's call to require criminal background checks for all gun buyers, yet it remained uncertain if the measure would become law.

On a party-line vote of 10-8, the Democratic-led panel sent the measure to the full Senate, where it faces a possible procedural roadblock that could kill it.

Federally registered firearm dealers are now required to run background checks on buyers. But about 40 percent of sales are made by private dealers who do not have such an obligation.

Republicans in the committee lined up against the bill, arguing that private gun sales between family members and friends should be exempted from background checks.

They also oppose a requirement that private sellers keep a paper record of firearm transactions, voicing fears that could lead to gun registration and eventually even confiscation.

5 comments:

  1. Yall always overreach in your bills. You say you want one thing, and then go for something far beyond that, showing that the real goal is to take as much as you can and diminish firearms rights.

    In the case of this bill, I can have you over to my house, show you one of my guns, and even let you handle it--as long as we're inside the house or it's curtilage, but if we're in the woods where my shooting range is, I'm a felon. If we're in your home and you ask to see a firearm I have with me because we're going hunting tomorrow and I let you handle it, I'm a felon. If I let you shoot it at a range that turns out not to be properly qualified under the act, I'm a felon. If I leave a roommate or house-sitter at my dwelling while I go on a 7-8 day vacation, I've feloniously transferred possession. If I go on a boy scout camp out on a farm (mine or anyone else's) and teach the boys or any other adults to shoot, I'm a felon. Of course, if the boys all have hunting licenses and we go squirrel hunting, I can hand each of them a gun, without any training, and we can head off and shoot squirrels all day long as long as I'm with them, it's in season, and I get the guns back immediately.

    Imagine all the felons that will be accidentally created by this law because they never realize that they're breaking the background check law.

    Of course, that's the goal here. So that you can create a minefield that most people won't be able to navigate, or will slip up on, and then it's one strike and they're out. They can't own guns or any other defensive weapon, and they can't vote. You'll finally be rid of the pesky NRA vote. All it takes is this law and a sufficient campaign of enforcement raids on ranges not run by Incorporated conservation organizations, Boy Scout Camps and camp outs, homes of vacationing gun owners, and pressure applied to rat out anyone who let you hold their gun.

    No Thanks. We'll keep our rights as they are. Sorry if that scares you all the way over there in Italy. Maybe you can fully expatriate and not have to worry about being associated with us knuckledraggers.

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  2. And don't forget the obvious one--anyone who brings a gun to a gun show and allows someone to handle it has temporarily transferred possession. Bye Bye Gun shows--Hello black market deals in homes.

    And there are plenty of other goodies in the bill for those who want to look through it, these are just SOME of the landmines. E.g. Lost and stolen reporting requirement within 24 hours. If you lose a gun on a hunting trip and you can't get back to civilization in 24 hours, too bad, You're a felon and lose ALL your guns, and you voting rights.

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  3. Since nobody will be looking at your tribute to the late dictator Chavez, this is as good a place as any to post this:

    http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/21547879/the-wild-card-in-venezuela-armed-chavistas#axzz2MySEkbVe

    Two points:

    1. A beloved, democratically elected, non-dictatorial champion of freedom does not maintain power through state sanctioned criminal gangs (or if not sanctioned, at least ignored and permitted). Differential treatment, some pigs being more equal than others, is a sign that you're not a free society.

    2. This is what a socialist dictatorship with gun control looks like. Gun control for the majority of the populace, but plenty of guns for the useful enforcers of the regime.

    Thanks for holding Chavez up as an exemplar of your position. Helps us recognize that we want nothing to do with your suggestions, no matter how incremental.

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  4. Anonymous has let you know a number of the bad aspects of this bill. I'll remind you that it probably won't pass the Senate and certainly has no chance in the House. But since the bill does show your side's true colors, it has that much value. Finally, there's no more dancing around the truth.

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  5. Sadly, many of those in favor of ever increasing gun control will ignore or deny valid criticisms of this bill. Or, they'll say "well, yes, it's flawed, but let's pass it anyway and fix it later".

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