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It's worth pointing out that the House passed the "Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019" back in February, and that Republican leadership in the Senate refu
by untog 7y ago
It's worth pointing out that the House passed the "Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019" back in February, and that Republican leadership in the Senate refuses to bring it to a vote. I have not heard of any House representatives facing enormous backlash at home over their vote.
As it is, the House is more representative of the population of the US than the Senate, so it's fair to say the biggest barrier to increased gun control right now is the quirky nature of the US political system, not popular sentiment.
- s_m_t 7y agoI wasn't aware of that, thanks.
- tomschlick 7y ago> Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 That bill would do nothing to combat these mass shooters. I can't think of any offhand that have bought their weapons through private sale. Most don't have a criminal record so they just buy them from random gun shops. So if it won't solve anything related to these incidents, what's the point?
- untog 7y agoThere are many types of gun crime in the US. Background checks would help with a lot of individual murders, particularly in domestic cases where one partner has already been arrested for domestic abuse. No, it wouldn't solve everything. But if we wait to pass a law that solves everything, we'll never pass anything.
- tomschlick 7y agoI guess I would need to see numbers on how many murders use a gun that was bought by a prohibited person through private sale. I highly doubt its anything significant.
- untog 7y agoSo your presumption is that all the people calling for background checks and that have drafted and passed a complete background check law have not considered any of this, or looked at any data? And despite not actually knowing yourself you're comfortable dismissing it as something you "highly doubt"?
- tomschlick 7y agoI have tried to find numbers on this after I made my comment and couldn't come up with anything. > have drafted and passed a complete background check law have not considered any of this, or looked at any data Yes, generally because the people proposing gun laws know nothing about guns. I have watched national politicians tell townhalls that it's perfectly legal for someone to order a gun online right to their door without a background check, that is a felony. I have watched them tell people that fully automatic guns are easy to obtain, which they are not. I have watched them tell people that banning the AR-15 should be our #1 priority, when in reality more people are punched and kicked to death each year than are killed with rifles. So yes, politicians generally talk out of their @$$ to pander to their bases and get votes. They are not experts on most subject matter so I wouldn't expect them to have any info that isn't widely known.