Dear NRA

This was most definitely not what I had in mind when I said “At some point, we gunnies are going to have to come up with some workable ideas to help reduce the number of these acts.” This is nothing more than acting like the old NRA that we know and detest. And an extra swat on the behind for bringing up national reciprocity in the same press release. If it’s poor form for the gun grabbers, it’s poor form for you. Bad NRA/NRA-ILA, no contributions for a while.

My state’s bulldog organization, however, probably isn’t taking the right track either. Of course, this is just my opinion, YMMV.

I still don’t have a fully fleshed-out proposal to offer that I think would actually help. If we’re going to be stuck with the NICS system, I’d like to see it ran well, with all states supplying all the necessary information on a timely basis. I’d also like to see it available to all classes of FFL, and if we could figure out a workable way, to everyone, so that face-to-face sales could be checked. I’d also want to know that the use records really, really are provably destroyed at the end of the allowable retention limits. That would at least give everyone a way to ensure they aren’t selling to a prohibited person and would shut up all the crap about the alleged gun show loophole.

I suspect I’ll see world peace before I see that. Besides, from all available information, it wouldn’t have prevented the Las Vegas shooter from holding his little death party.

It’s unfortunately quite likely there is nothing we can do, and that the possibility of these attacks are simply part and parcel of living in a relatively free and open society. I would wish it wasn’t so, but you can’t wish away reality.

2 thoughts on “Dear NRA

  1. While I agree on most of you statements, requiring background checks on person to person sales, should never be put on the table. While none of us want criminals/mentally ill persons getting guns, placing more cost and burdens on the law abiding won't stop someone that is determined to do harm. All background checks are recorded and records are kept. It would only take a President with a "phone and a pen" to cause lots of problems that would take years to undo (if there were people willing to undo it".

  2. Ken, I didn't say make the background checks mandatory. I said "could be checked". +I could have been clearer.

    My idea is to make the platform available to anyone who would like to use it if they want to run J. Random Dood at the gun show through a check before selling off granddad's old Model 70. At the moment, there is nothing that can be done to ensure that J. Random isn't a prohibited person other than ask. If you make that sale and he is, and he commits a crime and that gun somehow gets tracked back to you, I predict uncomfortable and expensive times ahead. Know a good lawyer?

    Also why I said that the data needs to be ensurably deep-sixed after the appropriate amount of time. Right now, I'd be surprised if it actually is. There needs to be a transparent mechanism that is subject to citizen overview than individuals and groups can access to check and verify that the data is purged.

    It's also why I think 4473s should be shredded after an appropriate length of time. If that .38 Chief's Special is used to off some street dealer, does it make any difference who bought it in 1982? The odds are pretty much zero that person used it for that purpose.

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