How Americans Actually Feel About Stronger Gun Laws (Gun Control Activism Group)

[HassleCat]

1. Two outta three ain't bad

"Take three specific proposals: Adding background checks to private gun sales, banning people with mental illnesses from buying guns and creating a federal database to track gun sale. Public support for these changes range from very strong to overwhelming, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in July."

I think the first two could get through Congress, given the right leadership. The federal database would never fly, and might violate the 2nd Amendment, as interpreted by the courts.

Expanded background checks should fly right through Congress, even though the NRA fights against them. The NRA barely succeeded in opposing them last time, and their reasoning (propaganda) is getting weaker as time goes on. Last go-round, the just flat out lied and said background checks would be used to compose a national database that amounted to gun registration. The next time this comes up, they will have to answer for that lie, and it will be more difficult for Congress members to obey their orders.

Denying people with mental illness the right to own firearms should be pretty easy, but you have to remember what "mental illness" means in terms of constitutional rights. A court has to determine a person is not mentally competent to the degree he or she might present a danger to self or others. That's a pretty high bar, and only a few people would be denied guns based on that standard.

A federal database to track gun sales will not fly. Remember, it's the big bad federal gummit. Most states have gun sales information that allow law enforcement authorities to track down specific guns, so it might not even be necessary.