Background Checks

Obama's recent speech to the reaction of the Senate voting down the Toomey- Manchin Bill on background checks for gun reform got me very fired up. This speech was very direct. You could feel and hear the anger in the president’s voice. The reason I feel this way is that the president asked the question to senators; “Who are they in Washington to represent?” (Barak Obama).  This statement was very non-sugar coated and to the point. It truly did make me realize how broken our system is.  

Over ninety percent of Americans supported background checks for guns. Despite this overwhelming support from the public, the senate voted 54-46.  It is sad how the divide is so strong between these two parties. It is also sad how much power the NRA has and these lobbying groups can essentially buy votes. Ninety percent of Democrats voted for these measures to be instated while ninety percent of Republicans voted against it (Washington Post)  

I apologize for this upcoming rant but I cannot understand why people would be against background checks for someone buying guns. We need to acknowledge that guns are a problem in our country right now. How can we be so blind to see that if there is a problem is something it needs fixing. Common sense should prevail, not interest groups and party divides.     

The problem with the gun issue is that many pro gun advocates have this fear that the government is out to get them; it seems many have this delusional obsession with totalitarianism and big brother. The paranoia that their rights are being stripped away from them when in fact nothing of the sort is happening. They claim that the right to bare arms is necessary to protect us from the big scary government coming to get us and take us away. Sorry to break it to you, but if the government really is coming to get you, you are screwed. Nothing that you have in that shed that is stocked to the gills, that looks like it is straight out of a zombie apocalypse movie with any “toy” imaginable wont muster up to the weapons and technology that the government has. There toys are bigger and they are stronger. None of that matters though because the government really is not going to enslave us all. It is ludicrous that this point even has to be made.       

I need to address the notion that if it can fix the entire problem it is useless. Some pro gun advocates tend to argue that if a law does not eradicate the problem then it is worthless and there is no point in having it. Really? Murder is against the law in every single state.  Does this mean there is no such thing as murder? Of course not, murder still happens. If the litmus test for passing a law were complete prevention, then it would be anarchy because we would have no laws. 100%  prevention is impossible with any issue.

Laws do not exist to eliminate crime. That is fantasy and is never possible. Laws exist in order to reduce the behavior or action that they address and to provide penalties for those that break them. Laws conform to norms and human nature.

I do not understand why one would be against a background check if they were not a convicted felon. If you are a felon, you should have to declare that when you buy a gun. Do you have a mental illness associated with violent behavior? If you do not fail these two standards then you would pass a background check and be allowed to purchase a gun. Where is the violation or elimination of your rights? How is insuring the safety of others such a lambasting on your rights?

There are only two logical reasons to oppose universal background checks. First is that you would fail them yourself because of problems in your past. Secondly, is that you have a serious illness where you should not really have a gun in the first place.

Honestly, the bill was only asking for such minimal background checks that most people would think they would be commonplace in the first place. The fact that this issue came down to party lines and interest groups is beyond me. It is common sense. There is clearly a problem with guns in our country. We have the most gun related deaths out of any nation in the world. Our nation has just suffered two recent tragedies (Aurora and Newtown) and the shooting of a senator just last year. There is clearly a problem. I am not trying to take your guns away. I am just asking that you pass a reasonable background check before you purchase a weapon that has the ability to end a life in mere seconds.   

End Rant….. 

Sources 

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/04/robert-farago/safs-gottleib-why-you-should-support-the-manchin-toomey-gun-bill/ 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-obamas-remarks-on-failure-of-manchin-toomey-background-check-plan-transcript/2013/04/17/0b3666ba-a7a8-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_story.html 

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/apr/18/national-rifle-association/nra-says-manchin-toomey-would-have-criminalized-so/ 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/04/17/manchin_toomey_gun_control_amendment_compromise_lacks_votes_to_avoid_gop.html