A private citizens buys a gun from another private citizen without involving the federal government. The problem being? Anyone who thinks that the FBI’s criminal background check system stops criminals, terrorists and madmen from obtaining firearms is seriously delusional. Which means the Panorama reporter shouldn’t have been able to buy a gun. (How post-modern is that?) Hey Panorama! How about finding out how hard it is to buy a gun on the streets of New York City? Now consider this from cnn.com . . .
From the time when the gun control measures of the Brady Act were enacted on March 1, 1994, through the end of 2008, the federal government processed more than 97 million applications for gun transfers or permits, the Justice Department says.
Almost 1.8 million applications were denied, the agency said.
And so the [unknown percentage of] criminals amongst those number—representing less than two percent of all total checks—just gave up. Right? They said screw this, I won’t get a gun now. Too much bother, mate. I’ll just use a knife or a cricket bat like they do in old Blighty. Or go straight.
While the NSSF, NRA, GOA and other gun rights orgs pay lip service to the NICS check system, in truth the FBI background check doesn’t do squat for cutting crime or preventing mass murder.
This despite the fact that “ten states and the District of Columbia have their own laws requiring background checks for any firearm sold at a gun show” while “16 states and the District of Columbia require background checks on handguns sold at gun shows.”
The fact that Auntie Beeb is shocked—shocked I tell you!—at the lack of a NICS check for a private firearms sale in Texas is all the proof I need that it’s a stupid idea. The check, not Texas. Texas is looking better and better by the day . . .