The House has approved closing the loophole that allowed a mentally ill person to buy a firearm, resulting in the Virginia Tech shooting. Now the bill, H.R. 2640 now goes to the Senate. The NRA, The Brady Campaign, and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer support the bill. Now how's that for strange bedfellows? Schumer has graciously agreed not to amend the bill in order to keep NRA support.
All firearms purchasers are screened via a national database. The bill would add people involuntarily committed to a mental institution and those ruled "mentally defective" and are a danger to themselves and others. The bill includes a provision for appeal for those who think they were unjustly included in the mental health database. Also, the Federal government will be providing funds to help the states carry out the bill.
I've read the bill, and I support it. This sounds like common sense legislation. I've no problem with background checks in order to ensure only the right people possess firearms. Felons, wife beaters, and those who are so mentally ill that they have been institutionalized and/or ruled by a court to be a danger to themselves and others, have absolutely no business owning a firearm. Period.
The Gun Owners of America (GOA) are opposing the bill, making firearms owners look like lunatics. Responsible firearms owners have a hard enough time combating stereotypes, and the GOA is not making it easier.
CORRECTION: I corrected the bill reference, thanks to Sebastian in the comments section. Originally, I referenced HR 297 which was the bill without the concessions. As it stands, my opinion has not changed on the bill.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
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1 comments:
It's HR2640, not HR297. Easy mistake to make, but if people look up 297, they'll get McCarthy's old bill, which has none of the concessions.
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