Gun Control Soap Box

I've got to admit, I don't think a background check should be performed on every gun sale. I mean, I understand how it could be a hassle for small, private transactions. Sometimes it really isn't worth it. If I just want to sell an hunting rifle I inherited to my neighbor, for example. That should be a simple, private transaction.

No, I think that instead, background checks should be done when you get your license to use a firearm. Then you simply produce the license when you register any firarm you purchase and, voila, you have verified that you already passed the background check.

You know, there have been a couple of high profile incidents recently that demonstrate the NRA isn't always lying. They make the argument that if an evil person wants to hurt people, he will. Regardless of access to firearms. He will grab a knife or a hammer or a car or whatever he can to use as a weapon and he will hurt people. Incidents last week when a guy drove his car into a Wal-Mart in California and this week at a community college in Texas demonstrate the truth in that.

In both cases people were severely injured. They were serious crimes and the perpetrators should face serious criminal penalties. It should be noted, though, that in neither case was anyone killed. I would argue that if the criminals had brought a gun, that would likely be different. I understand that's not necessarily true. I don't have a crystal ball, "would have beens" and "could have beens" are always, really, just conjecture. However, given the many, many documented incidents of gun violence, I feel pretty safe saying that criminals' access to guns, or lack thereof, makes a significant difference in their crimes. And I hate, hate, hate the NRA for how hard it works to make it easy for anyone, anyone, to get almost any type of gun and take it anywhere they want.

Joe Biden is absolutely right. Bring the gun control legislation to a vote. Make legislators put their official yay or nay on the bills in question and then hammer the bejeebers out of them over it when they come up for reelection. Air commercials with pictures of kids from Sandy Hook next to the plots where they're buried and ask the question, "How did your legislator respond?"