Gun Control–Background Checks–
Firearms are generally classified into three broad types: (1) handguns, (2) rifles, and (3) shotguns. A semi-automatic firearm fires one bullet each time the trigger is pulled, ejects the shell of the fired bullet, and automatically loads another bullet for the next pull of the trigger. A fully automatic firearm (sometimes called a “machine gun”) fires multiple bullets with the single pull of the trigger.
The U.S. firearm homicide rate is 20 times higher than the combined rates of 22 countries that are our peers in wealth and population. A gun in the home is 22 times more likely to be used to kill or injure in a domestic homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting than to be used in self-defense.
Nine out of 10 Americans agree that we should have universal background checks, including three out of four NRA members. Since the Brady Law was initially passed, about 2 million attempts to purchase firearms have been blocked due to a background check. About half of these blocked attempts were by felons.
The current background check system only applies to about 60% of gun sales, leaving 40% (online sales, purchases at gun shows, etc.) without a background check. Progress on obtaining any kind of gun control legislation has been negligible and is partly due to gun control becoming a wedge issue between the two parties.
Might we have background checks on 100% of gun purchases and support detailed eligibility criteria for existing ownership and future purchases of automatic weapons and large clips for semi-automatic weapons? Might we restrict gun purchases for those that are on No-Flight Lists?