If the thought of running afoul of the law bothers you, it’s time to let your Representative know how wrong-headed some anti-gun measures are that they’re considering this week.
Under the guise of simply calling for background checks as part of an effort to “keep guns from dangerous” people, H.R. 8 is really an all-out assault against law-abiding gun owners. One way the proposed law would do that is to make the mere act of handing a gun to a friend illegal—unless you jump through hoops that include involving a Federal Firearms License (FFL) and filling out transfer papers. So much for letting a friend borrow your new gun to try it out at the range.
And the legislation is so convoluted that it sets a trap line for otherwise law-abiding gun owners because even accidental violations of the bill’s parameters would be unforgivable.
Gun-grabbers say the bill is simply designed to keep the hands of would-be criminals off guns. But we’ve seen time and again that people with criminal intent have no regard for the law, and they’ll find a way around it. Ordinary people, though, would be penalized for innocent actions and burdened with additional layers of costly red tape.
How do we know that so-called “universal” background checks don’t work?
A recent study by anti-gun researchers found that California’s “universal” background check law had no effect on gun homicides or suicides in the Golden State. This study confirms an earlier survey of available research by the Rand Corp. that found “evidence of the effect of private-seller background checks on firearm homicides is inconclusive.” That’s because criminal minds find another way to get a gun (like stealing one or finding a straw purchaser) or they just find another tool to carry out their evil.
Further, the bills give licensed firearm dealers the option of participating in short-term transfers. Since it would take time—filling out paperwork, transferring ownership each time a gun changes hands, waiting for the return of said firearm—some FFL dealers might just decide it’s not worth their time, even if they rake in fees every step of the way. In other words, the proposal does nothing other than to create burdens for ordinary folks.
And who knows just how complicated the paper trail would get?
This bill will receive a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow; please ask your Representative to oppose this burdensome and ineffective legislation.
