Everytown for Gun Safety’s new ad campaign and congressional lobbying efforts are targeting a provision of federal gun law that allows a sale to be issued if a background check is not completed within three business days.
This latest crusade is a response to the FBI’s recent allegation that accused Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof was allowed to buy a gun, despite previous narcotics possession charges, because his background check was not completed within the mandated 3-day period.
Everytown neglects to hold the FBI accountable for bureaucratic failures to process background checks within the regulated time frame, a necessary dual safeguard to protect the rights of lawful gun purchases and restrict access to criminals. Instead of misguided attempts to fix laws that aren’t broken, the conversation should be about the FBI’s responsibility to complete the background check process in a timely manner instead of pointing the finger at the NRA.