Those who would have you believe that so-called “universal” background checks are the be-all, end-all to preventing crazed murderers from killing innocent people are simply pushing feel-good rhetoric, not hard facts.
Saturday’s terrorist attack in Garland, Texas, makes the case. Both of the ISIS-inspired shooters bought their guns legally, meaning they passed a federal background check. And they’re not alone. Breitbart.com recently posted a list of 13 mass shooters who had also passed background checks, including such well-known names as Elliot Rodger (Santa Barbara), James Holmes (Aurora, Colo.), Jared Loughner (Gabby Giffords attack), Nidal Hasan (Ft. Hood) and Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech).
Fact is, criminals typically get their guns through illegal street sales from other criminals or by stealing them—both already illegal. Making it harder for law-abiding citizens to practice their right to keep and bear arms simply won’t stop criminals from doing illegal things.
