Can background checks really help prevent terrorism?

2015-11-24T13:43:08-05:00

I can understand the reasoning for background checks in gun shows. Anyone, any race, any foreigner, any mentally ill person can go to a gun show and buy a weapon. After reading this article, I think it's the right thing to do to protect ourselves and our country. I've never been to a gun show. Main reason is I don't like crowds of people. Especially crowds of people where guns are being displayed out in the open on tables. But, that's just me. I'm sure many of you attend gun shows and are either selling or buying or both. I'd like to hear your comments about gun registration at gun shows.
And now for the rest of the story:
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http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2015/11/23/background-checks-could-help-prevent-terrorism/G8oVF6s5mOEfiUWrcc2tWM/story.html?s_campaign=email_BG_TodaysHeadline&s_campaign=

Background checks could help prevent terrorism - The Boston Globe

One thing the attacks in Paris should prompt is determined action to close the gun-show loophole.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 24 at 2015 1:44 PM

2015-11-24T13:44:21-05:00

I hope that background checks prevent most terrorists from getting access to weapons SGT Private RallyPoint Member.
The hard part is that background checks won't protect against homemade bombs or people with access to bomb making material. Timothy McVeigh used large amounts of commonly acquired chemicals to blow up a truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.
I know counter terror capabilities have improved a lot since then.
However a dedicated terrorist will do his/her best to wreak destruction.
I hope and pray that all attempts to wreak destruction over the holiday period from now though New Years are defeated before they are carried through.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2015 1:46 PM

2015-11-24T13:46:25-05:00

Just like background checks can help criminals from getting firearms...........

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2015 1:48 PM

2015-11-24T13:48:38-05:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member By the way, this meme pic is highly disturbing.

Response by LTC Ed Ross made Nov 24 at 2015 1:55 PM

2015-11-24T13:55:24-05:00

If you had ever gone to a gun show then you would know that almost everyone who buys a gun at one must have an instant background check. Vendors who sell guns there are federal firearms licensed dealers and are required by law to do a background check for every sale. Only transactions between individuals are exempt and they can take place anywhere.

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Nov 24 at 2015 1:57 PM

2015-11-24T13:57:52-05:00

I'm going to say that it prevents some or most, but I'm sure some nut cases fall through the cracks.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2015 2:15 PM

2015-11-24T14:15:13-05:00

I've bought guns at a gun show, still have to fill out the exact same paperwork and wait for the NIC call before taking possession of a firearm. The "gun-show loophole" is individual sellers who are selling without an FFL which is not a federal requirement and a very minimum amount of the total number of firearms sold. The same people can sell their firearms on craigs list.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2015 2:22 PM

2015-11-24T14:22:45-05:00

Gun shows are no longer run by individual, most gun shows seller are business owner or collector ... individual sales their gun on local ad boards and bulletin.

Some only sell them to friends they get to know. There is a huge community of gun owners that operate under the system, and it will not go away even if laws passed on it.

Response by 1LT Aaron Barr made Nov 24 at 2015 2:24 PM

2015-11-24T14:24:56-05:00

Sure they can, provided you believe that terrorists in particular, and criminals in general, get their guns legally.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Nov 24 at 2015 2:45 PM

2015-11-24T14:45:16-05:00

This is kind of an old issue. Not much would be accomplished with further gun control legislation, anymore than the existing laws do. Does anyone thing the terrorists are buying their firearms at gun shows? Most guns that are used in mass shootings were legally purchased by someone else and used by some deranges individual. If there were additional provisions for gun control, it would be action taken against the owner of the firearms and some type of mechanism to notify the authorities of people with mental conditions that could lead to attacks.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Nov 24 at 2015 3:28 PM

2015-11-24T15:28:40-05:00

Former Gun Dealer here.

The "Gun Show Loophole" is a MISNOMER. It doesn't exist. It is media and progressive HYPERBOLE.

It is a PERSON TO PERSON transaction, which is fully authorized by Federal Law. It is not a "Loophole." It has nothing to do with "Gun Shows."

Generally speaking, if you are allowed to do a Person to Person Transfer at a Gun Show, you can do it almost anywhere else in your state as well. Some states allow them, some states do not.

1) You must not be prohibited from purchasing the weapon already. In other words, you would have already had to be able to fill out the appropriate paperwork to get the gun. If you use a person-to-person transfer to bypass a background check because you know you are going to fail it, you're already wrong. And honestly there is nothing we could have done to stop that anyways.
2) Not all states have "registration." The FEDERAL Government does NOT have Registration. There is NO FEDERAL REGISTRATION ON (Standard) FIREARMS TRANSACTIONS. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying, or stupid. The 4473 is retained by the dealer until they go out of business.
3) The reason why Person-to-Person transactions are important is because:
a) What if you want to "will" you guns to someone when you die
b) Give a family member or a friend a gift. Like buy your son a pistol on his 21st Birthday. Or give your wife a shotgun to defend herself because you are deploying.
4) Violence, including "Gun" Violence has been on the decline for 40 years. Rifles made up 1000~total homicides last year. You are more likely to be killed by a knife than a rifle. Handguns are 10x times more likely.... however SUICIDE is is the MAJOR source of Gun Related Death. Not Homicide. Let that sink in. More People are killed by Suicide by Gun, than Homicide by Gun. We don't have a Gun Problem. We have 320M People, 70-80M Gun Owners, 300M Guns. 12K~ gun Deaths by Homicide, and the VAST Majority of those can be attributed to 6-7 specific locations.

The Person-to-person transfer, which is NOT legal in Chicago, NY, LA, DC, Oakland/SF (5 of those locations) is not what is causing this issue.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Nov 24 at 2015 3:44 PM

2015-11-24T15:44:38-05:00

Love gun shows. Dealers at gun shows currently do background checks on any guns that they sell, and frequently do background checks for private citizens selling guns to one another. Not a big deal except for the extra cost involved.

Private sales at gun shows, like private sales anywhere else (family members, friends, swap meets, newspaper ads, etc.) are not covered by the mandatory checks, nor should they be IMHO.

I think it would be more effective if the police and courts removed criminals from our midst so that law-abiding gun owners could go about their business without such government intrusions in their lives. We are not part of the problem; criminals are.

Response by SGT Francis Wright made Nov 24 at 2015 4:17 PM

2015-11-24T16:17:06-05:00

Doubtful, any organization that wants to create a bulletproof background can. As long as the person using it knows what they are doing.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Nov 24 at 2015 6:48 PM

2015-11-24T18:48:02-05:00

No system is fool proof. That being said a rigorous background check of anyone entering our country is not a bad idea. We must do everything we can to keep the bad guys out.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2015 8:02 PM

2015-11-24T20:02:53-05:00

All of you gun nuts, or even if you're not a gun nut, watch this video. It's funny but dangerous.

https://www.facebook.com/XplicitNationMedia/videos/ [login to see] 96422/

Xplicit Nation Media | Facebook

Idiots With Guns! LOL

Response by SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres made Nov 24 at 2015 9:50 PM

2015-11-24T21:50:36-05:00

I really don't seem background checks going anywhere, since these people have 20 different names. Iraqis were hard enough for the Intel personnel (without giving to much info, remember OPSEC).

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2015 10:54 PM

2015-11-24T22:54:09-05:00

No!