Background Checks, or no....

[TX_Kevin]

So, how do you feel about background checks when purchasing firearms? Obviously I mean strengthening them.

To me it would be ok if they provided a federal database including those with serious mental health issues, and those with felonies, and then compared us to them. But of course that would be really expensive, and would get right in the middle of the HIPAA stuff.

And Lord knows the federal government can screw stuff up. Can you imagine what would happen if they accidentally stuck a law abiding citizen who's totally normal in that database? You'd never get out.

[Coach W]

I'm against... To me it's just an added ffl fee with no benefit.

Criminals will still buy and sell guns to whom ever they please, laws only affect law abiding citizens....

Term limits would help the senate to see that.

Term limits I'm FOR

[WCB]

So background checks of private purchases at gun shows or parking lots wouldn't keep guns out of felons hands?

[westtexducks]

So, how do you feel about background checks when purchasing firearms? Obviously I mean strengthening them.

To me it would be ok if they provided a federal database including those with serious mental health issues, and those with felonies, and then compared us to them. But of course that would be really expensive, and would get right in the middle of the HIPAA stuff.

And Lord knows the federal government can screw stuff up. Can you imagine what would happen if they accidentally stuck a law abiding citizen who's totally normal in that database? You'd never get out.

The background check should already catch if you have a felony or not. Now if it catches mental illness I don't know. What we need is more education on mental illness and better care for the mentally ill. This last shooting never would have happened if the mother would have had a drop of common sense. Honestly even then it probably wouldn't stop any of the past shootings because many were not flagged as mentally ill anyways. So my solution is to let me carry my gun where ever I **** well please. Oh yeah and I agree term limits would be great.

[blacksunshine]

background checks would be fine but the downside to that is now there is a federal registration database....since once it is implemented, you would have to get a background check to legally buy or sell which is what? a gun owner/registration database....from that aspect, I don't want any part of it....

[TX_Kevin]

Yeah, I can't see a private seller accessing a database to sell a weapon. I would not be for any kind of registration database. No, I am saying the other folks, the ones that can't buy a gun would be in the database. We'd be checked against that database, and if not found, then the sale would go through. We'd not be recorded further. That's as close as I'd get though. No further.

WCB, it would potentially keep new guns from being purchased from the store by them, but that doesn't stop the uncle, aunt, or the grandmother from buying them a gun, and it doesn't keep them from buying one on the street. My expectation is that the largest percentage of guns used in crimes are stolen from somewhere.

[tvc184]

I'm against... To me it's just an added ffl fee with no benefit.

Criminals will still buy and sell guns to whom ever they please, laws only affect law abiding citizens....

Term limits would help the senate to see that.

Term limits I'm FOR

I know term limits is a hot topic but who has less to lose than a person that has the death sentence?

When a member of Congress has to be reelected, he has his record behind him. When he is forced out and has nothing to lose, he can do as he wishes with no fear of retaliation. Look at how Obama has looked since winning his last ever election. He can't run again and has not turned toward the middle but has become the most overt liberal ever. Why not, there is nothing that can be done to him. He had to play the game for two elections.

In 1994 the Democrats pushed through the original assault weapon/high capacity magazine ban in September. Two months later in November was the national mid-term elections of 1994. The Republican gained 54 seats from the Democrats and took over control of the House for the first time in 50 years.

Did you catch that? A 50 year trend was crushed when the Dems passed the AWB two months earlier. Do you think that this current Democratic group doesn't have that in mind? Of course some are in such a solid Democratic area (like Feinstein) that they don't care but many are in states that can go either way. Don't believe for a moment that they aren't thinking of 1994 and their stunning defeat after the last AWB.

The point is, if they were all about to be out due to term limits anyway, they would have nothing to lose. Right now with no term limits, they aren't ready to be forced into retirement with a vote against guns and will not toe the party line.

Sometimes I think that term limits may not be the answer. Look at our current situation at president who has nothing to lose due to his term limit and will push his agenda without fear and contrast that to the congressmen who have to face the voters in a year and 9 months.

[Silent Assassin]

I'm against... To me it's just an added ffl fee with no benefit.

Criminals will still buy and sell guns to whom ever they please, laws only affect law abiding citizens....

Term limits would help the senate to see that.

Term limits I'm FOR

I'm with ya, brother. If this passed, I may buy underground. Rogue child as I am and will rebel without cause. Think of Billy Idol!

[TX_Kevin]

I'm against... To me it's just an added ffl fee with no benefit.

Criminals will still buy an to whom ever they please, laws only affect law abiding citizens....

I keep thinking about this from the viewpoint of a law abiding citizen. You're right. No matter how many laws we throw up there, the criminals don't care. They don't obey the ones we have now - not just the gun laws, but none of the others either. It's pretty silly to think that they will somehow snap to the fact that they can't sell a gun because it's illegal to do so without a background check - the gun they need to knock over the liquor store, or take out a competing drug dealer - my guess is they won't much care if it's illegal.

[tvc184]

If a felon wants a gun so he can commit a crime like aggravated robbery or murder and can get from life in prison to the death sentence, is a law with a potential year or two sentence going to stop him from buying a gun illegally?

He is about to face life in prison or death and you are going to scare him with a short jail sentence?

It makes no sense to me.

[TX_Kevin]

If a felon wants a gun so he can commit a crime like aggravated robbery or murder and can get from life in prison to the death sentence, is a law with a potential year or two sentence going to stop him from buying a gun illegally?

He is about to face life in prison or death and you are going to scare him with a short jail sentence?

It makes no sense to me.

I think too many people look at it from our own point of view, which is that we wouldn't do it because that two years does scare us. But, your point is dead on. Think about it this way: A gang banger who won't pull the trigger has a whole lot more to fear from his own gang than he does from the court system.

[Coach W]

I know term limits is a hot topic but who has less to lose than a person that has the death sentence?

When a member of Congress has to be reelected, he has his record behind him. When he is forced out and has nothing to lose, he can do as he wishes with no fear of retaliation. Look at how Obama has looked since winning his last ever election. He can't run again and has not turned toward the middle but has become the most overt liberal ever. Why not, there is nothing that can be done to him. He had to play the game for two elections.

In 1994 the Democrats pushed through the original assault weapon/high capacity magazine ban in September. Two months later in November was the national mid-term elections of 1994. The Republican gained 54 seats from the Democrats and took over control of the House for the first time in 50 years.

Did you catch that? A 50 year trend was crushed when the Dems passed the AWB two months earlier. Do you think that this current Democratic group doesn't have that in mind? Of course some are in such a solid Democratic area (like Feinstein) that they don't care but many are in states that can go either way. Don't believe for a moment that they aren't thinking of 1994 and their stunning defeat after the last AWB.

The point is, if they were all about to be out due to term limits anyway, they would have nothing to lose. Right now with no term limits, they aren't ready to be forced into retirement with a vote against guns and will not toe the party line.

Sometimes I think that term limits may not be the answer. Look at our current situation at president who has nothing to lose due to his term limit and will push his agenda without fear and contrast that to the congressmen who have to face the voters in a year and 9 months.

The flip side of that is term limits would push more people through congress... Stagnant waters turn toxic. You need a fresh stream with a good inlet and outlet, to keep your congress from becoming corrupted with the pollutants of politics.

Yes the politicians in there now would do as you say, but the new comers, the youth (40 year olds lol youth).. They still have a grasp on reality. The longer a member sits in a spot the dirtier they get. Time to give Washington a bath. Greed and political corruption isn't a way to run a country.

[Kodiakk]

If a felon wants a gun so he can commit a crime like aggravated robbery or murder and can get from life in prison to the death sentence, is a law with a potential year or two sentence going to stop him from buying a gun illegally?

He is about to face life in prison or death and you are going to scare him with a short jail sentence?

It makes no sense to me.

This is so lost on so many. I've used that same debate time and time again and some people just cannot grasp that.

[rossivey]

This is so lost on so many. I've used that same debate time and time again and some people just cannot grasp that.

Yeah it's amazing how people don't realize that laws DO NOT affect criminals. If they did, Prohibition would've worked, Drugs wouldn't be a problem, and the murder rate wouldn't be an issue. But hey, that aint the case JACK!!!!

[iamntxhunter]

No. Not for gun purchase but I am for a public lie detector test and common sense test for anyone running for office.