House approves stiff gun background checks (1st major Gun Control since '94; ONLY RON PAUL votes NO)

Boston.Com National News ^ | June 14, 2007 | Joel Havemann, Los Angeles Times

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

House approves stiffer gun background checks
By Joel Havemann, Los Angeles Times June 14, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The House yesterday passed what could become the first significant gun legislation in a decade, directing states to streamline the system for keeping track of criminals, mental patients, and others barred from buying firearms. The legislation also provides $250 million a year for the central database and grants to states to contribute to it.

The bill, which was passed by voice vote, was the product of rare cooperation between gun-control advocates and the National Rifle Association. It is intended to address problems highlighted by the mass shooting at Virginia Tech by a student with a history of mental health problems....

"The focus of discussions related to gun policy was on increasing the effectiveness of current federal firearms regulation, which is limited by divergent state practices," said the report, prepared by the departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, and Education.

For example, the report noted that only 23 states currently provide information to the FBI on people who, under federal law, cannot buy a gun because of mental health issues.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that the president "very much" supports the goals of the House bill, but that his aides have some concerns about its $250 million annual price tag.

The House acted after a parade of legislators from both parties praised the legislation.

Only Representative Ron Paul, Republican of Texas, spoke out against the bill, calling it "flagrantly unconstitutional" and saying it undermines the Second Amendment right to bear arms and violates privacy rights of those whose medical records go into the FBI database....

(This is an Excerpt. Read the Full Article at Boston Globe)

[null and void]

I watched him do it.

He did try very hard to back track to saying it as an explanation.

I ain’t buyin’ what you and he are sellin’ here.

As if there is a good excuse to destroy a billion dollars worth of infrastructure and target tens of thousands of innocents for deliberate murder.

(Except for the 72 virgins, and 18 'young boys like pearls', of course)...

[2nd amendment mama]

And thereby commit a felony (which is also a bad law IMO) by purchasing a gun out of state.

FYI, it is NOT illegal to purchase a gun out of state in all states.

[Jeff Head]

From this time forward you will see more and more a move to get people simply listed as having some kind of minor mental illness in order to push forward the gun control agenda across this country.

[msg-84]

We’re getting screwed by the NRA yet again.

Yeah, the NRA proposed this law, and pushed it though the house. They wanted to do this for the last 12 years, but that damned Republican leadership kept blocking them!

The same people who sat out the last election to teach the Republicans a lesson are now blaming the consequences of losing that election (e.g. the first gun control law in 12 years) on everyone but themselves. Look for them to repeat their mistake by cutting-n-running from their own side yet again.

Because we are not in the majority, gun-control bills can no longer be bottled up in committee. Subsequently we need to pick our battles wisely... and there are more battles coming - H.R. 1022: To reauthorize the assault weapons ban, and for other purposes

For what it is worth, I will take the NRA's successes (look at how many states have added concealed carry) over everyone else's on this issue.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Where were Duncan Hunter and Tancredo? I thought that are two great pro-limited government candidates.....or so we have been told repeatedly by those who support them. Apparently, their loyalty to the so-called “National Security State” trumped their claimed support of the Constitution.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

As if there is a good excuse to destroy a billion dollars worth of infrastructure and target tens of thousands of innocents for deliberate murder.

Ron didn't say they had "a good excuse". That's just putting words in his mouth.

He said that they had motives (as do most Murderers) which could be rationally examined (which is what Detectives do) -- they didn't just wake up one morning and decide to hijack some airliners 'cause their favorite nightclub closed early the night before.

[CDHart]

"Now tell me you didn't know that."

Of course, I do know that they do it all the time. However, IMO, it should never be done. But then they do stuff all the time that should never be done. Miserable, power-hungry, preening politicians.

Carolyn

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

From this time forward you will see more and more a move to get people simply listed as having some kind of minor mental illness in order to push forward the gun control agenda across this country.

That seems entirely possible. Certainly the psychotherapeutic culture in our nation contributes to that possibility.

[mysterio]

They are great on border security, but they are still statists. Ron Paul is not.

Not that I have anything against Hunter or Tancredo. For the most part, they are pretty good legislators.

[Lurker]

I'd love to see a Thompson/Paul ticket....

L

[epow]

If MS declares me nuts and puts me in their database, I can just drive across that bridge there to Louisiana.

But you won't be able to legally buy a handgun in LA if your ID shows that you live in MS. The 1968 Gun Control Act made it illegal for anyone, licensed gun dealer or private citizen, to sell or give a gun to a resident of another state without first transferring the gun to another licensed dealer in the purchasers state. For example, if you give your son a .22 pistol for Christmas and he lives in another state, you just broke a federal law and are subject to a 10 year term in federal prison with no parole if your son is caught with that gun and it's traced back to you through the serial number.

The only way you could give him a gun legally is to transfer the gun to a licensed gun dealer in your son's home state who can then transfer it to your son after a background check. Of course the dealers charge a fee for that service plus the background check fee and the shipping charges to the out of state dealer, but that's just the price of having your 2nd Amendment rights nullified by an unconstitutional gun law.

[null and void]

Just FYI:

63 Muslim countries (as defined by the CIA) from Afghanistan to Zanzibar, without a single 9/11 WTC (non-hijacker) fatality.

4 Muslim countries with 9/11 WTC fatalities:
Indonesia (92% Muslim) 1 dead
Lebanon (75% Muslim) 3 dead
Nigeria (75% Muslim) 1 dead
Usbekistan (88% Muslim) 1 dead

Giving a grand total of 6 fatalities from møøselimb countries.

Just for comparison: 140 Israelis died in the rubble of the WTC...

A reasonable person might conclude from this that a lot of møøselimbs had forewarning and did nothing to about the impending mass murder, except avoid the target areas.

YMMV

The more I understand islam,
the better I like my dog.

< /thread hijack>

[Bigun]

PLEASE be kind enough to remove me from this ping list.

Second request.

[Designer]

However, IMO, it should never be done.

Roger that!

[Osage Orange]

Without regard to the merits of this law, it is dishonest of the pols and media to suggest that this law would have stopped the VA shooter.

Needs to be said again..!!

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Sorry. If your name was previously removed from my copy, it might have gotten inadvertantly re-added when I cross-referenced some new additions from other FReepers. I do apologize. Removed on request.

[Austin Willard Wright]

I ain’t buyin’ what you and he are sellin’ here.

As if there is a good excuse to destroy a billion dollars worth of infrastructure and target tens of thousands of innocents for deliberate murder.

Well then, if you "ain't buying" what Ron Paul is selling you must really be upset at that notorious "blame America" fellow Paul Wolfowitz who said pretty much the same thing. Wolfy stated that the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia had been "a huge recruiting device" for Al Qaeda. Here are Wolfy's comments in full:

Saudi Arabia. Their presence there over the last 12 years has been a source of enormous difficulty for a friendly government. It's been a huge recruiting device for al Qaeda. In fact if you look at bin Laden, one of his principle grievances was the presence of so-called crusader forces on the holy land, Mecca and Medina. I think just lifting that burden from the Saudis is itself going to open the door to other positive things.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Giving a grand total of 6 fatalities from møøselimb countries. Just for comparison: 140 Israelis died in the rubble of the WTC... A reasonable person might conclude from this that a lot of møøselimbs had forewarning and did nothing to about the impending mass murder, except avoid the target areas.

It's not impossible.

Since Muslims account for 1.5-2% of the population of America (and, one would think, primarily in immigrant-heavy cities), one would suppose they's constitute 45-60 out of a random sample of 3,000 Americans.

It's mathematically odd, if your numbers are correct.

[Designer]

"..remove me from this ping list."

Just curious; is this about the "Ron Paul" thing?

[Niteranger68]

Good call! Thanks for the double-dose of common sense.