Posted on 07/23/2002 2:21:33 PM PDT by USA21
House Panel OKs Tougher Gun Checks
WASHINGTON (AP) - Peter Troy's history of mental illness made it illegal for him to own the gun that police say he used to spray bullets at a Long Island church, killing the priest and a worshipper.
But the database used by the FBI for background checks is so incomplete that Troy was approved to buy a rifle even though he been committed to a mental institution at least twice.
The FBI's system is supposed to identify felons, drug addicts, domestic abusers, illegal immigrants, people who were involuntarily committed to a mental institution and others legally barred from having a gun. It relies on states and other federal agencies to provide criminal, mental health and other records, but many are incomplete or outdated.
The bill to improve the system is named "Our Lady of Peace," after the church where Troy opened fire March 12. It authorizes Congress to spend more than $1.1 billion for states and courts to comply with the law.
"If the FBI had access to New York's records, the senseless act of violence at Our Lady of Peace church in my district could have been averted," said Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., the bill's sponsor.
McCarthy teamed with Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., a senior member of the House who is often her foe on gun legislation, to help push for the bill's passage.
Dingell is in the midst of a primary campaign against Rep. Lynn Rivers, who has criticized him for voting against gun control and previously serving on the board of the National Rifle Association.
The NRA supports the bill with reservations. The group says the legislation would speed background checks that can delay gun purchases, but it is concerned that there are no penalties for states that don't supply records to the FBI's database.
Most background checks are completed in a few minutes, but some take up to three days as police are supposed to find paper records that have not been entered in the database. After three days, the gun must be sold to a buyer if the check has not been completed.
"I want to see to it that an honest citizen doesn't lose his Second Amendment rights because of the fact that the state, local and federal people are so inept that the instant check system does not work," Dingell said.
Background checks for prospective gun buyers have been required since February 1994 under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. More than 689,000 people have been denied a gun for failing a background check.
But faulty records allowed at least 9,976 prohibited buyers to buy a gun from December 1998 to June 2001, according to a report by Americans for Gun Safety.
"The entire lynchpin of our system to keep guns out of the wrong hands is the records in the background check system, and those records are in deplorable shape," said Jim Kessler, policy and research director of Americans for Gun Safety. "This will make a difference."
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The bill is H.R. 4757
ON THE NET
National Instant Criminal Background Check System:
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/nics.htm
Americans for Gun Safety:
http://www.americansforgunsafety.com
They will work along with psychologists, doctors, police, and military.to wich there are Now
They will be able ot put in your address of your home to know everything about you from government data bases.
They will know if you own a gun, the last time that you have seen a doctor, and all of you financial details.
The police wil come to your door with a psychologist and take you for mental testing.
And remember a law was just passed that the government has the right to force feed you drugs.
Yes, I believe he was the Soldier who refused to don a Blue beret. He was right of course, but he bucked the system and the Brass. Just like Billy Mitchell went against the Brass @$$es. They court martialed New like Mitchell because they supposedly threatened order and discipline.
what are peacekeepers?
In most cases a miss-use of our military. They are not meals-on-wheels!
look at the changes in Uniform Code
under the command of the United Nation
Private reply OK.
look at the changes in Uniform Code
No. I'll put that on my things to do list. :-)
May I see your medical records please? Please post them for all of us to judge if you are medically fit to own a firearm. In case you didn't know it such things as simple medication reactions can get you involuntarly committed to a state mental institute. Do you take over the counter cold medications? Be carefull they can do it to ya too. I know make everybody sign for their cold medications also. Anyone purchasing cold medications in the past two years can not purchase a weapon.
This is yet just one more example of government stepping on privacy and second ammendment rights. I do not support it. Also notice the others this covers illegals ect could care less about the stinking Brady Bill because they will buy elsewhere same as I will. I will not make a public gun purchase. It's nonna the Governemts Bussiness.
They should never be.
How long before everyone who is listed in the Narc's database for having been perscribed Prozac or other SSRI looses their 2nd Ammendment Rights because they are "loonies."
Read this SSRI's aren't the only one. Kids are taking massive dosages of OTC cold medications to produce Serotonin Snydrome. Seems OTC cold medications can do it as well.
Here's something interesting on it.
No specific therapeutic approach to the treatment of serotonin syndrome has been fully evaluated in the literature. The most common treatment involves the use of the benzodiazepines. In severe cases, the antiserotonergic agents cyproheptadine, methysergide, and propranolol have been used.3,6,11 In all cases the suspected agent should be discontinued. Over-the-counter drugs containing ingredients known to increase serotonin levels or exacerbate the patient’s condition, such as dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, also should be discontinued.
/As you should know, the laws apply to everybody within the jurisdicitions.
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