End loopholes placing guns in wrong hands
It is incomprehensible that Congress would be unwilling to close a loophole that allows individuals with troubling backgrounds to purchase guns, individuals who otherwise would be prohibited from completing the transaction.
It is all the more unfathomable because Congress and the nation now have a shocking example of what can happen. Yet it appears a majority of congressional representatives, in fear of and deference to the National Rifle Association, will not act to save lives. Many are more concerned about saving votes that could be lost for running afoul of the NRA.
Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old white supremacist who is accused of killing nine people in a historically black church in Charleston, S.C. last month, should not have been allowed to purchase the .45-caliber handgun police say he used in the mass killing.
According to the FBI, Mr. Roof sought to buy a gun from a licensed dealer in West Columbia, S.C. on April 11. Because South Carolina has among the most lax gun laws in the nation, the only thing standing between Mr. Roof and the weapon was the federal background check law.
The New York Times reported that two days after Mr. Roof tried to make the purchase, an FBI examiner began the review of his criminal history. Trying to locate the correct police department to call in rural South Carolina slowed the process. Soon the examiner would learn that Mr. Roof had admitted, following an arrest, of being in possession of a controlled substance, which would have resulted in an FBI denial of the gun purchase.
However, it was too late.
Exploiting a loophole that allows gun dealers to complete a transaction if the background check takes more than 72 hours, Dylan Roof had returned to the store and walked out with the gun.
It is not an isolated situation. The FBI reports that in the last five years the 72-hour loophole has allowed the sale of 15,729 firearms to individuals who would otherwise be prohibited from buying them. The Office of Inspector General is conducting a review to try to determine how many of these weapons were used in crimes, suicides or acts of domestic violence.
The solution to this problem is simple. Repeal the 72-hour rule and prohibit a gun purchase until the FBI completes the background check, even if it takes a day or two longer.
The NRA and other gun industry lobbyists object to this since they object to any background checks. They should explain that position to Rev. Sharon Risher, whose mother, Ethel Lance, and cousins, Susie Jackson and Tywanza Sanders, were killed by Mr. Roof with his loophole-obtained gun.
The reverend spoke recently in the nation’s capital in support of legislation to repeal the 72-hour loophole. Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both Democrats, support it.
“In the days after the murder of my mother and cousins in Charleston, nothing made sense. But, I’ve seen the power of rising for action, and know I need to share my voice to say: Enough. Demanding action is why I’m here … to demand a vote from Congress on background checks on all gun sales. Avoiding this issue is unconscionable. I’ve prayed on this issue and now I’m acting on it — it’s time for our leaders to do the same,” said the Rev. Risher.
Repealing the 72-hour rule is such a small step. Ideally, Congress should also repeal the loophole that allows unlicensed dealers at gun shows to sell firearms without any background checks. Neither measure seems likely to pass in the current political climate, or even get to a vote, with Republicans in control of the House and Senate.
In the meantime, public pressure should continue on major gun dealers — such as Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops — to adopt a voluntary policy of not selling firearms until FBI reviews are completed. To its credit, Walmart has already taken that step.
Connecticut has shown the ability to strike a balance between Second Amendment rights and sound gun control measures. It is time for Congress to follow suit with common-sense federal gun-control legislation.
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