With Senate Democrats failing in their push for reinstating the assault weapons ban last month, it was all but guaranteed Liberal Democrats, do-something Republicans, and pro-second amendment Democrats would rally behind a compromise proposal spearheaded by Senator Schumer requiring universal background checks for basically every gun sale.
A bipartisan coalition of Senators, led by Chuck Schumer and joined by fellow Democrat Joe Manchin and Republicans Tom Coburn and Mark Kirk, have been working to reach a bipartisan consensus on closing existing loopholes in the current background check process, while ensuring second amendment rights are protected.
But if yesterday's joint statement by Senators Manchin and Kirk is any indicator, that coalition might have just been busted by the current proposal being pushed by Senator Schumer, which would require universal background checks for every single gun sale in America, including private transactions that would place a burden on private sellers to verify that the buyer is not prohibited from purchasing a firearm.
The statement announced both Senators could not support the current proposal by Schumer: as it burdens law-abiding citizens and they simply want to make sure firearms do not end up in the hands of criminals, or those deemed mentally unfit, and that the bill introduced does that meet that standard, although they will be continuing to work towards an eventual commonsense compromise.
I'm beginning to believe the Senate is unlikely to move on the issue of gun control in the near future, due to the presence of pro-second amendment Senators within both parties, and the simple fact the proposals submitted by various Democrats have just gone too far towards either prohibition of certain guns and near registration of all purchases, both of which are blatantly in conflict with our second amendment right to bear arms.
What say you?
"compromise proposal spearheaded by Senator Schumer requiring universal background checks for basically every gun sale."
ReplyDelete"Compromise, as in, 'Give In'. ANY expansion of the background check is another step towards a National Gun Registration list. If it is just the buyer's criminal/mental background the government is interested in, why, as per Schumer and his 4473 form, do they need to know the guns serial number, the buyer's name, address,place and date of birth, height, weight, race, etc.?
"consensus on closing existing loopholes in the current background check process,"
"Loophole" my fanny. I was around when the 1968 Gun Control Act was debated and it was widely accepted then, even by the liberals, that the background check could easily morph in a registration list, so the private sales part was specifically mentioned as a relief valve to prevent this. Isn't it strange that "loopholes" only appear in laws that hinder the liberals' agenda?