Mike Rowe speaks up about expanded background checks.

[Willy Leadwell]

Mike Rowe is one of my heroes. His foundation and the work he does to get young people to consider skilled trades as an alternative to student loans and useless degrees is phenomenal. Now he has spoken up about the proposed expanded federal background checks for firearms purchases and absolutely nailed it. He doesn't even have to say what his stance on gun ownership is, he just communicates the facts in a way that very few people are capable of doing.

https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe/posts/1115674178442724:0

"when you have a hole in your net, you don't need a bigger net, you need a smaller hole"

 

[freedom]

Lying on your application to purchase a firearm is a federal offense, but very few are prosecuted for doing so. According to Politico, the Feds have prosecuted just 1.5% of all those individuals who have attempted to purchase a gun illegally. If my math is correct, that means 98.5% of people who are NOT allowed to own a gun, have not been prosecuted for trying to buy one.


Does this mean the Feds only procecute 1.5% of the people that are denied on a background check? The felons I know don't try to buy guns, at least from a dealer. And I know a few that were denied multiple times for some unknown reason. I've just heard those numbers bandied about and it's never clear if it's felons attempting to purchase or not.

 

[Willy Leadwell]

Lying on your application to purchase a firearm is a federal offense, but very few are prosecuted for doing so. According to Politico, the Feds have prosecuted just 1.5% of all those individuals who have attempted to purchase a gun illegally. If my math is correct, that means 98.5% of people who are NOT allowed to own a gun, have not been prosecuted for trying to buy one.


Does this mean the Feds only procecute 1.5% of the people that are denied on a background check? The felons I know don't try to buy guns, at least from a dealer. And I know a few that were denied multiple times for some unknown reason. I've just heard those numbers bandied about and it's never clear if it's felons attempting to purchase or not.

I can't speak to the validity of the statistic, but I don't think it's illegal to fail the background check, so being denied in and of itself is not illegal. Fraud on a 4473 is. The point he is trying to make is that the system doesn't work, it doesn't stop the bad guys. So how is making it bigger going to solve the problem?

I think he does a good job of explaining it from the perspective of a person who is not defending one side or the other, but simply pointing out the flaws in the logic being used by those who wish to see these "expanded background checks" in place. This approach could be good for those who are not necessarily gun enthusiasts, but disapprove of government waste & overreach.

 

[DoglegArms]

I can't speak to the validity of the statistic, but I don't think it's illegal to fail the background check, so being denied in and of itself is not illegal. Fraud on a 4473 is. The point he is trying to make is that the system doesn't work, it doesn't stop the bad guys. So how is making it bigger going to solve the problem?

I think he does a good job of explaining it from the perspective of a person who is not defending one side or the other, but simply pointing out the flaws in the logic being used by those who wish to see these "expanded background checks" in place. This approach could be good for those who are not necessarily gun enthusiasts, but disapprove of government waste & overreach.

That's right. People get denied for other reasons than being a prohibited person.

I'm not an advocate for BGCs but in order for it to be effective, there must be a state BGC included which GA does not have. In other states that have a state BGC, when a transferee is denied, LE is aware of it instantly. If it's a wanted person, LE can apprehend them. It actually happens too.

 

[boss_hawg]

Better to enforce the laws already on the books than to create new ones.

But legislating is easy. Enforcement is not.

 

[Willy Leadwell]

That's right. People get denied for other reasons than being a prohibited person.

I'm not an advocate for BGCs but in order for it to be effective, there must be a state BGC included which GA does not have. In other states that have a state BGC, when a transferee is denied, LE is aware of it instantly. If it's a wanted person, LE can apprehend them. It actually happens too.

You mean there's a hole in our net? So we need to make our net bigger, right?