Conservative Uncle says: Gun laws don't work because criminals don't follow laws.
You take a deep breath, smile, and say: That's like saying fences don't work because your dog escaped once.
In reality, background checks have been effective at keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. Background checks have already stopped 40,000 illegal gun sales.1 Unfortunately, the Internet and gun shows make it easier for domestic abusers and convicted felons to use the background check loophole to buy guns. I–594 will stop this decay of our gun laws by requiring the same background checks for all gun purchases.
Every family should have the freedom to be safe in their home and their community. After so many shootings and tragedies, closing the background check loophole is the least we can do to keep our communities safe.
Conservative Uncle says: I–594 is badly written and will make it illegal for me to hand my gun to a friend at a shooting range or while hunting.
You smile again and say: This is a good example of something that isn't true. I–594 specifically exempts short term transfers from background checks, including families out hunting or friends at a firing range. In fact, the FBI has already said that simply handing a gun to someone else to try out would be exempt.2 What I–594 will do is stop the erosion of our existing laws that allow criminals to buy guns on Craigslist or at gun shows without a background check. Colorado passed a similar background check law last year and it has already stopped many illegal gun sales.
Conservative Uncle says: This is really just a way to confiscate my guns and create a gun registry of legal gun owners.
You say: Actually, nothing will change for legal gun owners. You still have the freedom to buy and own as many guns as you wish, and there's still no registry of your guns. The only thing that will change is every gun sale will go through the same quick and simple background check licensed dealers have used for decades. Unfortunately, the gun lobby is saying this to confuse and distract voters about I–594.
Conservative Uncle says: The only way to prevent violence is to arm law abiding citizens.
You say: Can we all agree that we need to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and convicted criminals?. We've already seen that background checks have been effective in Washington and Colorado. Now we need to close the loophole in our existing law that allows criminals to buy guns on the Internet and at gun shows without a background check.
Conservative Uncle says: This is all really Obama's fault.
You say: How about those Seahawks?
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