Gun control is somewhat of a poison pill for the Democratic Party when we talk about expanding into the Mountain West. As we continue to push economic populist candidates like Jim Tester into new battlegrounds, the thought remains among many Americans that Democrats "just want to take away our guns". Those with strong libertarian streaks also express similar fears. It's extremely difficult for a party with an urban core (and those a strongly pro gun control base) to reconcile on the issue of gun rights. Yet the Democratic Congress has done exactly that. Follow me over the fold.
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday responded to the deadliest shooting rampage in modern American history by passing legislation to help keep guns out of hands of the mentally ill.
On a voice vote, the House sent the measure -- which would be the first major gun control bill enacted since 1994 and bolster background checks for gun buyers -- to the Democratic-led Senate for needed concurrence.
The legislation would provide financial incentives for states to provide mental health and criminal records to a data base used for federal background checks on gun buyers. source
This is a great compromise for House Democrats. In many ways, the legislation deals with both an important loophole and an uncontroversial one. Few gun enthusiasts believe that the mentally instable deserve free, unfettered access to guns. Yet the NRA and gun enthusiats are often extremely unwilling to compromise on any gun control measures out of pure principle.
From some inside sources involved in the process, I've been told that NRA officials actually brought this idea in conjunction with House Democrats to Speaker Pelosi and the House leadership. The proposal was offered with the understanding that amendments beyond the scope of the legislation would kill the bill. Still, working with the NRA is an important stroke of legislating. The Democratic Congress claims success on reacting to the tragic events at Virginia Tech in an expedient and responsible manner while showing their coordination with the NRA as proof of their pragmatism on gun rights.
The new bill, if it becomes law, would require states to supply the federal database with records of those disqualified from gun ownership and impose penalties if they fail to meet certain benchmarks.
It also provides $250 million (£125m) a year over the next three years to help states automate their systems to meet the new requirements. source
From an effective standpoint, I think this is a good piece of legislation. I'm of the belief that gun control has to be dealt with from a behavioral standpoint. Regardless of how many regulations we place on the purchasing of firearms, motivated individuals are still going to go out there and buy a gun if they want one. I think it's important to keep gun control narrow enough so that responsible individuals can purpose guns at a responsible rate, while those who should not be able to purchase guns cannot.
Will this legislation prevent mentally unstable individuals from buying guns? Maybe. It's unclear whether the legislation is a strong mandate on state action or the creation of a database that can be used by gun dealers, but the Senate may act to make the legislation more clear on that level. Also, some individuals who are sane enough to really scout out a gun may still find ways around the law. The important thing is finding a way to discourage mentally instable individuals from purchasing a gun and preventing them from unleashing havoc on innocent individuals.
This seems like a win-win to me.
Note: I haven't seen much coverage on this subject on then the diaries here and here and as neither covered the actual bill passage itself, I thought it would be alright to write up another diary. I apologize if anyone feels I stepped on their toes.