Gun Control Bill With Bipartisan Support Unveiled In House

[Rey C.]

All of you guys love to cite Chicago as the key reason why gun control laws won't work, but I live in Chicago and I can tell you that sensible gun laws can work. As many of you know Chicago does have a strict gun control laws, so the question is where are these guns coming from if there's a strict gun control law? Chicago’s experience reveals the complications inherent in carrying out local gun laws around the nation. Less restrictive laws in neighboring communities and states not only make guns easy to obtain nearby, but layers of differing laws-local and state -make it difficult to police violations. And though many describe the local and state gun laws here as relatively stringent, penalties for violating them- from jail time to fines-have not proven as severe as they are in some other places, reducing the incentive to comply. More than a quarter of the firearms seized on the streets here by the Chicago Police Department over the past five years were bought just outside city limits in Cook County suburbs. Others came from stores around Illinois and from other states, like Indiana, less than an hour’s drive away. Since 2008, more than 1,300 of the confiscated guns, the analysis showed, were bought from just one store, Chuck’s Gun Shop in Riverdale, Ill., within a few miles of Chicago’s city limits.

I was watching a report on one of the networks last weekend. And they were talking about the differences between Chicago's gun laws and New York's. Seems that the laws are fairly similar. But the enforcement and sentencing is MUCH different. Don't quote me, as I'm relying on memory right now. But I believe the chances of a convicted felon being returned to prison for violating gun laws in Chicago were less than 30%, while in New York they were above 90% (or so). From what the report said, most illegal firearms charges are dropped in Chicago. Somebody can fact check that. But I think that's close. Chicago, D.C. and certain other big cities, with high murder rates (committed in large part by convicted criminals), have this odd tendency of not enforcing the laws that are already on the books. And many people find that very frustrating.

Back in the early 90's, Richmond, VA had a severe problem with firearms related violence and murders, mostly fueled by the Cocaine Highway/I-95 from Florida to New York. In '92 or '93, I think, they began handing out mandatory minimum sentences of 5 years for people convicted of possessing drugs and guns together... and guess what? The problem largely went away. The Richmond Times even did a follow-up story on the new problem: drug dealers smacking and stabbing each other with sharpened sticks. They got rid of their guns. Nobody wanted to do hard time and wind up in a prison for 5 years in Texas or Kansas, or where ever they sent them.

Start giving any and all violent felons and/or drug dealers a minimum of 5 years (with no other questions asked) if he/she is caught with a firearm. See if that doesn't make a difference. But having a law and then giving a slap on the wrist... nah, I'm not surprised criminals laugh at that law. Why even have a law if it's not going to be enforced?

 

[Rey C.]

I understand that every gun has a number on it and it is to be registered to the purchaser. But I hear the argument from some people that want to sell or transfer second hand without registration. Much like a lamp or toaster oven.

Rev, debating Johan about magazines is useless since in his perfect world no one would have guns.

Well, to the best of my knowledge, the NICS background check does not include anything about the particular weapon that is being purchased. Those records used to be kept for 90 days and then destroyed. Now I think they are destroyed within 24 hours of approval (if a prohibited person attempts to purchase a firearm, I think that information is referred to the courts, but I'm not 100%).

There is a problem here: other than Title II weapons (pre-1986 automatic weapons, short barrel shotguns, etc.), and weapons bought in jurisdictions that require registration, firearms aren't really "registered" to anyone in the U.S. The problem is, most every state has its own laws governing what records must be kept and for how long. Even though I'm very leery of any sort of central registry being used by anti-2nd Amendment forces to play snatch & grab in the future, you can't really enforce strawman and trafficking laws when there is no way to really know who bought what, when and where.

One thing I would add to this proposal (while dropping the arbitrary limit on magazine capacity) is a more severe criminal penalty against those who fund and launder smuggling operations. Anyone with a tiny amount of common sense knows that crime generates money... dirty money. And dirty money has to be cleansed before it can be used. Start making sharp-dressed banker boys & girls do the ol' perp walk in front of the TV cameras and you will see a decrease in larger scale gun and drug smuggling. I garontee! But Obama has been no better than Bush in prosecuting money launderers.

They say they're gonna stop it,
But it doesn't go away.
They move it through Miami, sell it in L.A.,
They hide it up in Telluride,
I mean it's here to stay.
It's propping up the governments in Colombia and Peru,
You ask any D.E.A. man,
He'll say There's nothin' we can do,
From the office of the President,
Right down to me and you, me and you.

It's a losing proposition,
But one you can't refuse.
It's the politics of contraband,
It's the smuggler's blues.

 

[Kingfisher]

The magazine part is the only part that would bother me as well.

Agreed. But it's just insane what mag prices have jumped to because of this crap.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

Agreed. But it's just insane what mag prices have jumped to because of this crap.

Specifics please. If you don't wanna put it out on the board, pm me. I just wanna compare, to my recent findings.