I thank God that a good and decent citizen was armed and willing to take on that madman in Texas yesterday.  If he had not intervened, who knows how many more people would have died?   We are blessed to live in a free country.  But freedom is not free.  We have the right and the duty to defend ourselves, and I’ll be damned if I will allow any politician to ever force me into a position where I have to take a knife to a gunfight.  Don’t ever doubt my support for the Second Amendment. 

But I also believe in common sense gun control laws. Background checks must be universal and without exception.  There should be a reasonable waiting period before you can take possession of a gun.  Last month, I stated this on my Facebook page and asked for comments from anybody who disagreed.  None did.  Even the NRA once supported universal background checks. 

In 1999, Wayne LaPierre, head of the NRA, stated to a Congressional Panel, “We think it’s reasonable to provide mandatory instant criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show. No loopholes anywhere for anyone.”

Supporting background checks does not mean you don’t support the Second Amendment. Supporting background checks does not mean you want to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Background checks cannot take guns away in any event since they are done before you even get the weapon.

Last month, the Las Vegas shooter used bump-stocks in his shooting spree, which allowed him to kill many more people. Bump-stocks are legal because of a loophole in the law outlawing automatic weapons.  This could have been fixed by a one-page bill that could have been passed quickly and easily by Congress.  Several such bills were introduced.

But Paul Ryan blocked them.  His reason?  “This is better handled at the regulatory level.”  What a crock!  Isn’t this one of the same politicians who is constantly complaining about over-regulation and government bureaucracy?   He is just scared to do the right thing and has taken the coward’s way out by trying to pass the buck. 

What even worse, The Trump Administration has actually WEAKENED laws already on the books.  Earlier this year they REMOVED a requirement that the SSA coordinate with law enforcement to insure that those with disqualifying mental health issues would be flagged when a background check was performed.

We ALL need to take action.  

Call or write your congressman.   

Call or write the White House.    

Call or write the NRA.   

Now, anybody can complain about what is not working, but few have any answers. 

But I do have an IDEA.  Here is what I would like to see implemented:

First, let’s distinguish between the needs of most gun owners and the needs of gun enthusiasts.

I would propose that a background check be required before any one is allowed to purchase or possess a firearm.  That would not only include gun shows, but private transactions as well, even including gifts from family members and friends. No exceptions. Second, I would enact a 30-day waiting period before anyone could take possession of a firearm.  The 30-day waiting period could be waived by a judge if circumstances warranted.  Once you pass a background check and wait 30 days, you can purchase a firearm, but not an assault rifle or military-grade weapon.  You would also be limited to four guns per year.

Now, for the gun enthusiasts and collectors, I would propose a second program.  There would be a National Permit and would replace state concealed weapon permits.  To get the permit, you would have to pass a much more thorough background check with stricter requirements, take a gun safety course, and carry liability insurance.  But, once you have the permit, you could purchase a gun without any waiting period, and the merchant would only have to make a quick call to verify that the permit is still valid.  Permit holders could also take an extended safety course and would be allowed to purchase assault military-grade weapons, and would not be limited to four guns per year.  These National Permits be valid nationwide and would permit holders to carry concealed weapons wherever concealed weapons are allowed to be carried in each state. (States would still have to right to limit locations where they could be carried.)

All the background checks would be done through a single process, and all law enforcement agencies and courts would be required to report arrests and convictions to this single point. THIS IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO.  Private companies that provide background checks to employers already do this on their own.

Now, before people start writing their objections, read the remarks below:

I know we will never completely prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.   But every time we do prevent one, that means lives have been potentially saved.

I also realize that the only time we seem to talk about gun control is after one of these mass shootings.  It’s ironic that, in most cases, gun control laws probably would not stop them. These madman are crazy, but usually not stupid. They have the determination, time, and are willing to spent the effort to get guns illegally. They know they are probably going to die during the act, so they are not worried about breaking any laws.  (In yesterday’s case, a better background system might have prevented this tragedy.  This was a person who should never have passed a check.)

Background checks will not stop people who have no criminal past or history of mental illness.  But Universal Background checks will prevent common criminals from easily obtaining access.  They have already stopped over 3 million of them.  If we close the loopholes, we could stop many more. 

Waiting Periods will allow enraged persons time to cool down, and possibly allow deranged people more time to be noticed and helped by those around them.  A 30 day waiting period for the average person is not unreasonable.  If you are in a situation where you need a gun quicker than that, you probably are in a situation where you need more help than a gun would provide.  If you have time to get to a gun store, you have time to get to take actions that will not require the immediate use of a gun.