Offering a misconception of background checks for gun buyers

Do you support federal background checks before firearm purchases?

This was the recent question asked by the Lowell Sun, of which 89% of the 426 respondents voted YES. But here is a better question.

“Are federal firearms background checks CURRENTLY required for firearm purchases?” The answer, also YES.

That’s right, with very few exceptions, everyone goes through a background check every time they buy a gun.

Don’t believe me? Try buying one and see what happens. Try buying one at a gun show. Try buying one out of state. Try buying one online. Go ahead. See if you can get around the background check.

Good luck. I know. I’m a lawabiding firearms owner, safety instructor, I teach federal and state law, and I’ve bought guns all the ways mentioned above. Been background checked every time, no exception.

So how do criminals get guns? One of three ways. Either they have not been caught, arrested or prosecuted and hence have no criminal record (Parkland, Fla.). They have a record, but the government fails to do their job (Charleston, S.C.). Or they pay someone with a clean slate to buy the gun for them (Columbine). Can you blame law-abiding gun owners for being critical? Over and over again the government has proven that they are incompetent in this area, and yet some people want to let them double down and implement even more failed polices that infringe on our Constitutional rights, with the expressed goal of eliminating them.

So here is a better question. Who thinks our government can fix this problem? I can’t wait to see those results. — Al Prescott

Westford