Posted on 07/23/2002 2:21:33 PM PDT by USA21
House Panel OKs Tougher Gun Checks
WASHINGTON (AP) - Peter Troy's history of mental illness made it illegal for him to own the gun that police say he used to spray bullets at a Long Island church, killing the priest and a worshipper.
But the database used by the FBI for background checks is so incomplete that Troy was approved to buy a rifle even though he been committed to a mental institution at least twice.
The FBI's system is supposed to identify felons, drug addicts, domestic abusers, illegal immigrants, people who were involuntarily committed to a mental institution and others legally barred from having a gun. It relies on states and other federal agencies to provide criminal, mental health and other records, but many are incomplete or outdated.
The bill to improve the system is named "Our Lady of Peace," after the church where Troy opened fire March 12. It authorizes Congress to spend more than $1.1 billion for states and courts to comply with the law.
"If the FBI had access to New York's records, the senseless act of violence at Our Lady of Peace church in my district could have been averted," said Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., the bill's sponsor.
McCarthy teamed with Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., a senior member of the House who is often her foe on gun legislation, to help push for the bill's passage.
Dingell is in the midst of a primary campaign against Rep. Lynn Rivers, who has criticized him for voting against gun control and previously serving on the board of the National Rifle Association.
The NRA supports the bill with reservations. The group says the legislation would speed background checks that can delay gun purchases, but it is concerned that there are no penalties for states that don't supply records to the FBI's database.
Most background checks are completed in a few minutes, but some take up to three days as police are supposed to find paper records that have not been entered in the database. After three days, the gun must be sold to a buyer if the check has not been completed.
"I want to see to it that an honest citizen doesn't lose his Second Amendment rights because of the fact that the state, local and federal people are so inept that the instant check system does not work," Dingell said.
Background checks for prospective gun buyers have been required since February 1994 under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. More than 689,000 people have been denied a gun for failing a background check.
But faulty records allowed at least 9,976 prohibited buyers to buy a gun from December 1998 to June 2001, according to a report by Americans for Gun Safety.
"The entire lynchpin of our system to keep guns out of the wrong hands is the records in the background check system, and those records are in deplorable shape," said Jim Kessler, policy and research director of Americans for Gun Safety. "This will make a difference."
---
The bill is H.R. 4757
ON THE NET
National Instant Criminal Background Check System:
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/nics.htm
Americans for Gun Safety:
http://www.americansforgunsafety.com
the truly sad thing is this guy should get a better door.
Since the Albanians are still our official friends, I'm sure they would have detachments included.
As would other official friends: Afghanis, and the various countries needed for the Caspian-Asian pipeline.
They might even be the ones training here now. Won't that be fun!
Yeah buddy, I'm all for a kinder, gentler form of gun control. note ---> /sarcasm
I do apologize for the use of German however, that could never happen here in the good ole USofA. Tootles.
/As you should know, the laws apply to everybody within the jurisdicitions.
No, but the locales with the worst antigun laws have a lot of blacks (DC, NY), and the ones with better laws often have a history of racism that *heavily* discouraged blacks from being armed.
OK, dumbass! Say the guy poses as a pizza delivery person; or bursts through the window; or crawls through the puppy's, rubber door; or cut's a hole through the wall; or uses a battering ram to punch through the door. Don't be an idiot. You know what I meant.
the problem with hypotheticals are well, hypotheticals and the second amendment is very clear... shall not be infringed... mental states do not enter in to it.... who defines unfit is the problem, personal responsibility for ones actions in defending oneself is the answer... yes the looney may be able to carry a weapon, and if i shoot him defending myself or others i will take the responsibility for my actions... just as i will when the gov't comes to take away my guns.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.