An Honest Discussion Over Gun Ownership in America

If you have never been to an American gun show, or are unfamiliar with Craigslist you might not know that people can literally buy and exchange guns within minutes. In 2016, due to the executive order of President Obama the United States government now has more resources to adequately monitor and investigate the sale of firearms.

Many critics of Obama are quick to point out, this legislation will accomplish nothing more then burdening small business practice in America. After all, criminals do not follow the laws. The only thing this new laws effects is making it harder for law abiding citizens, who already follow the law, to obtain guns. For example in Chicago, in a state where Obama was once Senator, guns are illegal. Yet Chicago has the highest gun violence rates in the entire country!: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/05/gun-control-opponents-love-to-cite-chicago-so-how-does-it-compare-to-the-rest-of-america/

In comparison Vermont has constitutional carry laws, meaning every citizen is literally allowed to walk around in public with a gun. They do not even have to file for a permit to do so.  Yet Vermont has the lowest crime rate in the entire country: http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/01/02/the-safest-states-in-america/4/

Again the facts above are no anomaly. When you observe the safest states in America you will find they generally have the most open gun laws in the entire country. On the other end of the spectrum the states with the most strict guns laws in place tend to rank the highest in national crime statistics. Is this a coincidence? You tell us.

With that said lets focus on gun ownership and the exchange of guns between buyers and sellers. So much has been made of this so called “gun show loophole” and this has been addressed in Obama’s executive action. But what is this loophole? For those of you who have never attended a gun rally in America here is how it works. When you go to gun show anyone is allowed to enter. If you like a gun you ask to purchase it. From there the gun dealer makes a phone call, reads off your personal information and after a few moments is given the green light to sell or is told not to do so. The process literally takes minutes of time. Even at that, not all dealers at guns shows licensed and therefore do not have to submit for Federal background checks prior to sale: http://www.governing.com/gov-data/safety-justice/gun-show-firearms-bankground-checks-state-laws-map.html

Another problem with the exchange of firearms comes with the private and online sale/exchange of weapons through services such as Craigslist. Federal law does not seriously limit the private sale of guns. Meaning private gun owners are free to trade or sell guns to other people in society. No federal background check requires, not legal process involved. You simple sell your gun to another person. Federal law technically applies meaning you can not knowingly sell to a felon, but lets be honest most people aren’t going to ask nor are they going to take the time to investigate every perspective buyer. This is how guns are sold and moved out of the prying eyes of the Federal government. You can read more about it here: http://thearmsguide.com/2442/firearms-private-sales-how-to-protect-yourself/

An additional sources speaking to this information comes through Politifact:

“Federal law prohibits felons from purchasing or receiving guns unless their rights have been formally restored. However, felons can get around this obstacle by buying guns from sellers who do not require criminal background checks.

“Violent felons aren’t allowed to buy guns, period, but they can take advantage of the loophole in federal law that allows gun sales, including some gun sales over the Internet, to purchase from non-licensed sellers, who don’t have to conduct a background check.”

So this is the problem as it exists in American society. It is not as simple as make guns illegal and gun violence will decrease. Many cities try to do just this and the see the reverse effect occuring. Supporting extended background checks and closing some of the gun loopholes is a common sense step in the right direction. However the problem regarding guns and the exchange of guns is not as simple as some people make it out to be.

Last, but not least some stats (click on the picture to enlarge):

This article (An Honest Discussion About Gun Ownership In America) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article using a creative commons license with attribution to the author and AnonHQ. Join the conversation at www.anonboards.com