A Victory For The Families Of Virginia Tech, And For Common-Sense Gun Control

Wednesday night, the U.S. Congress approved by "unanimous consent" a bill that CBS News called "the first major new gun control bill in more than a decade," and the Washington Post called "the most significant gun-control legislation since the early 1990s."

Passage of H.R. 2640, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 [pdf], is a major victory for the families and survivors of the Virginia Tech shooting, and for all who support common-sense gun laws. This bill gives the states financial incentives to supply more records of more prohibited purchasers to NICS - the Brady background check system for gun buyers.

The Virginia Tech shooter - determined by a judge to be a danger to himself due to mental illness - was allowed to walk out of two gun stores armed with semi-automatic pistols and high-capacity ammunition magazines even though he should have been flagged as a "prohibited purchaser." If the Commonwealth of Virginia had sent his records to NICS, he would have been denied guns at the point of purchase - and the 32 people he murdered might still be alive today.

Brady background checks have stopped an estimated 1.4 million people from legally buying guns since 1994, but those background checks are still only as good as the records in the system. These records include the dangerously mentally ill, felons and domestic abusers, among others. At present, only an estimated 10-20% of the records of the dangerously mentally ill are in the Brady background check system. Amazingly enough, a quarter of felony records have yet to be added to the system. This is unacceptable.

Survivors and surviving family members of the Virginia Tech massacre fought to make the Brady background check better, and their efforts have been vindicated by this bill's passage.

Convicted felons should not be allowed to buy guns. Neither should the dangerously mentally ill or domestic abusers. Dangerous people should not have easy access to dangerous weapons.

This bill - now awaiting the President's signature - should lead to a significant increase in submitted records over current levels and help prevent future tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech. This is common-sense gun control legislation that the vast majority of Americans can support. (See also yesterday's statement by "Mayors Against Illegal Guns.")

I am gratified that Congress passed this legislation, and I encourage the President to sign it at his first opportunity.

(Note to readers: This entry, along with past entries, has been co-posted on bradycampaign.org/blog and the Huffington Post.)

Comments

[shedances]

Typo in last sentence... "there are" not "they are."

Outta here for now.

K

[shedances]

Paul ~

Ignore the gunboys nonsense.

They are probably very jealous of such an important accomplishment for necessary gun control efforts (and no doubt, very angry too).

They've never shown any real desire to help in this issue; and have become part of the problem we face in our society, IMHO. I would also add, that they are a huge embarrassment to concerned, decent Americans ~ of which they are, thankfully, a great MANY.

Best wishes to all of you at the BC & Congrats,

Kelli

[MichaelHawkins]

So, they're calling it the most significant gun control victory in the last decade, and it only passed AFTER you cut a deal with the NRA, interesting.

Either way, I'm glad this bill passed, maybe it'll right some wrongs.

I also hope that the past events will teach you some humility, Paul.

[dreamsmasher]

If he was intent on carrying out what he did Cho would have found his weapons even with these new "common sense gun laws".

Everyone said that if Texas became a right to carry state this would revert back to the old west with shootouts at the strike of twelve but to the contrary, Texas did not revert to "the old west" as predicted instead things like bank robberies have dropped due to criminals fear of walking into a situation of being out gunned.

If these gun control laws are so great then please explain how it is that the city of New York which has probably the toughest gun laws in the country can be so crime infested involving crimes of aggrivation in which guns are used?

The criminals will get the guns no matter what "laws" we pass, instead we, the law abiding members of society, will be punished and forced to be lambs in front of criminals that have no respect for the sanctity of life. I for one totally agree with the views of Ted Nugent, why don't you youtube Nugent and get his take on this issue? Nugents views make a lot more sense than what is coming out of our legislators mouthes.

[MSorgy]

Paul:

Did you notice that Digell thanked the NRA but did not mention the Brady Campaign? I guess that shows how impotent the BC is these days.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/mi15_dingell/PR071219nics.shtml

Start really talking with us, Paul. It is the only way you will accomplish anything.

Michael

[SnowflakesInHell]

I'm sure all those concessions you had to make to the NRA to get them to support the bill had to hurt.

For a list of them, see here:

http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=2202

Of course, the Brady Campaign is also hoping you all will forget they (back when they were called Handgun Control Inc) fought the National Instant Check System being included in the Brady Act, because they were to supplant their preferred method of gun control, which was making everyone wait a period of time before they could purchase a gun. Cho purchased his firearms over a two month period, and wasn't affected in the least by Virginia's one-gun-a-month law, which the Brady Campaign also fought for.

[Thirdpower2]

So what Paul is now saying is that the VPC does not support "common-sense" gun control?

Are all "convicted felons" dangerous?

http://www.examiner.com/a-1061624~Judge_OKs_Hustler_lawyer_in_Staunton_obscenity_case.html