PA lawmakers advocate for universal gun background checks.
The damage inflicted by criminals wielding guns was painfully evident on Monday as individuals who had lost loved ones to shootings shared their emotional testimonies during a Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Hearing advocating for universal background check legislation.
Chantay Love recounted the tragic murder of her brother, Emir Greene, in 1997 when he was just 20 years old. She emphasized that his death had a profound impact on not only her immediate family, but also extended relatives, friends, neighbors, and even the local community center. According to Ms. Love, the true number of people affected by a murder is likely much higher than the reported 100, possibly closer to 250. She stressed that the depth and breadth of the loss have not been adequately documented.
Ms. Love, along with her mother and siblings, established the E.M.I.R Healing Center, an acronym for Every Murder is Real. This nonprofit organization advocates for, educates, and supports individuals in Philadelphia who have been impacted by violent crimes.
During the hearing, held at the Roxborough YMCA in Philadelphia and hosted by state Sens. Katie Muth, Vincent Hughes, and Sharif Street, Ms. Love passionately testified in favor of universal background check legislation. Mr. Hughes expressed determination, stating that if the effort is sustained and pressure is maintained, the legislation will eventually pass in the state Senate and be sent to the governor for signing. He emphasized the importance of perseverance and not giving up.
The legality of the gun used in Mr. Greene’s murder and whether it would have been subject to a universal background check remains unclear.Private Sales
Background checks are mandatory for the purchase of certain firearms, but not all.
At the federal level, all firearms bought through licensed gun dealers require a background check, and this applies to handgun sales regardless of the seller. However, federal law permits private individuals to sell rifles without a background check if they do not suspect the buyer.
States have the option to enact stricter laws, but Pennsylvania has yet to take that step. Currently, there are two proposed laws in the Legislature: House Bill 714, sponsored by Rep. Perry S. Warren, which would mandate background checks for all firearms except transfers between family members, and Senate Bill 60, sponsored by Sens. Hughes and Steve Santarsiero, which serves the same purpose.
However, previous attempts to pass universal background check legislation have been unsuccessful.
“Why is it so difficult for us to agree on something as simple as background checks? It shouldn’t be this complicated,” Ms. Love questioned.Making a List
Michael Csencsits, deputy national director of state and local affairs for Gun Owners of America (GOA), informed The Epoch Times that the federal government is currently pushing for universal background checks, often through policies implemented by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). However, GOA opposes such policies at both the federal and state levels.
According to Mr. Csencsits, the primary reason for their opposition is that universal background checks would lead to the creation of a federal registry, which they vehemently oppose.
The ATF already possesses a partial list of gun owners, and recent policy changes will expand that list. When a gun store or company goes out of business, the ATF obtains their records, including all gun sales and background checks conducted. This has allowed the ATF to compile a registry of 1 billion records. Previously, gun stores were allowed to discard records after 20 years, resulting in the ATF only having the last two decades of a store’s activity. However, the retention rule has been modified, requiring gun stores to retain all records indefinitely. Consequently, the ATF will now have records spanning the lifetime of the store.
“Implementing universal background checks on a federal or state level essentially means that every single gun transfer will eventually be recorded in the ATF’s registry. That’s the main reason why we oppose it,” Mr. Csencsits explained.
GOA firmly opposes the creation of any list of gun owners. They argue that the Second Amendment does not impose a requirement to be listed in order to own a firearm.
Mr. Csencsits emphasized that Second Amendment advocates do not believe that additional firearm laws will effectively prevent criminal shootings. He stated, “It’s always a tragic situation. As Americans, we mourn the losses resulting from these events. Unfortunately, criminals do not abide by laws, and no amount of gun control will completely prevent such incidents. Every life is valuable, and we want to prevent these crimes, but the majority of guns used in crimes are obtained illegally. Therefore, a universal background check will not deter those who bypass the background check process.”
He further noted that most crimes involving firearms are committed using handguns, for which universal background checks are already mandatory.
What arguments do opponents of universal background checks commonly make
Maine-mass-shooting-5517888?ea_src=author_manual&ea_med=related_stories”>
