There is no reason for Universal background checks, IMO. Why impede the rights of every law abiding American when we could just make it a felony to sell to people without a valid and unrestricted drivers license (or state ID card if they don't drive). Every state already has the ability to do this. Simply put an 'F' for firearms restriction on anybody's ID who is deemed too dangerous to own firearms. No need for a database of gun owners. No need for background checks. No argument that the system may go down. No additional cost for anybody except the people who are dangerous and have their unrestricted license confiscated. Simply look at their ID before you sell them your gun, or you risk getting a felony and your very own firearm restricted ID. And maybe most importantly, I think Republicans would allow this to pass. I don't think they'd fight it, so you waste FAR less political capital on a universal solution. https://i.insider.com/5e1f67e449878c6054706efa?width=1100&format=jpeg&auto=webp
This is where universal Healthcare (including mental health) shines. Fewer wackos means fewer excuses for government restrictions for the rest of us.
What do you do with violent felons who drive or with people who've threatened other people with violence such as violent ex husbands who possess a driver's license? Also, what do you do with individual states who don't restrict firearms for any reason? No, you need a federal law to protect all of us.
I'm advocating for a federal law which makes it illegal to sell guns to anybody without an unrestricted ID. This law would also require states to restrict certain people (basically anybody who is currently restricted by federal law). So if you don't have a state ID you can't buy a gun. If your state ID has a firearm restriction you can't buy a gun. Nothing changes except the only people who need to be in a database are the criminals and dangerous individuals rather than everybody who buys a gun. I think you could get a universal federal law like this. I don't think you'll ever get universal background checks. The important part is that states already have this capability (see below), And people already need a state ID to buy a gun. So no excuse not to enact a law like this.
Ok. But, someone with an unrestricted license could by a gun and kill people. I does stop a lot of loonies from buying guns which is good, but it won't stop everyone. I think something needs to be done about gunshow loopholes and personal sales of guns too. Not mention out of state sales. The garlic shooter went out of state to buy his gun because he couldn't in his own state. If he was not allowed to buy out of his own state, lives would have been saved.
This would apply to gunshows. This would apply to private party purchases. If you sell a gun to a person with a restricted license or without a license you are guilty of a felony. CONGRATULATIONS! You now get your very own restricted ID! You have just bought and sold your last gun. This would have also prevented the guy from buying a gun out of state if he were federally restricted, or even restricted in his own state.
And how does one get an unrestricted license? Undergo a mental health test? A lot of shooters had never been into trouble prior. What is to stop them from getting an unrestricted license?
When you commit a violent crime or are otherwise deemed dangerous law enforcement will confiscate your current license or ID and any weapons you may have and add you to the restricted list. When you replace your license it will have a firearm restriction. Universal background checks will not know if a person is dangerous without these processes happening either.
The big issue is a lot of these shooters didn't have previous records and even passed background checks to buy guns. There seems to be no way to stop people who don't have prior records from losing it, buying a gun, and taking people out.
