The Chicago Tribune
May 29, 2001

Bush takes aim at guns
Editorial

One of the more notorious comments of the 2000 campaign came from an official of the National Rifle Association who boasted that if George W. Bush won, "we'll have a president ... where we'll work out of their office."
Granted, the Texan is no fan of gun control. But he made a commendable effort earlier this month to take on gun violence, essentially promising to adopt and expand an effective program started in Richmond, Va. That's good. It's a program that has been applauded both by the NRA and the gun-control lobby.
Bush should push for his plan. But he should also encourage Congress to take the next step: Close the gun-show loophole.
Current federal law requires waiting periods for background checks for purchases at licensed gun stores, but not at gun shows. Yet gun shows proved to be the source of 20 percent of illegal weapons seized by police in a two-year period, according to a federal study released last year.
Two former Bush opponents, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, have come up with a good model for closing the gun show loophole without unfairly inconveniencing law-abiding buyers.
Their bill would require 72-hour waiting periods to complete background checks of purchasers at all gun shows and public events where at least 75 guns are available for sale. Critics say 72 hours is too long to wait. But 24 hours too often turns out to be too short of a time to screen the criminal and psychological records of those who turn out to be ineligible to own a gun.
As a reasonable compromise, the McCain-Lieberman bill includes funds and incentives for states to modernize their record keeping to help make the FBI's national instant check system, which was launched in late 1998, truly instant and accurate. Three years after the bill's enactment, states that have automated at least 95 percent of their files and facilities would be able to reduce the 72-hour waiting period to 24 hours.
The Bush plan avoids mention of gun shows. Instead, it expands an effort to enforce existing federal laws regarding illegal use of firearms. Bush's Project Safe Neighborhoods would coordinate local, state and federal law enforcement to bring stiff sentences down on gun offenders. The two-year, $550 million program would hire 113 assistant U. S. attorneys and about 600 state and local prosecutors. The Bush plan moves in the right direction. Those who commit crimes with guns deserve to face the full force of federal prosecution.
Based on Richmond's Project Exile, the Bush plan has the backing of a broad coalition, including the NRA and Handgun Control Inc. Similar Exile-style partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies have been launched by other cities, including Chicago.
It doesn't take much effort to get bipartisan support behind the need to arrest and punish gun-wielding lawbreakers. But jailing people after they commit a gun crime tackles only the back end of the problem. By requiring speedy and thorough background checks at the point of gun purchases, whether in stores or at gun shows, Congress and the president can help stop gun crimes before they happen.

http://chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/article/0,2669,SAV-0105290188,FF.html

[url]chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/article/0,2669,SAV-0105290188,FF.html [/url]

Please notice that  The rest of the editorial is about what they want him to do but he isn't.  Even the title is only wishful thinking on the [i]Tribune's[/i] part.

I think we all want violent gun crime to stop.

Norm

I went and read the article in hopes there would be an e-mail address to respond directly to the Chicago Tribune.  One of the things they said is an outright lie.  Federal law does not require a waiting period at dealers.  That is up to the individual states.  In Georgia there is no waiting period when you buy at a dealer.  Also their 20 percent figure is another outright lie.

Why are some people so quick to jump on Bush and say he has turned against us?  Yes, he addressed gun violence, not more gun control.  We need to stop gun violence, it will take pressure off us.  Some people oppose any kind of regulation.  One person posted that even someone convicted of mass murder should still be able to buy a gun legally.  That is a little radical.  I think that convicted VIOLENT felons, not all felons, should never be allowed to own a gun and should be severely punished if caught in possession of one.  I also believe that those that provide weapons to these people should be locked up as well as those that carelessly leave weapons lying around for children to get hold of.  I don't mean where some kid breaks into a safe or cabinet, but where a gun is just left out with no concern over a child getting it.  Other than that, there should be no gun control except using both hands.

Does anyone else notice that the above article starts out seemingly sided as conservative, pro-gun, and then ends on the viewpoint of a liberal, gun-grabber?

I have an OREGON state issued CCW. But I STILL need to PAY $9.00 and run a check for any gun purchase.

I don't mind the check, but I resent being "taxed" when I've already paid for a background check for a CCW and have a photo ID to prove it.

That card gets confiscated by police when/if the holder is arrested. Software system should be able to enter a CCW card number by phone to a state system which will approve a sale without having to re-run a check.

And a state issued CCW should clear me to carry in a Federal or any other public building. I'll disarm for a court house, but I should be able to carry in a public library or in city hall.

Otherwise I'm spending the whole day stashing the gun somewhere safe while I comply with unnecessary restriction.

Bush is trying to go after criminals not law abiding gun owners like me and I am sure most others on this site. I have had trouble with the socalled instant check system myself at FFL legal stores, taking as long as three days to clear due to the system being down and other problems. If this had been a gun show, I am not sure how it would have been handled after the show was over. I say no more laws on gun shows.

I just hope he doesn't flip / flop like his father did with the assualt rifle ban.

These figures are wrong.

"Yet gun
                          shows proved to be the source of 20 percent of illegal weapons seized by police in a two-year period, according to a federal study
                          released last year."

Fed report shows about 2% of criminal firearms are obtained at gun shows.

PowderBurns, that must be an Oregon state thing.  In Georgia, if you have a CCW permit, you don't have to have a background check for purchases.  Also, the background check is only $5 if you do need one.

The gun grabbin' pricks say that 3 days is a reasonable time to allow for a background check at a gun show and try and get the rest of the public to buy into it because they know full well that a 3 day waiting period to close the so called "gun show loophole" would effectively close down most gun shows.  

I live in Virginia and I bought a pistol for the first time at a gun show a couple of months ago.  It took an hour for the background check.  

If i remember correctly, the Brady Bill said that after 5 years or so, the feds were supposed to have a instant check system in place.  The reason they don't is because Klinton and his goons dragged their feet in the hopes of doing just what is happening now.  Well, if they don't have an effective system in place yet, I say tough s$%#!  They have had more than enough time to do it.