The Gun Control Compromise The Left Will Never Accept
BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 4 months ago
All we ask in exchange for Universal Background Checks is this: Stop collecting data about who’s buying what guns. It’s like HIPPA privacy for gun owners. A background check doesn’t require a database on gun owners and serial numbers any more than liquor laws require the government to know how often I buy my preferred spirit.
For ten bucks, any seller could phone in a buyer’s driver’s license number to find out whether the buyer’s prohibited from buying a gun (appallingly, the current check system is off limits to responsible private sellers wishing to conduct a check). The new system could even be used by anyone to check out a babysitter or contractor. This system would record only that the ID was checked and issued a confirmation number. The seller can keep the confirmation as a defense to a false charge of selling to an unqualified buyer. The system knows only that someone was checked but has no idea if they even bought a gun, let alone what model or serial number.
Stop there, and that’s the compromise we usually get: They get most of what they want, and we get nothing. So here’s the real compromise: even firearms dealers will no longer have to keep a record (known as Form 4473) of who bought what – those eventually end up in government hands for databasing. The dealer verifies his customer by ID, (just like a liquor retailer who cards a customer) but gun purchases are private.
Win-win. We win our tyranny insurance, and they win the public safety they swear is their goal. But their opposition to this type of genuine compromise belies their true goal of political control that requires their opponents to be disarmed.
Cue the crickets.
It’s difficult to tell from the rest of the commentary whether the author is playing a thought-game or he’s serious that he’d accept UBC with those stipulations.
But don’t speak for me. I don’t accept UBC under any conditions. That means any conditions.
On August 20, 2019 at 11:40 pm, Papa said:
Amen to “any conditions”.
…shall not be infringed.
Made my mind up years ago.
They can talk, blather, and legislate.
Go ahead with your plans. I’m patient.
Remember Samuel Whittemore.
On August 21, 2019 at 9:18 am, TRX said:
> The new system could even be used by anyone to check out a babysitter or contractor.
—
Then a few years for the system to grow, as they always do, and we’d have a full China-style “reputation management system” in place, where some anonymous bureaucrat could reward his friends, ruin his enemies, and have general fun playing the system.
That’s a liberal wet dream. They’d jump for that like a dog at a ham bone.
On August 21, 2019 at 10:57 am, BAP45 said:
I always thought an interesting gambit would to agree to UCB if they repeal the NFA (including it additions like Hughes). Wonder if their heads would explode or if they would agree to it out of ignorance. Figure if they want something big I want something big.
would make it look as if I’m willing to accept it/negotiate or at least highlight the issues.
either way like you said something is coming and it’s never good.