Bismarck Tribune: It’s time to expand background checks for gun sales
It’s been more than six months since the shootings at Newtown, Conn., a year since the Colorado theater shootings and two years since former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and others were shot in Tucson, Ariz.
Not enough time to heal but sufficient time for reasonable thought about the debate on gun violence.
Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, toured seven states ending Sunday, to organize supporters in an effort to expand gun purchase background checks.
They have founded Americans for Responsible Solutions. Their goal is to expand background checks to gun shows and print and online gun purchases.
The group also supports a ban on assault weapons, high-capacity bullet magazines and reining in gun trafficking.
The tour, at least in North Dakota, was low key. Giffords and Kelly met privately with supporters. Giffords provided news media with a couple of sound bites and Kelly did most of the heavy lifting.
He was front and center as Giffords continues to recover from her wounds.
He noted the National Rifle Association has done a good job of arguing its views and winning votes in Congress.
Kelly also said he and Giffords wanted to meet with North Dakota’s senators, but their schedules didn’t work out.
No harsh criticism. But some to-the-point arguments.
If opponents of expanding background checks are comfortable with checks when someone buys a gun at a store, why shouldn’t they be OK with checks for online and gun show sales?
Why should we allow bullet magazines that allow shooters to kill many in a brief period of time? And why should we assume background checks will lead to total gun control?
Kelly makes the point that he and his wife are gun owners and users. He sticks up for the Second Amendment.
And he says he’s not afraid that the measures his group is promoting will result in more drastic action. He argues that fear of additional measures is unreasonable.
He’s certainly not someone who scares easily. He’s a former fighter pilot and astronaut.
A poll commissioned by the Americans for Responsible Solutions found 79 percent of North Dakotans favored expanded background checks — a number that’s much lower than most states.
Giffords and Kelly offer logical arguments. The Tribune sees no reason not to expand the checks. If it works for stores, it should work for online and gun shows.
And we need to look at mental health issues and how to keep guns out of the hands of those who can’t make reasonable judgments.
Congress shouldn’t fear taking these simple, logical steps.
At the same time, lawmakers shouldn’t try to cram the bill with other limitations. Keep the bill simple: expanded background checks.
The families in Newtown may never heal. But it won’t seem totally hopeless if we can accomplish this simple step.