I'll admit that closing down the mental hospitals was a really stupid move. What did we expect? We allow our truly fucked in the head to run around without any help.
that isn't the problem. it's not keeping guns away from crazies, loons, and criminals.
it's harder to get a drivers license in some places than a gun license.
but we can pretend it's about mental institutions.
Not true. Felons can get Driver's licenses. The mentally adjudicated can get a driver's licence. Neither can get a gun permit or buy a gun, depending on the local requirements.
the NRA doesn't believe in registering guns or in having to be screened or any safety requirements.
Not entirely true Jillian. While the NRA does not support registering guns, they DO support keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, felons, etc. If Congress were to come up with a national background check system that didn't have gun registration as a part of the check, there are few who would oppose that. Basically the people feel, and I agree with them, the government has no business knowing what you have. If I decide that I am going to sell one of my guns I have a large group of people I know who will want it. Furthermore I know who they are.
However, many people don't have the contacts that I do, so they sell their weapons at garage sales and gun shows etc. I would totally love to see a system where they could call up the police and have a background check done on the person trying to buy a gun in those situations. So long as there is no gun registry at the same time. 90% of the gun owners I know, feel likewise.
Here in this State the number of criminals who attempt to buy weapons through gun stores is very small because unlike CA where when a felon who attempts to buy a weapon is merely denied, here in Nevada they get arrested for the attempt, because it IS against the law for a felon to possess weapons.