PHILIP COLSON: Enforce the gun laws that are already on the books

A disturbed young man in Oregon took up arms to highlight his pet peeves toward the general population. Naturally, he chose an area that he believed was “safe” because of the school’s “gun-free” status, drastically reducing the number of defensive arms he would be initially facing.

The president immediately gave a knee-jerk speech containing a number of erroneous facts and illogical leaps of Democratic doctrine.

Please, understand the simple fact that there are literally hundreds of gun control laws already on the books, that either are not uniformly enforced or are used as the leading plea-bargaining chips by many prosecutors.

The two most frequently discussed current laws are:

“Gun show loop holes”: It is frequently touted that the routine gun sales background investigations are ignored at gun shows. This is absolutely wrong. When a federally licensed dealer sells a firearm, he/they must conduct a background check regardless of where the sale occurs — at the brick-and-mortars store or a gun show. However, when John Q., the average citizen, sets up at a gun show to display and sell items from his/her private firearm collection, they may or may not be allowed to conduct a presale background check. Some gun show organizers, working with local law enforcement, set up a background check station for such civilian-to-civilian sales and some do not. The there is no legal requirement, and no actually established method to conduct the civilian-to-civilian background check, without going through law-enforcement.

“Enhanced background checks”: This is touted as additional restrictions, and a more in-depth check of the prospective firearm purchaser. The basic justification is a deeper mental health verification. However, many if not most, professional mental health professionals are extremely reluctant to report most clients due to the additional risks of legal exposure.

Additionally, we always hear proposals to initiate some type of firearm registration scheme. Even in the U.S., firearm registration, wherever enacted, has always been the first step to firearm confiscations.

State and federal Legislators should not enact “knee-jerk” reactionary laws toward firearms control unless and until existing firearm laws are fully enforced.

Simper Fi.

PHILIP COLSON

Albany

Philip Colson is a retired Marine master gunnery sergeant.