‘Common-sense’ gun control plans actually don’t make sense

A recent editorial (“It’s time for common-sense gun measures,” Journal Aug. 12) called for state lawmakers to pass a number of gun control proposals rolled out last week by Democratic lawmakers. “Common-sense gun measures” is a phrase that gun control activists and anti-gun politicians use in hopes that the public and the media will avoid scrutinizing the details of these bills or questioning their enforceability, efficacy, intrusiveness or necessity.

• The gun control crowd plans to resurrect “universal background check” bills similar to the ones legislators rejected in 2017. These measures would force gun owners to pay undetermined fees and obtain government approval before selling a firearm to family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers, or fellow hunters, competitive shooters and gun club members. Supporters will falsely claim they are targeting gun shows and online transactions. But what the legislation really does is ban all private firearms sales between law-abiding citizens. Studies by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics show that less than one percent of crime guns are acquired at gun shows and background checks are already required before anyone takes delivery of a firearm purchased online. So after five years of debate on this topic, lawmakers will waste more time next year considering unnecessary proposals that have no impact on crime and are unenforceable without gun registration.