There was about 40,000 deaths from guns in 2018. In just the first 15 days of 2019, there were 557 deaths -- including 21 deaths of children (age 0-11) and 84 deaths of teens (age 12-17). There is an epidemic of gun violence in the United States -- an epidemic that is not replicated anywhere else in the developed world.
It should be no surprise that the American public wants something done to curb this violence. About 56% of voters want stricter gun laws. And an overwhelming 92% of voters want all gun buyers to be required to pass a background check. And that includes 89% of Republicans and all other demographic groups.
Those are the results of a new Quinnipiac University Poll -- done between January 9th and 13th of a national sample of 1,209 voters, with a 3.3 point margin of error.
This is not anything new. Polls have shown similar results for several years now. Why hasn't Congress acted to close the loopholes in the federal background check law (loopholes that allow a large percentage of sales to be done without any background check)? There is obviously no political disadvantage to doing this, since over 9 out of 10 Americans support it.
It's because too many politicians (especially Republicans) have sold their souls and votes to the NRA. The Support and donations from the NRA are more important to them than trying to save American lives. They whine that they are protecting the Second Amendment, but that's just an excuse for inaction. The Supreme Court has made it very clear that background checks are constitutional.
The Democrats in the 116th House of Representatives are listening to the people. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-California) has introduced a bill in the House that would require all gun buyers to undergo a background check. Democrats broadly support the bill, which would require checks on personal sales, gun show sales, and internet sales. Exceptions would be made for law enforcement, family members gifts to each other, and executors of estates.
This is a good bill, and it is very likely to be passed by the House. The fly-in-the-ointment is the GOP-controlled Senate. Will they once again bend to the will of the NRA, or will they defy expectations and pas the bill? I suspect they will kill the bill by refusing to even allow it to be voted on. If they do, we must make sure voters don't forget that in the next election.
