Yah, I confess I'm a bit frustrated by da news organizations. You would think somebody would put together a detailed list of the proposals. Here's what I think I've been able to figure out so far:
ACTION FOR CONGRESS
1. Universal background checks / eliminate the gun show loophole.
2. Ban on sale of clips with more than 10 rounds.
3. Ban on sale of "assault weapons."
4. Ban on possession or transfer of armor-piercing bullets.
5. Federal gun trafficking law with stiff penalties (presumably targeted in part at straw purchases).
6. Request for $10M to study root causes of gun violence (mental health, video games, whatever).
I'm fine with #1. #5, and #6. I think #2 and #3 are cosmetic, and da gains in safety aren't worth da cost. I'm ambivalent about #4. I think da better way to go would have been to address responsibility for all gun ownership, rather than micromanaging what type of guns are owned.
EXECUTIVE Action
1. Increased prosecution of those who try to evade background check system.
2. Improvements / directed funding to the background check system.
3. Improved access to mental health services (mechanism unclear).
4. Increasing resource officers in schools (presumably through prioritizing existing moneys in the COPS program, etc.)
5. Increasing counselors in schools (presumably through prioritizing existing allocations in the Dept. of Ed.)
6. "Lifting the ban" on research (presumably through routing research funding through an unrestricted source?)
7. Nomination of a new ATF director (dropping his former nominee who has languished for 4 years without a vote).
8. Linking mental health and background check databases.
9. Incentives for states to share data / participate in data collection.
10. Directing ATF to trace weapons used in felonies or other criminal investigations.
Some of these come directly out of da NRA recommendations, so it's amusin' to see them hyperventilate about them. Most seem fairly innocuous.
I'm fine with 1-3. I'm opposed to #4 because I don't think cops in schools is a good use of the money. I'm ambivalent about #5; while I reckon more counselors is fine I'm not convinced that's a federal issue. I have questions about #6; I'd prefer an aggressive, in-your-face, embarrass-the-heck out of people permanent solution to restrictions on research rather than a work-around. I would have done a recess appointment on #7 three years ago, but I wish they would have folded ATF into the FBI rather than keeping it a separate agency.
Overall, my perception is that nuthin' here is a game-changer. It amounts to small changes around da edges, and will be unsuccessful at addressing the major issues goin' forward. Much of it's reasonable, but collectively it will all be a failure as a set of public policies.
Beavah
ACTION FOR CONGRESS
1. Universal background checks / eliminate the gun show loophole.
2. Ban on sale of clips with more than 10 rounds.
3. Ban on sale of "assault weapons."
4. Ban on possession or transfer of armor-piercing bullets.
5. Federal gun trafficking law with stiff penalties (presumably targeted in part at straw purchases).
6. Request for $10M to study root causes of gun violence (mental health, video games, whatever).
I'm fine with #1. #5, and #6. I think #2 and #3 are cosmetic, and da gains in safety aren't worth da cost. I'm ambivalent about #4. I think da better way to go would have been to address responsibility for all gun ownership, rather than micromanaging what type of guns are owned.
EXECUTIVE Action
1. Increased prosecution of those who try to evade background check system.
2. Improvements / directed funding to the background check system.
3. Improved access to mental health services (mechanism unclear).
4. Increasing resource officers in schools (presumably through prioritizing existing moneys in the COPS program, etc.)
5. Increasing counselors in schools (presumably through prioritizing existing allocations in the Dept. of Ed.)
6. "Lifting the ban" on research (presumably through routing research funding through an unrestricted source?)
7. Nomination of a new ATF director (dropping his former nominee who has languished for 4 years without a vote).
8. Linking mental health and background check databases.
9. Incentives for states to share data / participate in data collection.
10. Directing ATF to trace weapons used in felonies or other criminal investigations.
Some of these come directly out of da NRA recommendations, so it's amusin' to see them hyperventilate about them. Most seem fairly innocuous.
I'm fine with 1-3. I'm opposed to #4 because I don't think cops in schools is a good use of the money. I'm ambivalent about #5; while I reckon more counselors is fine I'm not convinced that's a federal issue. I have questions about #6; I'd prefer an aggressive, in-your-face, embarrass-the-heck out of people permanent solution to restrictions on research rather than a work-around. I would have done a recess appointment on #7 three years ago, but I wish they would have folded ATF into the FBI rather than keeping it a separate agency.
Overall, my perception is that nuthin' here is a game-changer. It amounts to small changes around da edges, and will be unsuccessful at addressing the major issues goin' forward. Much of it's reasonable, but collectively it will all be a failure as a set of public policies.
Beavah
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