The discussion of the issue of gun control. One side yells, “Protect the Second Amendment and we need to enforce the laws we already have on the books!” The other side screams, “Maximum 10-round magazines or possibly seven rounds, universal background checks and removal of all the hideous assault rifles from the shelves!”
The tirade on gun control goes on and on. Maybe by stepping back and analyzing the situation, we may find an answer or partial answer to the problem.
First of all, who are those that ignore and violate federal and state weapon laws with impunity? It is not the law-abiding citizen who, as much as it may inconvenience him or her, still abide by federal and state weapons laws.
Who’s left? The gang banger, the perpetual felon and thugs who do not pay much attention to any law as they go about their daily business of robbery, home invasion, car jackings, murder, rape and other violations of the federal and state judicial code.
Maybe these people should be given a background check that every other law-abiding citizen goes through to purchase and own a firearm. The problem with this is that 99.9 percent of these people would be denied a weapon and subject to prosecution and jail time.
Sadly though, under the present federal administration, it fails to use the full extent of background checks. Out of 76,000 firearm purchases denied by the present background check, only approximately 44 [cases] were prosecuted.
This shows that the judicial system is failing to use these laws to their full extent to prosecute those who violate our criminal laws. There are other laws that can be used that are too numerous to mention. Most of these laws carry a mandatory sentences that can be added to criminal charges.
Shouldn’t the law-abiding citizen be asking our government judicial system to use the full extent of these laws against criminals? Instead, the government pursues new laws that only affect the average citizen and does not protect them in their homes, their families, their car and their workplace.
John H. Sharpe
Fayetteville, Ga.
