The Brady Act
The Brady Law was passed in February of 1994 in the name of James Brady, who was President Reagan's press secretary who was severely wounded by a bullet in the assassination attempt of Reagan in 1981. Since the enactment of the Brady Law, violent crimes committed with firearms have greatly reduced. In fact, from 1985 all the way up through 1993 the use of guns in crime was at an all time high. It was until the Brady Act was passed that the use of firearms in crimes decreased. Today the Brady Act continues to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.
The Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1994 is a federal law requiring that all prospective purchasers of firearms be approved through what is known as "an instant background check." The instant background check is performed by licensed gun dealers using a telephone or a computer through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is also referred to as (NICS). Also not to mention, federally licensed firearms importers, manufacturers, and dealers must comply with permanent Brady before the transfer of any firearm to a non-licensed individual occurs. (www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/bradylaw/)
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and firearms (ATF) regulates that accordingly with the Brady Act, a licensed dealer may sell a firearm if and only if the buyer has a valid government issued form of picture identification. The form of identification must contain the purchaser's name, full address including the state of residence, age, gender, and race. In many cases second forms of identification are asked for.
NICS is not operated and ran by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. It is run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). All NICS ...
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... individual as wanted by law enforcement agencies for escaping from a prison in Georgia. (www.bradycampaign.org/facts/gunlaws/brady.asp)
The Brady Law has done nothing but help America since 1994. Since the enactment of the Brady Law, violent crimes committed with firearms have greatly reduced. It has also kept firearms out of the hands of many criminals, and will continue to do so.
Bibliography:
Bibliography
Brady Campaign. Facts and Information. 28 Apr. 2002. http:/www.bradycampaign.org/facts/gunlaws/brady.asp
Brady Law. Information from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. 28 Apr. 2002. http:/www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/bradylaw/
CNN News. Articles. 25 Apr. 2002. http:/cnn.com/US/9608/26/gun.facts.check/
Research Library. Articles. 26 Apr. 2002. http:/www.nraila.org/media/misc/prevention.htm
The NRA was the one of the biggest factors in preventing the bill passage for so long. The NRA has the veto threat of George H.W. Bush to hold over lawmakers. However, with the election of Bill Clinton, the NRA relied heavily on Senator Dole to stall and filibuster the bill. The NRA lost the battle in 1993 with a Senate vote of 63-36 (Vice). After President Clinton signed the bill, the NRA released a statement, “When Bill Clinton signed the Brady bill into law on November 30, [1993] a drop of blood dripped from the finger of the sovereign American citizen (Line Up and Shut Up. Face Forward. Stay in Line. Last Name First).” Unhappy with how things turned out the NRA turned to its distinctive hyperbole, telling members that “the Brady Law has become one more tool that government agents are using to deny Constitutional rights of law abiding citizens (LaPierre).” “The anti-gun media” and “new wave of brainwashing propaganda aimed at further destroying our Constitutional freedoms” were to blame for the Congressional defeats
Carter, Gregg Lee, ed. “Federal Gun Laws.” Gun Control in the United States: A Reference
The Brady act was created with the intention of interrupting firearm sales to individuals who are legally prohibited from owing guns, such as minors, convicted felons and the mentally ill. The 5 day waiting period provides the chance for the firearms dealer to perform a national criminal background check before transferring any firearm to a customer.
The passage of the Brady bill of 1993 is one of the best case studies of
Valdez, Angela and John Ferguson Jr. Gun Control: Firearms Ownership, New York: Chelsea House, 2012. 58-60. Print.
The Federal Government today is putting forth much effort in order to control the purchase and registration of handguns. In 1993, Congress approved the Brady Bill that requires a mandatory five-day waiting period when buying a gun. The recent school shootings have pushed Congress to pass a bill requiring approximately 80% of handguns to be produced with child safety locks. The ultimate goal of the government is to ban the sale of firearms to the public. By starting out small, and having big goals, later generations will enjoy peaceful lives.
There have been many different gun control laws proposed in the past few years. One of the most recent and controversial ones has been the Brady Bill. The Brady Bill represented the first comprehensive, federal gun control in twenty-five years. The Brady Bill is an effective way of gun control with its background checks and five-day waiting period.
Jacobs, James B., and Kimberly A. Potter. "Keeping Guns out of the ‘Wrong’ Hands: The Brady Law and the Limits of Regulation." The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology 86.1 (1995): 93-120. Print.
Agresti, James D. and Smith, Reid K. Gun Control Facts. Just Facts, September 13, 2010. Web. Revised 2/11/13.
In short, everyone in the United States would have to report to a local law enforcement agency all information pertaining to any firearms they own. This information would include the make, model, serial number, and quantity of firearms owned by each individual. According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, such measures would “Make it more difficult for criminals, juveniles, or other prohibited purchasers to obtain guns.” ("Registration of Firearms Policy Summary." Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. .)These criteria seem noble and on the correct track to ending gun violence. But, history has shown that it has had a tendency to lead to the exact opposite. Eastern Europe, 1944, as World War Two was drawing to a close a power struggle had begun. A systematic communist takeover consisting of puppet governments of Soviet influence began. One of the first things to happen in many of the now soviet satellite states, was the systematic registration and confiscation of firearms from private owners. In East Germany, private gun ownership was outlawed. In Bulgaria, communist forces immediately
“The Assault Weapons Ban: Questions & Answers.” Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. August 2002. Brady Campaign. Org. 3 Dec 2002
Guns, Crime, and Freedom states that, no gun law which restricts the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns has been proven to reduce crime or homicides, not even the Brady Law and the “Clinton Crime Bill.” These two laws st...
Zarych, John J. “The Current State of New Jersey’s Gun Laws.” EIN Presswire, 13 August 2009. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
Due to the alarmingly large number of public massacres, gun reform has yet again become a highly debated issue in America. In the past, laws were enacted that were meant to restrict ammunition and military classes of weapons from resale in the United States. Due to strong lobbying efforts of the National Rifle
"There Should Be Stricter Gun Control Laws." Information Plus Reference Series Spring 2005. Ed. Sandra M. Alters, et al. Vol. 8: Gun Control: Restricting Rights or Protecting People? Detroit: Gale, 2005. 119-124. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 May 2014.