Texas – -(AmmoLand.com)- Precinct Two Commissioner Adrian Garcia has requested AGAIN that the Harris County Commission discuss and consider a resolution supporting so-called “universal” background checks on all firearm sales this coming Tuesday, November 12, 2019. He had previously pulled his item from the Commission’s late October agenda, but now it is back on!
Gun control advocates have been relentlessly pushing this issue in the wake of mass shootings in Texas and as part of their national radical anti-gun agenda.
This would put the most populous county in Texas on record as supporting a California-style ban on all private firearm sales – including those between family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, hunting buddies, and fellow gun club members. While the resolution would not have the force and effect of law, it would call on the U.S. Congress and your Texas Legislature to adopt legislation that requires these transfers be conducted through a federal firearms licensed dealer, which would include extensive federal paperwork, a criminal record check and payment of an undetermined fee. This type of law unduly burdens law-abiding citizens, would be ignored by criminals and is unenforceable without gun registration.
Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting is open to the public and begins at 10:00 am in the Commissioners Courtroom, located at 1001 Preston Street, Suite 934 in Houston. It is critical that you turn out for this meeting and voice your opposition to this ineffective, intrusive and unenforceable proposal.
If you wish to speak at the meeting, you must complete the online appearance request form found at: https://appearancerequest.harriscountytx.gov/ and note in the subject matter line: Resolution on Universal Background Checks on ALL Firearms Sales.
If you cannot attend Tuesday’s meeting, please contact Harris County Commissioners and tell them you OPPOSE this resolution. Contact information for commissioners can be found here (be sure to include the County Judge in your emails and phone calls): www.harriscountytx.gov/County-Judge-and-Commissioners/Harris-County-Elected-Officials
For information on why you need to oppose a ban on all private firearm transfers, please read below:
Why You Should Oppose A Ban On Private Firearms Transfers (Aka “Universal” Background Checks)
Imagine being forced to pay fees as high as $50-$100, complete extensive federal paperwork, and obtain government approval before selling or loaning your personally-owned firearms to immediate or extended family members, longtime friends, neighbors, and co-workers, or fellow hunters, competitive shooters, and gun club members.
That’s what so-called “universal background check” laws do. They turn innocent conduct into a criminal offense. They target law-abiding gun owners, but not criminals who will scoff at any restriction, including new or expanded background check laws.
In their worst form, these laws mandate background checks on EVERY transfer, sale, purchase, trade, gift, rental, and loan of a firearm between all individuals. All such transactions would need to be conducted through a federally licensed firearms dealer because private individuals cannot access the national instant criminal background check system (NICS) system.
- It is ALREADY a federal felony to be engaged in the business of buying and selling firearms, for livelihood and profit, without having a federal firearm dealers license.
- It is ALREADY a crime for a federally licensed dealer to sell a gun without doing a background check – that’s all dealers, everywhere, including at retail stores, gun shows, flea markets or anywhere else.
- Further, it is ALREADY a federal felony for any private person to sell, trade, give, lend, rent or transfer a gun to a person you know or should have known is not legally allowed to own, purchase or possess a firearm. State law also provides penalties for similar unlawful conduct.
The penalty for selling a gun to a person who is a felon, mentally ill, mentally incompetent, a domestic abuser, or an alcohol or drug abuser is a 10-year federal felony. That’s now, today, with no changes to the law.
It is even a federal felony to submit false information on a background check form for the purpose of purchasing a firearm.
According to a September 2018 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 112,090 people were turned down for gun purchases in FY 2017 and there were 12 prosecutions by U.S. Attorneys Offices as of June 2018. Why, when criminals are caught in the act of lying on the form to illegally attempt to purchase a firearm, are they not prosecuted? Why, when existing background check laws are not being enforced, are there calls for expanding those laws to cover private firearms transactions?
As Texas politicians wade into this divisive issue, it’s instructive to look at other states’ experiences with similar laws. California always provides one of the most striking examples of failed gun control policies, including expanded background checks.
In fact, a 2018 study by UC Davis – conducted by noted anti-gun researchers — determined that California’s universal background check law had no impact on gun homicide or suicide rates. Read that again – no impact on homicide or suicide rates.
But let’s look at a few other states which have adopted so-called “universal background check” laws.
A 2017 study by gun control researchers looked at “universal background check” laws in Colorado and Washington State. They found that the laws had “little measurable effect” after they were passed. Further, there wasn’t much difference in the number of background checks that were done after the laws went into effect as compared with the estimated number expected without the law. This was most likely attributable to noncompliance and lack of enforcement. (Washington State did not even have its first charge brought for a violation of that state’s law until after it had been in effect for almost two years.)
Gun control advocates claim overwhelming public support for so-called “universal background check” laws. Yet, voters in Maine defeated an Everytown-backed November 2016 ballot initiative to require background checks on private gun sales and transfers in that state, and Nevada voters only approved a similar measure by less than one percent of the vote, despite Michael Bloomberg’s national gun control organization spending $20M on that effort. Once gun owners and the public become educated on exactly what such a proposal means and how it will impact them, opposition grows significantly.
So-called “universal background checks” are ineffective, intrusive, and unpopular when explained beyond a sound-bite. But — perhaps worst of all — they are UNENFORCEABLE without a firearms registration scheme. A 2013 internal U.S. Department of Justice memo summarizing so-called violence prevention strategies stated that the effectiveness of background checks depends on “requiring gun registration.” That, of course, is what this is all about.
This particular gun control agenda item focuses on peaceable citizens, not violent criminals who obtain guns on the black-market to carry out unspeakable crimes already prohibited under federal and state laws. Instead of stopping crime and eliminating criminal conduct, they are targeting you.
That’s why TSRA/NRA members need to oppose and fight these misguided proposals that have nothing whatsoever to do with curbing criminal violence but everything to do with stripping us of our guaranteed civil rights and our freedom.
Texas State Rifle Association
Founded in 1919, the Texas State Rifle Association is the largest firearms and shooting sports organization in Texas with 40,000 members. TSRA is also the largest, award-winning state affiliate of the National Rifle Association and is sanctioned by the Civilian Marksmanship Program. As a part of its public education efforts, the association produces a full-color bimonthly publication, TSRA Sportsman, which updates members on current news, hunter education programs, shooting sports competitions, and important issues effecting their Second Amendment rights. The TSRA also hosts an annual meeting every February that features exciting fund-raising auctions, informative speakers, exhibitors, and other events.
For membership or other information about the Texas State Rifle Association, visit www.TSRA.com or call 512.615.4200.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the Texas State Rifle Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the rights of law abiding Texans to own, enjoy and use firearms as guaranteed by the Constitutions of the State of Texas and the United States of America. For more information on membership or supporting the Texas State Rifle Association, call 512.615.4200 or visit www.tsra.com.
THE ONLY WAY THIS IS ENFORCEABLE IS TO CREATE A GUN REGISTRY. THIS MUST BE FOUGHT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT… BECAUSE IT JUST MIGHT!!!
We will continue to see loses until we stop arguing with these people on an intellectual level. We must start using terms that trigger emotions. We can say this is illegal, unconstitutional etc… and very if any minds will be changed. Start using terms like slave, ownership mentality and change will happen as no reasonable adult wants to be a slave or owned. These people passing these laws once you scrape away all their BS and our intellectual arguments they are on a basic level telling us they own us and will determine what we will be allowed to buy,… Read more »
Well, the politicians’ attitude that they own us is cultivated by 100 years of tax slavery!! When the federal government created the IRS in 1913 and declared that a portion of the fruit of our labors could be confiscated by force, under penalty of imprisonment, all Americans essentially became slaves. I suspect the only way to disabuse the tyrants of this notion will be to implement a Spartacus-type uprising and kill all the slavemasters. It will certainly happen if they try to take our liberty tools from us!! In the meantime, I believe the best course of action for us… Read more »
All ‘gun control laws’ are un-Constitutional: Article 6, U.S. Constitution “The Constitution…shall be the supreme law of the land”. Therefore, no federal or state legislative law, Executive Order or local decree may limit, deny, change or modify the Constitution. THAT is called the ‘Supremacy Clause’. Article 6 continues “All laws must conform to and be made pursuant to the Constitution”. Therefore, any federal or state legislative law, Executive Order or local decree not in 100% harmony with the U.S. Constitution, is null & void. When Americans obey the un-Constitutional ‘gun control laws’, they tell the tyrant they will accept any… Read more »
It’s Houston. Austin is the home base of Liberalism in Texas, but Dallas, San Antonio and Houston seem to be leaning in the direction of Austin (liberal and crazy). Thank God that most of Texas is conservative and supports the Constitution, all of it. Like other states, it’s the damn big cities where the crazies are concentrated and want to turn the rest of the states into the cesspools they created and live in.
@OV, unfortunately true.
Most of us do remember the Alamo, but sadly, look at the recent mayors of San Antonio and some of the people on the City Council. The liberals have infiltrated SA and check out what they are planning to do to the Alamo. It’s sad.
@JPM, When you say, “Most of us do remember the Alamo,…” You mean that there is a superannuated group of you? I’m impressed. 😉
More duplicated laws that will not be obeyed by CRIMINALS.
This precludes him holding public office. He has shown his inability, or unwillingness to abide the supreme law of the land. The only question should be whether he leaves willingly or has to be physically removed. Why are people everywhere putting up with this ridiculous lawlessness? I can’t go to Texas and take this guy out of office by myself. So many are so brainwashed, to think blindly supporting Republicans, the NRA, FNC, is going to make everything alright. Look at the record. That time is past. They’re all so corrupt that they all must be held accountable by We… Read more »
Unenforceable. Deploy middle finger.
Well,soon we will have to quit preaching to the choir and get off our dead arses,and go hunting.We are going to be, so why not be the Alphas?.
I give it till 2020,if the Dems get the POTUS removed/defeated ,and Senate, WE will be at war in weeks after inauguration.
It will be a JEFFERSON MOMENT.
Either we will go out with a bang followed by victory, or we will go down in a whimper followed by defeat. Give me the former, or give me death.
@Dos, Whoever rebels against the government will lose. We better work our dead arses off to keep Trump in and retake the Congress.
Elections have consequences. In Houston, all the crazies, gender confused, illegal, liberal et. al. were caught up in Betomania and replaced officials that served well and good for years with “thinkers and visionaries”. This kid they elected County Judge wasn’t even born in Texas but she got into Stanford and Harvard and now we’re stuck with her and her ideas for “improvement”. The majority of citizens outside city limits are Republican but they sat on their butts and let this tribe take over. Garcia was a terrible sheriff also elected by the inside the city limits tribe and all signs… Read more »
Texans take note of VA and what they are becoming. Never relax or become complacent, you have to keep a constant vigil. With 100+ million gun owners in the nation, you have enough clout to achieve anything. With that many votes and a couple of bucks from each you could get the presidency.
The problem with elected officials, is that every state has them. Once again they are feigning ignorance when it comes to the law abiding citizen because criminals don’t give a shit about the laws they pass. But hey! You got to do something to make yourself feel important, so — just do something!
I must disagree with you. It is my opinion that a lot of them are not “feigning”.
@Gentlemen, I think that you are both correct. There are so many working to subjugate the American people that they all can not be ignorant fools. Some must be cunning proto-tyrants.
That, is about to happen again, but on a worldwide scale.
It used to be that criminals were always against any law, now it is the criminals advocating for the laws that make it easier for them to, do what they want, and they have politicians in their pockets to help them, get, what they want.
Who says crooked and stupid politicians aren’t useful?
First a call for men to be free to use women’s restrooms in Houston a few years ago, and now this? Sam Houston would not be happy.
I’d add Harris County is the 3rd most populous county in the United States. Garcia should be advising his precinct and the entire county that resolutions, surveys, petitions and polls do not a republic make. On this issue, we already have the 2nd Amendment and an effective law that requires a license to carry. He and his democrat pals already control too much of our personal lives. He needs to work real hard and find something that Texas needs. If he finds we need nothing, he needs to go home and play solitaire.