Opinion
United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- The recent shooting in Illinois is one that need not have happened. A convicted felon (a category long prohibited from even touching a firearm) acquired a gun and killed five people before cops took him down. In this case, the shooter (who we will not name, so as to not provide additional notoriety for his actions) had been convicted of a felony in 1995, but still got an Illinois Firearm Owners ID (FOID) in 2014.
Like the Sutherland Springs shooting, where the shooter passed a background check despite a clearly disqualifying criminal conviction, this was a clear failure of the National Instant Check System (NICS). A failure that should not have happened – and yet, what do we get from the usual suspects?
The same old calls for gun bans. They’ll add red flag laws. Or maybe, they’ll demand universal background checks. But they don’t enforce the laws they have, and as a result, there is a trail of preventable carnage that is all too often blamed on Second Amendment supporters.
When rapper Chris Brown was arrested for assault for pointing a gun at a stripper in 2016, he could have been hammered on federal gun charges, big time. How big is big time? Try just 40 years for violating 18 USC 922(g)1 and 18 USC 922(g)3 as both a convicted felon and a regular marijuana user. Then tack on a mandatory seven for brandishing a firearm while committing a crime.
What does that mean for Illinois? Well, if the laws on the books were properly enforced and the people who ran the background check and the database had been minimally competent, the Sutherland Springs shooter would have likely been in jail, five people would be alive, and we wouldn’t be dealing with another round of anti-Second Amendment extremists trying to take our rights. Worse, those same extremists seem to be okay with people getting shot, as long as they can call for gun bans.
In the minds of those anti-Second Amendment extremists, the people who should be punished for the failures of the State of Illinois to find a felony conviction that should have disqualified the shooter from even touching a gun aren’t the bureaucrats who screwed up. It is the law-abiding citizens who never shot up a workplace, school, or other public venue who are instead told to give up their rights, and when Second Amendment supporters object, they get called domestic terrorists, child killers, or “gun zealots.”
Just recently, in the debate over a “universal background check” bill in the House of Representatives, anti-Second Amendment zealots shot down an amendment that would have required a notification to be sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person in the United States illegally tries to buy a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee.
Keep in mind, 18 USC 922(g) also covers illegal immigrants. Violation of that provision is a ten-year felony. But it seems that Jerrold Nadler doesn’t want to target real criminals – he just wants to punish the law-abiding citizens who do nothing wrong, proving why his ascension to the chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee is a nightmare for law-abiding gun owners. Does he want illegal immigrants to acquire firearms illegally?
Want to bet that when a high-profile shooting is carried out by someone who is illegally in the country, that he will happily use that to push through new legislation targeting the wrong people, rather than focus on actual solutions. Think he will be held accountable by the anti-Second Amendment media types that will parrot his demands that law-abiding citizens surrender more of their rights? Don’t bet your mortgage payment on that.
One way to help discredit anti-Second Amendment extremists is to show America that they have no interest in anything that solves the real problem, but just want to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. So, Second Amendment supporters should put forth a NICS fix that adds all disqualifying convictions as well as tying it in to eVerify. There would be a catch: This improved NICS (call it INICS) would also override all state licensing and/or waiting period schemes [blocking New Jersey and other states from making money off the system and adding delays].
I know, some will object to fixing NICS, and view it as an infringement of our Second Amendment rights. But if you’re understanding the need for strategy and tactics, you’d recognize this as making a major improvement for many in states like California, New Jersey and New York – in essence taking a slice out of their restrictive gun laws – as well as undercutting those who would take our rights away.
That’s good news for Second Amendment supporters all around.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
—- They that come into our country illegally, are not “illegal immigrants”, “undocumented immigrants”, or “immigrants” of any stripe. They are by U.S. law, “illegal aliens”. To name them “immigrants” is to confer on them a quasi-legal status that they have neither earned or deserve.
Instead of trying to fix the NICS why not do away with them and the ATF that would only take the stroke of one Pen, both problems corrected and solved at one time, then move onto elimination of the Demo-Rat Party, sounds like a perfect storm, plan!!!!!!!!!!
Psalms 149:5-9 (KJV) aptly describes what the 2nd Amendment is about.
@JMR Compromising. To the Left and Right it has different meanings. The definition behind my use is as follows “accept standards that are lower than is desirable.” This is indeed what Harold is trying to get us to do, to compromise on our principles and on our Rights. The Left’s definition is very much what you just stated. “Give us your rights that we want to restrict, and we won’t ask for more until a later date” That is the appeasement Harold is striving to achieve, but his sales pitch to us here is using the first (Or in my… Read more »
That’s kind of been Harold’s MO since I’ve been seeing the excrement he’s written since December.
Anytime he uses the phrase “Tactics and Strategy”, its code word for give the left a little more of your rights because Harold has a grand strategy to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
@Link 1. Background checks are not a stepping stone because it is in and of itself AN INFRINGEMENT. It is not a stepping stone to an infringement, it already is one. 2. I already had explained why, so thank you for showing everyone here you’re an idiot. See above definition of “Infringement”. Again, to reiterate for you….. Oops, sorry, big word you wont understand. To repeat(Two syllables, ok should be good), Background checks are an infringement of a pre-existing Constitutionally protected Right. 3. Nice try on trying to muddy the water. In addition to walter Goddard a. Yes, Hitler registering… Read more »
The only moron here is you. And your failure in trying to put words to me that I did not say, maby you can pull your head from your rectum so you could try to understand what I said. You pull out that old trope that there has to be registration of guns or people, no there does not and you know it. You just keep proving that you want the anti-gun people to control the narrative. So tell us how that shall not be infringed working for you? ??? How many times that line has won in court ??… Read more »
The NICS system has proven time and time to be inaccurate, false flagging innocent individuals, and not properly flagging many who should be. The main problem is the legal system and government not doing it’s due diligence. As with most anything involving the government, they tend to handle things poorly at a higher cost and never accept the blame for their failures. The fix is to abolish NICS, which is an infringement anyway, enforce the law instead of taking it easy on criminals, and if they are deemed not safe to rejoin society, DON’T LET THEM. Make prison miserable instead… Read more »
I agree with you on all points and would like to add that getting rid of NICS is part 1. Part 2 is arm every citizen and the guy wouldn’t have a fighting chance of killing many more than 1. If everyone around him carries and is up on their situational awareness, he probably won’t get a single shot off.
I am a proud to be able to purchase a gun however a few years ago I was declined because of a traffic ticket which was paid but it makes you wonder how things work
k Because to have an effective background check system you have to have a database with info on every single firearm in the country and who owns them at any given time. WRONG NICS does NOT need to ask for and especially MUST NOT retain any specifics as to the gun being transferred. It is supposed to be, and was from the beginning, a check on the PERSON doing the acquisition. If he is prohibited, a High Point .22 sort revolver is illegal. If he is NOT prhiibited, than a BMG fifty is OK. Remove ALL data relating to the… Read more »
Correct… the problem is not NICS itself, but that it fails in two ways. Mos tobnoxious is that it returnes DENY or HOLD codes far too often, and there is no athway to correct it. The system only matches a few things to determine one’s identity. If someone else’s mame is similar, maybe sounds same but spelt differently it does not also check date of birth, or place of birth, both of which will determine it is NOT the same person as the prohibited one. Styoud failure, needs to be fixed. But the OTHER more critical failure of rhe system… Read more »
Fix NICS by abolishing it. Then punish CRIMINALS who misuse firearms (or any other tool) to commit crimes. Prescreening for criminal intent does not work and is unconstitutional.
And everyone arm up and stop the morons from killing people. There are anywhere from 350,000 to 1.2 million estimated lives saved from smart armed people that are responsible gun owners.
Why do we need to appoint nannies to pick and choose who should and should not get a gun.
Imagine if everyone conceal carried and the criminals knew that everyone carried. How would that impact crime. That’s really not a question.
According to Obama era DOJ/CDC study (that was buried until recently uncovered, the minimum they could find represented in their data was 800,000 and up to 3 million.
Harold: I am absolutely amazed at all the commenters here who actually have a grasp on the real problem when you appear to be oblivious to it! Fix NICS? So the solution is to further enhance and complicate a system that was designed to restrict the freedoms of law-abiding citizens in the hopes of “maybe” catching someone whom neither Federal nor State authorities have shown the least interest in before? If you had consulted with and memorized the NRA’s playbook you couldn’t have presented it more concisely nor could you have fumbled it more grandly. Denying the majority their Rights… Read more »
Exactly. Don’t believe the author understands this. It is not about reducing crime. It’s ONLY about getting rid of the one thing that stands between total power and the Democrats… The law abiding gun owner who fully understands what they are really after.
GUN FREE ZONE, It’s evident that NO Law abiding individual had a GUN to return fire. WTF
Ammoland Inc, why in the world is Harold Hutchinson still writing for you? Is it because you want us to see the unconstitutional side of the coin on every situation? Or do you guys even read his stuff? He is always supporting, endorsing, or promoting laws, opinions, organizations etc. that are for unconstitutional infringements! It’s not like we haven’t been shining the light on it in the comment section after EVERY article or anything… you must not read those either. Infringements (regulations/restrictions) are unconstitutional, anti-freedom, and poison to our Rights. An entity that truly cares about our freedoms/Rights, would get… Read more »
And just about everyone disagrees with author on this one. It’s to bad he has to act like he’s better than everyone who disagrees with him. To me it looks like he’s not confident in his fix nics BS.
Harold, Harold, Harold you just elevated cow manure as a better talking point above this article.
No, it’s not my problem, and it’s just another liberal tactic to create a perceived problem then lay it on someone else to find it’s solution (criticising every inch of the way). No, I have not shot up a school, or church, or workplace, and no one I know has. Not one of the conjured up laws generated to avert a catastrophe actually has – so you too believe throwing more regulation at it will do the trick. The one thing in this article that has any sense is giving the problem in total to 2A to fix. Teaching gun… Read more »
You missed the part “Well regulated…” and that is what Laws do so idiots do not get guns, knives, driver licenses… etc.
@Robert C Thompson, that is not what the founders meant when they wrote “well regulated”. They did not mean add more state laws, or county and city ordinances. The founders meant well drilled, well practiced, and well disciplined.
I have a feeling that they were pretty well versed in obeying the Golden Rule, and Loving your Enemy too! I don’t think many people today understand turning the other cheek while they’re getting slapped, or in a gun fight.. Being tried in the fire will drive the foolishness out of you lol … if you’re honest with yourself, it’ll make you grateful, and humble, or DEAD! It takes more than a bunch of empty words to learn what life is all about… Just going to school and learning the words to speak isn’t the same as experience either. Hypocrisy… Read more »
Turning the other cheek merely applies to insults, NOT assaults! Note that Jesus specified being struck on the RIGHT cheek. This designates that the striker used their LEFT hand – a grave insult in their culture, since the right hand was used in eating and the left for tending to “toilet duty.” Jesus commanded his disciples to be armed (which was a violation of Roman law that they were enslaved/occupied under). He DID NOT tell us that we had to obey unjust laws.
Thanks @ Charles Moore .. For the culture lesson. I’ve heard some of that line of thought before too. .. I believe it was/is more about not resisting an evil person. .. a reaping/sewing lesson! He told His disciples to follow Him… … Whether it was in obedience to a law of man, or not! … If we are led by His Spirit, we are not under the law. … qualified by His Spirit, not a religious exercise, but an abiding relationship! … In the context I used it, I was referring to our fore fathers, and the Constitution. ..… Read more »
correct, but the d-suckers work ot to pervert meaning
I know I’m getting off topic but owning a gun is a right granted by the Constitution. The other stuff, drivers license etc are privileges granted by men.
The Constitution does NOT grant you the right to own a gun. The Constitution RECOGNIZES your pre-existing right to own a gun.
And you missed the part where those words had different meaning when they were written.
A well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state. In this regard regulated means that they have arms and know how to use arms, because if the security of the free state is threatened it will be threatened by a well regulated military.
if the security of the free state is threatened it will be threatened by a well regulated military. NO!!!! It will be threatened by a well armed, well trained, highly skilled and drilled CITIZENRY. A people who will ALWAYS be there, as that is where we LIVE. Never have to wait for the troops to arrive, or LE to roll out yellow tape, make chalk outlines, place numbered placards by everything they can see, and take twenty seven colour glossly photographs with the circles and arrowa and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was.… Read more »
Your contradicting yourself.
Yeah, about that “well-regulated part;” it means “being to shoot well/hit what you’re shooting at.” It’s a term used in clock making, adjusting the accuracy of metering devices AND gun making – adjusting the sight picture of fixed metallic sights by means of filing, brazing, etc,, so that the sight picture agrees with the point of impact at a given range of a bullet fired from that firearm. If one has even a rudimentary grasp of the language, they would immediately understand that “well-regulated,” as those trying to destroy the Constitution attempt to brainwash the gullible would have them believe,… Read more »
Why is it that the activities of the criminal element are what determine the restrictions imposed on law abiding citizens ?
In order for a fire arm to be effective against tyranny,
It can’t be registered !
… I think I have a vague answer to your question.. Treating others like you want to be treated, Loving your neighbor as your self, and Loving your enemy too.. .. is the basis for fulfilling the law. .. the law and penalties are for the lawless. These upside down laws, like ERPO, NICS, are primarily against the law abiding people, not the law breakers! They want to know who we are, what we own, where we live.. to control and to confiscate, and accomplish their agenda. Clean air, clean water, carbon dioxide, etc.. are all a smoke screen. The… Read more »
F**K nics!!!!! Prosecute criminals the first time. Hang violent offenders. Clean out the prisons by executing the violent offenders…..on TV….at dinner time………so kids can watch. Not the least bit interested in nics. Even less interested in past offenders being on the street to interface with my wife, my children or…..you. Start watering the grass with the blood of violent predators. SHEESH……the .gov has NO BUSINESS in my gun purchases or possession but I have a strong desire…….dare say a right to be safe and to have my family safe from the revolving door of violent predators. Releasing violent predators into… Read more »
John Gault. , I agree, with you on public evacuation. Once enough crooks, etc see it we won’t have any BS.
F**K nics!!!!! Prosecute criminals the first time. Hang violent offenders. Clean out the prisons by executing the violent offenders…..on TV….at dinner time………so kids can watch. Not the least bit interested in nics. Even less interested in past offenders being on the street to interface with my wife, my children or…..you. Start watering the grass with the blood of violent predators. SHEESH……the .gov has NO BUSINESS in my gun purchases or possession but I have a strong desire…….dare say a right to be safe and to have my family safe from the revolving door of violent predators. Releasing violent predators into… Read more »
The only thing I agree with in this article is about Chris Brown. That son of a bitch should have been locked up and the key thrown away along time ago!
@ Gregory Tekautz
Hear,hear Sir !
The author excoriates the anti-Second Amendment extremists for doubling down again and again and again on what doesn’t work in the same breath as he doubles down again and again and again on what doesn’t work. We don’t need any more federal color of law restricting private rights the federal government has not one shred of lawful authority to enforce. The federal government doesn’t even have the lawful authority to license firearm dealers. Everything that is happening today infringing on our private, inherent right to keep and bear arms is the direct result of the illegal, unconstitutional Brady Act and… Read more »
Sure we can FixNICS, and the best and only way to do so is to completely eliminate it. It has been proven time and time again that it doesn’t work. The only thing out gov’t should be doing is eliminating all unconstitutional measures to gun control, start working on criminal control, that is where it is at. They are spending too much time focusing on those that don’t violate the law, start focusing on the criminals, you will be surprised at what happens.
You’re right! Anyone, like this author, not willing to fight for the right of all humans to defend themselves, don’t deserve the right, themselves. That is the essence of this brotherhood of republicanism, our US Constitution, res publica, is a mutual defense pact, which we are all sworn to defend. In the very moment that we stand by to watch any God-given right be taken away from any other human being, we have guaranteed that it can be taken from ourselves, in the next instance. This republic only stands, as long as its Citizens stand upon the Golden Rule, “Do… Read more »
The author’s position validates the opposition as if NICS is necessary in the first place. It isn’t. It’s, as most know, an infringement on an enumerated protection against government overstep in exercising its authority.
The author speaks of tactics and never recognizes a truth: The anti-second amendment crowd will NEVER stop. Ever. Total confiscation is the objective, the use of incrementalism is THEIR TACTIC.
This will not fix anything. If he didnt get it that way he would have gotten a long gun/ shotgun rifle and done the same thing. Adding more registration to the pistol NICS lookup is not going to save lives. You are right about those on the end of the fbi/other end of the phone when someone is trying to purchase a firearm and the call is made at gun store and if a person is suppose to be Prohibited and it shows on the fbi end there not prohibited and gets one anyways thats not good. They only prosecute… Read more »
Perhaps, the author means well, but the NICS is what the problem is. The Second Amendment says, “Shall not be infringed”… The NICS needs to be removed from the books, not fixed. If the leftists aren’t willing to have the same measure and judgments brought against themselves, why in hell should any one who understands and accepts the moral and legal responsibility to own and use a gun do so? We al know the people are the problem, not the instrument being used. I see that Ammoland has written an article about the knife controversy (ambiguous laws). I’ve noticed for… Read more »
Your supposed, “Right”, is suppose to be protected by the 2nd Amendment. “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED ” It ia a Rught granted everyone, by God, and cannot be taken, or even given away. PERIOD. What government is doing with Background Checks, Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) Permits, is to BS everyone into believing that “they” are granting you Rights, which are actually “privileges”. And privileges can be revoked by the grantor, “in this case, the state”, at any time, for any fabricated reason. And Background Checks, and CCW Permits, are just back door registration. Your true RIGHTS are God given, and… Read more »
10-4
The problem is that there is also a lot of bad, incorrect, information on file. Absent a provision for people to remove bad information at government expense, and holding people who put incorrect information criminally liable, the best idea is what Alan Korwin has been saying for years, have a list of prohibited people, that anyone can access, and do away with NICS. The list should be as I stated above, with absolute accountability on the part of the government and the personnel who enter the information
Exactly and if you get put on it you may as well wait for an act of god to get off the list. When you put some sort of list in to place no matter what it is there should be a clear and concise way to apply for it to be removed. The way it is currently going when the D’s take office next time they are going to expand the provisions on why you would be added to the list and make a defacto ban.
I like the 97% comments here booing this TRAITOR who was (((PAYED))) to put his name on this article.
Writer, Harold Hutchison aka, TRAITOR!
@Harold Hutchison “I know, some will object to fixing NICS, and view it as an infringement of our Second Amendment rights. But if you’re understanding the need for strategy and tactics….” No, I recognize it as you still have your head up your sphincter. Tactics is not giving away all your pieces in chess because you have a “Grand Strategy”! That strategy means nothing if all you are left with is your king and the opponent still has a full inventory. Get your skull out of your backside and start standing firm on the constitution, otherwise the chances of anyone… Read more »
I like the comments booing this traitor who was (((PAYED))) to put his name on this article.
I would rather not have the hassle of being on the wrong side of their, “laws”, i will have guns with or without their permission. Being a convicted felon who has paid his debt to society, and never committed a violent crime, i will never ask permission to arm myself, in defense of my own life, or those of my family and friends, and neighbors, countrymen. I will not be told what to think or to say. I wont be told where i can go to church, or that i have to compromise my principles. As far as nics goes,… Read more »
You are correct
How can we fixNics. I’m all for it.
I have owned guns all my life. Never hurt anyone.
I’m sick and tired of these anti gun nut. Try to take away my right.
Gary
You can’t fix NICS it’s garbage.
I know people like you, don’t even have a speeding ticket, when they go and buy a firearm, denied, wait the mandatory three days, then be allowed to purchase the firearm.
Why were they denied? Nobody can answer that.
But now any time they buy a firearm they have to wait, for unknown reasons.
Was this article written by a troll or a FUD? Shall not be infringed period, end of story.
He’s a bit of both.
If you’ve read one Harold Hutchison article, you’ve pretty much read them all. They almost follow a form letter format.
He has over two months worth of articles touting roughly the same bs trying to explain why we as gun owners need to compromise and give the left bits and pieces because he thinks it is “Strategy” to cave.
It’s not comprimising it’s appeasement.
Compromise means we would get something back,we get nothing back.
Didn’t work for Neville Chamberlin, hasn’t ever worked for us. Appeasement doesn’t work.
I don’t know what you mean by “adds all disqualifying convictions”. If they are disqualifying they presumably are already there absent an accidental omission or technical problem and I don’t see how passing another law requiring that existing law be followed is going to change that. Plus we already prohibit numerous non violent people often with little to no due process who we have no rational reason to prohibit anyway.
See also, opening the door for minor convictions for disqualifiable….
Because when your Government has made laws, and regulations in the Federal Register, so complex that it is almost impossible to leave your bed in the morning without violating a law in some fashion then we absolutely Should “Fix NICS” so certain discretion is applied in adding future non felony violations as a reason for Government to restrict your unalienable rights!!
Lol no.
The only way to Fix NICS is to get rid of it, it is a trash system that the NRA pushed as an appeasement that only screws over law abiding citizens by delaying the firearm purchases without any kind of oversight .
The only” fix” is to scrap it.
Ever notice the continuing expansion of the term ” prohibited person”? Or how minor lightweight shit that barely qualifies as a ” violation” invariably gets people denied and revoked.. but this shithead who was clearly Lautenberged and others of note always seem to ” fall through the cracks”? It’s not an accident.
Anybody aginst fixing the flaws in the broken nics system is a fing moron and probably a anti-gun troll .
You would rather have broken laws that in the end give the anti-gun people more leverage then using there failed laws to make them look bad.
And I have asked this many time but you clowns can never give a honest answer, how is a background check an infringement ??
Because it’s not, restrictions are.
NICS is nothing but a stepping stone to ultimately prohibiting everyone wiith a parking ticket or who is put on some scary sounding list with no evidence or due process. If people are really too dangerous to have a gun convict them of the violent crime they already committed lock them up and keep them there so I don’t have to worry about them bashing me over the head with a tire iron for my wallet.
@Link Because to have an effective background check system you have to have a database with info on every single firearm in the country and who owns them at any given time. Registration leads to confiscation. Happens pretty much everytime it gets tried historically. The only thing that changes is who is in power and who gets qualified as a “Prohibited person”. As for how its an infringement, I’ll make it very simple so that all the little children who think their opinions count as fact, like yourself, might understand… MIGHT….. A Right does not at anytime require, nor can… Read more »
Explain how it’s a stepping stone ??
You can not and you know it if you had actually read up on how nics works as well as how the fixnics bill is written.
A stepping stone?..
Ok, let’s look at the Jews and Hitler again.. Fixing the inhumane death camps, instead of not having them in the first place. That’s a stepping stone.
Anytime leadership tells us we have to prove, we are this, or not that, and answer a million questions; so they can stick their noses up our asses, that’s a stepping stone of invasion down the road…
Nice trip off the subject.
Try again stupid.
And while you are are it, how’s that shall not be infringed working for you ???
Not one case has been won by someone saying shall not be infringed.
Too bad you and the rest of the stupid people would rather leave the control and rule making to the anti-gun people.
Change of subject and you know it.
Try again stupid.
Felons will get fire arms no matter what laws you try to inact or penalties for breaking sead laws I think it’s a uphill battle your never gonna win… I’m proof
Cops shoot unarmed people including innocent people. They pass a background check.
Any law including a background check violates not only the 2nd but 4th amendment.
No. NICS is illegal, as is expanding it.
I agree! We patriots understand there will be always be little bad that will always exist and our God given rights should never tolerate infringements of the greater good that is inherent in those rights. Short… Nuts!!!!!!!!!!! Screw NICS & f@ck Fix-NICS!!! Next I’ll read an article to fix ALL men in the US because of what some fool may or may not do. Like procreate! What’s worse a Marxist or a spineless conservative that does nothing but the same? (Do you hear that Trump, NRA and GOP who support passing red [commie] flag laws, the NRA supporting infringements decade… Read more »
Bingo
No, NICS is unconstitutionally, so expanding it is also unconstitutional. Screw them and screw string them take more from us.
^^^^^^^
THIS !