We have an action item for you this morning: can you all please take some time today to email or call the members of the State House Judiciary Committee (their email addresses are below) and ask them all, whether they are a Democrat or a Republican, to support the Criminal Background Check Bill, or House Bill 35. At the last hearing on this bill, our side was severely outgunned in terms of vocal support, as the hearning room was full of NRA members and other pro-gun advocates who wrongly believe that any regulation on guns amounts to a violation of their Second Amendment rights.
If these members just rely on what they heard at the Hearing two weeks ago, they would think that 90% of all Americans and Delawareans oppose this bill, when in fact it is the opposite. The vast majority of all Americans and Delawareans support this common sense regulation to make sure that guns do not get into the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.
Right now, federal law requires federally licensed firearms dealers to perform criminal history background checks on prospective firearms purchasers. However, when the sale or transfer of a firearm does not involve a licensed dealer, no background check is required. This loophole is how convicted felons, those with mental illnesses, minors and other prohibited purchasers get their guns. One step we as a community and a state can take to make sure that tragedies like Newtown, Aurora, Tuscon, and Virginia Tech never happen again is to make sure that everyone who buys a gun is subjected to background checks.
Many who opposed this bill at last week’s hearing were concerned about private party sales between family members and among gun collectors. This bill already provides for exceptions for such private party transactions where the buyer or transferee is a member of the seller or transferor’s immediate family (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling or spouse); and (2) involving antique firearms and certain replicas thereof.
And for those who scream that this bill infringes on their Second Amendment right to bear arms, perhaps they need to be reminded that Amendment also calls for a “well regulated militia.” With the current law having a loophole so big that criminals, the mentally ill and minors can buy guns at any time without background checks, it can hardly be said that what we have in Delaware or across the country is well regulated.
The plain truth of the matter is that this bill does not infringe on the liberty of responsible gun owners, hunters and anyone who is legally permitted to own a gun. It seeks only to prevent those who are legally not permitted from purchasing a gun from purchasing a gun. How any responsible citizen or gun owner can rise in opposition to that principle is beyond our understanding.
Here is the contact information:
Rebecca Walker 302-744-4351; Rebecca.Walker@state.de.us
Melanie George Smith 302-744-4351; melanie.g.smith@state.de.us
Gerald L. Brady 302-744-4351; Gerald.Brady@state.de.us
James Johnson 302- 744-4351; jj.johnson@state.de.us
John L. Mitchell Jr. 302-744-4351; john.l.mitchell@state.de.us
W. Charles Paradee 302-744-4033; trey.paradee@state.de.us
Charles Potter Jr. 302–744-4351; Charles.potter@state.de.us
Darryl M. Scott 302-744-4351; Darryl.Scott@state.de.us
Stephen T. Smyk 302-744-4321; Steve.Smyk@state.de.us
Jeffrey N. Spiegelman 302-744-4171; jeff.spiegelman@state.de.us
David L. Wilson 302-744-4150; David.L.Wilson@state.de.us
There is also another hearing on this bill tomorrow at 11:30 am in the House Chamber. If you can be there, be there!