The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act Essay Sample

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act is an Act of the United States Congress that instituted federal background cheques on piece buyers in the United States. It was signed into jurisprudence by President Bill Clinton on November 30. 1993. and went into consequence on February 28. 1994. The Act was named after James Brady. who was shot by John Hinckley. Jr. during an attempted blackwash of President Ronald Reagan on March 30. 1981. ( Federal Register )

While the thought and execution of the act had all the best purposes it has non been a factor in cut downing gun-related homicides countrywide. At the clip of the Brady Bill’s transition. 32 provinces. including North Carolina. did non already have the background cheques and five-day waiting periods that the measure required. The jurisprudence did hold one positive consequence. The figure of gun-related self-destructions decreased 7 per centum more in the experimental group than in the control. Surveies showed the waiting period may hold helped cut down the figure of self-destructions countrywide by giving people “a opportunity to reconsider.

” However. this portion of the act no longer exists-when the measure was passed. it included a proviso to take the waiting period demand by 1998 to pacify Republicans who might hold voted against its transition. The act did non set any limitations on private minutess or gun shows-hence its ineffectualness. It did maintain more than 40. 000 people with anterior felony strong beliefs from purchasing guns from accredited traders. but unregulated secondary markets such as gun shows and private minutess did non needfully turn away these consumers. An earlier survey found that 30 to 40 per centum of guns are bought in these markets. Criminals who use guns typically do non purchase them from a gun shop or a gun trader. They get them on the black market.

Typically completed in less than one minute. a Brady Act background cheque can presently detect nine events or conditions from a person’s yesteryear. any of which. can forestall them from buying a gun. These are: Convicted of or under indictment for a felony. Fugitive from justness – flight to avoid apprehension. Condemnable drug usage or history of dependence. Found to be mentally unqualified. Entered the U. S. illicitly or under a non-immigrant visa. Dishonorably discharged from the U. S. military. Renounced U. S. citizenship. Placed under certain domestic force keeping orders and Convicted of domestic force offenses.

In the first eight old ages of full enforcement of the Brady Act – from 1994 to 2002. 45. 7 million gun purchaser background cheques were performed. of which about 976. 000 ( 2. 1 % ) resulted in rejections. In 2002 entirely. 7. 8 million background cheques resulted in the cancellation of 136. 000 gun purchases. a 1. 7 % rejection rate. In the 10 old ages from 2001 through 2011. about 700. 000 possible gun purchases were denied due to the consequences of a Brady Act background cheque. Over 75 % of those denials were due to the find of past felony strong beliefs.

In these station 9-11-01 yearss. and sing what we have to travel through merely acquire on an aeroplane. it may look that being a “known or suspected terrorist” is a glowering skip from the list of things that would forestall a individual from purchasing a gun. What’s go oning here? Since February 2004. Brady Act gun purchaser background cheques really have been accessing the FBI’s Terrorist Watch list. along with the NICS offense databases. While lucifers or “hits” on the Terrorist Watch list do non instantly forestall the gun purchase. they are reported to the FBI Counterterrorism Division and FBI field agents working with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces. In the event of possible Terrorist Watch list lucifers. gun traders receive a “Delayed Transfer” response from the NICS system.

The hold halts the gun purchase for up to three concern yearss. during which the FBI investigates other factors under the Brady Act that might forbid the purchase. If no other prohibiting factors are found within the three-day bound. gun traders may continue with the purchase at their discretion. The FBI may so go on to look into the instance for up to 90 yearss. Should forbiding information be discovered during the 90-day period. the FBI can direct the NICS to direct a “Firearm Retrieval” notice to local constabulary bureaus and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents. who will try to recover the piece and take appropriate action. if any. against the purchaser. Note that absent any other forbiding information as provided for in the Brady Act. a lucifer on the FBI Terrorist Watch list entirely does non instantly call off a firearm purchase. a serious spread in the system that needs to be addressed.

The Brady Act was a good thought that did non travel far plenty.

Mentions:

“Federal Register. Volume 62 Issue 124 ( Friday. June 27. 1997 ) ” . Frwebgate. entree. United States Government Printing Office. gov. Retrieved 2013-2-6 “Implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. ” Report to the Committee on the Judiciary. U. S. Senate. and the Committee on the Judiciary. U. S. House of Representatives. GAO/GGD-96-22 Gun Control. January 1996. pp. 8. 45 “Brady Background Checks To Resume Nationwide” . Treasury. gov. Retrieved 2012-12-16.