Va. governor seeks gun check improvements

Blk97F150 · Apr 22, 2012

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/virginia/va-governor-seeks-gun-check-improvements-042012

Va. governor seeks gun check improvements
Updated: Friday, 20 Apr 2012, 5:46 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 20 Apr 2012, 5:46 PM EDT

RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is asking other governors across the nation to improve their states' record-sharing with a national background check system for gun purchases.

Media outlets report that McDonnell made the request in a letter sent this week to all 49 other governors. The letter came as Virginia observed the fifth anniversary of the April 16, 2007, mass shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead, including the gunman.

In his letter, McDonnell asks the other governors to evaluate their state's reporting of mental health and other information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and to take any necessary action to prevent future tragedies.

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin says the governor sent the letter after he heard from family members of the Virginia Tech victims.

Blk97F150 · Apr 22, 2012

Too bad he's not working to improve the speed at which the checks are performed.....

skidmark · Apr 22, 2012

Would someone be kind enough to correct me if I am wrong. Wasn't Cho within the perameters for purchase at the time he made his purchses? So how could "The Tragedy" have been prevented by better records checks?

I am growing tired of Gov. McDonnell's pandering and dancing in the blood of the Va Tech victims instead of doing something - anything - that might actually prevent a repetition of that event or one similar.

While I do not know, I'm willing to speculate that the guy who shot blanks at his students could have passed a background check if he had gone through one. So how would tightening up on reporting have prevented that incident, huh?

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

stay safe.

TFred · Apr 22, 2012

Unsure of all the details that may have evolved after this was written. Found this with a very quick Google search:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3052278&page=1

TFred

ETA: In any case, this is at least better than hammering on the mythical "gun show loophole," which we do know for sure had nothing to do with the VT mass murder.

peter nap · Apr 22, 2012

skidmark said:
Would someone be kind enough to correct me if I am wrong. Wasn't Cho within the perameters for purchase at the time he made his purchses? So how could "The Tragedy" have been prevented by better records checks?

I am growing tired of Gov. McDonnell's pandering and dancing in the blood of the Va Tech victims instead of doing something - anything - that might actually prevent a repetition of that event or one similar.

While I do not know, I'm willing to speculate that the guy who shot blanks at his students could have passed a background check if he had gone through one. So how would tightening up on reporting have prevented that incident, huh?

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

stay safe.

What do you expect. He was elected on a pro gun platform, with a questionable background and using Anti Gun leech, Tucker Martin, as a media director.

The only good thing that can be said about McDonnell is that he wasn't twins.

McDonnell needs to start the equivalent of MIAG. He can call it GWSI (Governors With Stupid Ideas):lol:

Grapeshot · Apr 22, 2012

peter nap said:
What do you expect. He was elected on a pro gun platform, with a questionable background and using Anti Gun leech, Tucker Martin, as a media director.

The only good thing that can be said about McDonnell is that he wasn't twins.

McDonnell needs to start the equivalent of MIAG. He can call it GWSI (Governors With Stupid Ideas):lol:

McDonnell was elected on Ken Cuccenelli's coattails, Now he want's to be VP - doesn't he know that Ken isn't running for president?.............yet?

MKEgal · Apr 22, 2012

Va. governor seeks gun check improvements

Here I thought maybe he'd really be talking about improvements... you know, making it easier for good people to protect themselves.

Gov. Bob McDonnell is asking other governors across the nation to improve their states' record-sharing with a national background check system for gun purchases.

Isn't there already this thing called NICS? Someone on his staff should have told him about it before he sent that letter. Looks like more of a fool.

McDonnell asks the other governors to evaluate their state's reporting of mental health and other information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System

The only info they're allowed to have or report are court cases where someone's found not guilty by mental disease, found mentally incompetent, etc.
The state has no hand in medical records.

and to take any necessary action to prevent future tragedies.

So he's going to do away with the "(legal) gun-free" zones?
Great!
(Somehow I don't think that's really what he intends.)

mk4 · Apr 22, 2012

the 'honorable' gov ain't got no sack.

(sorry... i'm in one of 'those' kinda moods today)

TFred · Apr 22, 2012

TFred said:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3052278&page=1

From my earlier link:

"A court found that Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho was "mentally ill" and potentially dangerous. Then it let him go."

MKEgal said:
The only info they're [NICS] allowed to have or report are court cases where someone's found not guilty by mental disease, found mentally incompetent, etc.
The state has no hand in medical records.

I haven't read the letters to the other Governors, but it seems to me that McDonnell may be trying to get all states to report what was not reported in Cho's case to NICS.

Would that have stopped Cho's murder spree? There is simply no way to know. Would that make it harder for the next Cho to get his guns? Again, no way to know.

I do know one thing for certain: If we come out as a group against every effort that attempts to keep guns out of the hands of those who are properly declared to be mentally ill and a threat to themselves or others, we will lose that debate with the public, and we will lose it very badly.

We need to pick our battles carefully. Love them or hate them, we would do well to learn from the NRA on how to strategically pick the battles to fight. They rarely lose, and that is no accident.

TFred

peter nap · Apr 22, 2012

TFred said:
From my earlier link:

"A court found that Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho was "mentally ill" and potentially dangerous. Then it let him go."

I haven't read the letters to the other Governors, but it seems to me that McDonnell may be trying to get all states to report what was not reported in Cho's case to NICS.

Would that have stopped Cho's murder spree? There is simply no way to know. Would that make it harder for the next Cho to get his guns? Again, no way to know.

I do know one thing for certain: If we come out as a group against every effort that attempts to keep guns out of the hands of those who are properly declared to be mentally ill and a threat to themselves or others, we will lose that debate with the public, and we will lose it very badly.

We need to pick our battles carefully. Love them or hate them, we would do well to learn from the NRA on how to strategically pick the battles to fight. They rarely lose, and that is no accident.

TFred

Perhaps TFred, except.....

A. If Government wants it, it's almost guaranteed to be bad and if it isn't, it will be abused immediately.

B. There is no way to stop the killing. Anyone can be killed despite safeguards. The safeguards only restrict honest people.

C. I don't see a group (Unless you're talking about gunowners which is already sharply divided) objecting. Just individuals that become a group because they are like minded.

D. The NRA is a horrible example. They rarely lose because they rarely fight.

E. And the big one. Give an inch and you've lost an inch but gained nothing.

TFred · Apr 22, 2012

peter nap said:
Perhaps TFred, except.....

A. If Government wants it, it's almost guaranteed to be bad and if it isn't, it will be abused immediately.

B. There is no way to stop the killing. Anyone can be killed despite safeguards. The safeguards only restrict honest people.

C. I don't see a group (Unless you're talking about gunowners which is already sharply divided) objecting. Just individuals that become a group because they are like minded.

D. The NRA is a horrible example. They rarely lose because they rarely fight.

E. And the big one. Give an inch and you've lost an inch but gained nothing.

You may be right on every point... but what I'm trying to say is that if we let the media and the gun-grabbers frame the battle in terms of "those gun nuts want to let the criminally insane have guns," we will lose and lose big. Perception is 90% of the fight.

TFred

peter nap · Apr 22, 2012

TFred said:
You may be right on every point... but what I'm trying to say is that if we let the media and the gun-grabbers frame the battle in terms of "those gun nuts want to let the criminally insane have guns," we will lose and lose big. Perception is 90% of the fight.

TFred

I understood that my friend...That's why the soapbox stayed in the corner!:lol:

Citizen · Apr 22, 2012

TFred said:
SNIP From my earlier link:

"A court found that Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho was "mentally ill" and potentially dangerous. Then it let him go."

The newswriter quoted above is basically implying that a person should be seized and held without charges or a conviction. On the say so of a so-called mental-health professional whose industry and "science" is riddled with contradictions and unsupported assertions.

Herr Heckler Koch · Apr 22, 2012

If a felon may properly be disbarred his rights under color of law, then we all can be legally disarmed merely by sufficiently lowering the bar of felony as has been done for stressed vets and alleged abusers.

In the case at hand this would be even more problematic given the moving target of mental illness. If I recall correctly, the Soviets used it well to their own nefarious ends.

Compromise is failure on the installment plan, particularly when compromising with as an intractable foe as ignorance.

I graduated high school in 1966, diagnosed with an extreme "IQ", that today might be called "ADD-HAS" and gotten me addicted to Ritalin-Methylphenidate at best.

peter nap · Apr 22, 2012

Herr Heckler Koch said:
I graduated high school in 1966, diagnosed with an extreme "IQ", that today might be called "ADD-HAS" and gotten me addicted to Ritalin-Methylphenidate at best.

Herr Heckler Koch · Apr 22, 2012

That's easy for you to say.

peter nap · Apr 22, 2012

Herr Heckler Koch said:
That's easy for you to say.

Multiple screen name disorder too...huh:lol:

peter nap · Apr 22, 2012

Here is the letter:

Citizen · Apr 22, 2012

Blk97F150 said:
SNIP In his letter, McDonnell asks the other governors to...take any necessary action to prevent future tragedies.

Wouldn't it be grand if the governor of (Utah?) wrote back saying, "We already did. We allowed concealed carry on college campuses"?

TFred · Apr 22, 2012

peter nap said:
Here is the letter:

Do you have the rest?

TFred

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