Blog: Gun Control: Uniting the ACLU and the NRA

The public discussion about the place of guns in America following the tragedy in Newton, Connecticut has clearly revealed that the issue is extremely divisive. Moreover, the discussion has often been uncivil and is frequently characterized by mischaracterization.

One example of this mischaracterization relates to the Senate’s proposal (S. 374) for universal background checks – the only proposal remaining after Sen. Reid acknowledged that there were too few votes to pass bills regulating assault weapons and high capacity magazines. President Obama and other gun control advocates frequently state that the National Rifle Association’s opposition to the Senate bill is inconsistent with 90% of Americans' willingness to expand background checks to include all gun sales. There is no inconsistency.

The Senate’s bill is not limited to gun sales – it relates to any “transfer” of a firearm. The bill’s definition of “transfer” goes well beyond sales, and expressly includes temporary transfers (i.e., loans) and gifts. Although the bill exempts gifts between close family members, it does not exempt loans between close family members. This means that if Amy teaches her own daughter Barbara how to shoot in their own fields, Amy could be prosecuted if she hands a gun to Barbara. Similarly, if you are one of the growing number of Americans in an unmarried relationship, you would commit a crime if you left your gun with your significant other for seven or more days.

Ninety percent of Americans want to prevent felons from becoming gun owners – they do not want to turn gun owners into felons. The flaws in this bill are so severe that the American Civil Liberties Union is criticizing the bill. Simply put, the NRA’s opposition to this bill is fully consistent with Americans’ desires, and any contrary assertion is disingenuous.