It is often said, “guns don’t kill people — people kill people.” Although this statement is true, it is also true that guns — especially selling guns — should be handled with care. Unfortunately, the Internet and online commerce have made tracking gun sales more difficult. The Internet has also made unlicensed, private sales of firearms more popular, which comes with a host of difficulties. Because of the danger that firearms pose when placed in the wrong hands, background checks should be required on any and all gun sales in the United States.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the federal government currently requires federally licensed firearms dealers to conduct background checks on those wishing to buy a gun. The catch, however, is that private sellers (when selling to someone in their own state) are encouraged — but not required — to conduct a background check through a licensed dealer during the finalizing of the sale. It is left up to the states to decide if private sellers need to work through licensed dealers. Leaving it up to the states is not good enough — background checks need to be required by all sellers in order to keep guns in the right hands.
According to a 2011 investigation and report commissioned by the City of New York titled “Point, Click, Fire,” 40 percent of guns are sold through private sellers. The problem with this is discussed early on in the report. It reads, “These sales — which take place in many venues, including gun shows and, increasingly, on the Internet — account for about 40 percent of U.S. sales, and fuel the black market for illegal guns. And they leave no electronic or paper trail behind them.”
Most startling, however, is that a reported 62 percent of private gun sellers “agreed to sell a firearm to a buyer who said he probably couldn’t pass a background check.” Like this report shows, the fact that the federal government allows private sellers to bypass conducting background checks is irresponsible and just a little crazy.
The purpose of background checks is to prevent felons, abusers and other potentially dangerous people from owning guns. If those people can turn around and buy a gun from a private seller, then there is almost no point in requiring background checks of any firearms dealers.
In the end, people should be able to own guns. However, those who have proven themselves to be potentially dangerous with a gun should not have that privilege. Allowing private gun sellers to bypass conducting background checks puts all Americans at risk. The federal government should require all private sellers to finalize firearm sales through a federally licensed dealer so that a background check can be completed. This would keep guns from falling into the wrong hands and help keep the U.S. safe.