The Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund is spending half a million dollars in key states on TV and digital ads featuring cops and gun owners voicing support for universal background checks.
The Bloomberg-funded organization hopes that these ads will spur federal lawmakers to criminalize private transfers.
“These ads are a reminder that background checks aren’t a partisan issue, and that the vast majority of Americans support common sense steps to keep guns away from dangerous people,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.
“Whether you’re talking to Republicans, Democrats, gun owners, or law enforcement, there is bipartisan support for strengthening background checks, and we’ll keep reminding Congress of that fact until we see action,” he continued.
The ads will appear in Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas on various news channels, including Fox News and CNN.
“Passing common sense, constitutional, and lifesaving background check legislation is a critical step toward ending the heartbreaking gun violence we see every day in America,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action.
“Our grassroots volunteers are energized, and with these ads we’re making sure our message is heard – we must pass bipartisan background check legislation now, before more lives are lost,” Watts continued.
Everytown continually cites polling that indicates as many as “93 percent of Americans” support the background checks, including “89 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of gun owners.”
On the face of it, those numbers may be accurate. Because there is widespread support for the current background check system which allows friends, neighbors, and extended family members to transfer firearms without having to go to an FFL for a background check.
SEE ALSO: Useful Idiot? Firearms Trainer Rob Pincus Endorses Expanded Background Checks
However, when it comes to expanding the system to criminalize all private transfers, the devil is in the details.
Many Americans, for example, strongly oppose universal background checks if they’re forced to go to an FFL and pay a transfer fee every time they went to lend or sell a firearm to a friend, neighbor, or extended family member.
Many Americans see this process as not only chilling a fundamental right but taxing it as well. One can argue it’s tantamount to a poll tax on one’s right to keep and bear arms.
Moreover, many Americans strongly oppose universal background checks if they lead to the establishment of a federal gun registry, which is, as the Obama administration has stated, the only way to ensure compliance.
In other words, universal background checks will not be the least bit effective if the government cannot track the location of every firearm in civilian hands. And even then, there will be a huge gap in the data as criminals will never register their black market firearms into the system.
Everyone agrees that criminals shouldn’t have guns. But there’s little evidence to suggest that enacting universal background checks will stop bad guys from getting guns. What they will do, for certain, is burden law-abiding citizens and bring us one step closer to universal registration.
Many lawmakers on Capitol Hill recognize this, hence their reluctance to vote for expanded background check legislation. Doubtful these new ads will change their minds.
Dear GunsAmerica…were I in a hurry and only read the first half of this article, I would believe you are in agreement with this anti-firearm position. Perhaps you could state at the very beginning that this is the proverbial ‘sheep in wolfs etc, etc’ so one doesn’t leave with the wrong conclusion. I know of too many who never read a full article which results in an inaccurate conclusion. Thanks
“The Bloomberg-funded organization…”
That is already the point where you can just stop reading the article, even as it is a good one, because you just know that you are reading about fascists that want to tell YOU what THEY think is best and that YOU shall only behave like THEY want, because THEY are billionaires and you are not.
PS: Notice what Bloomberg’s people are doing right now with the innocent Palestinians, while he and his organization literally tell you to just throw your guns away…
As a retired officer I know better than these cowards -and Everytown is a group of fascists’ that are out to destroy America
It’s kind of funny (in a quite non-amusing way) the method behind the madness of Bloomberg/Soros & co’s hatred and fear of an armed and competent citizenry. It seems pretty obvious to me after many, many years out on the interwebs writing in defense of the 2A that there’s a definite reason for keeping everyone preoccupied with firearms and ammunition… and also for bully billionaires and multinationals being behind the political crooks who are behind the so-called ammunition drought. I’ll not wander off through the thicket of closely related subjects; instead I’ll say this, modern firearms and ammunition are products of corporate manufacturing processes. The exact same people who own the banks, the pols, the military forces, the police and the perversion which we know as, “The Law”, are also those who own the corporations and the manufacturing processes. And they know that, at some point (should we ever become bold enough to resist them) that they can dry up our supplies of mid-tech belligerence or price it out of our reach even better than they have with the backdoor gun control (see, ammunition drought) on exhibit across the nation right now. The good news is that the Second Amendment is not the Right To Keep And Bear Firearms. Although that IS what it’s being made to look like via process of corporately controlled media. It is the Right To Keep And Bear ARMS… which leaves us in much better possession of those low-tech things which can keep us in 2A, “beer & skittles”, long after any such mercantile-legal attempt has been made to draw our potentially militial fangs.
Americans would be better off if Everytown would support locking up violent criminals and throwing away the key. Some years ago a research project showed that over 80% of all violent crimes were committed by repeat offenders. Duh!
There are very specific non law-abiding people who commit the vast majority of violent gun crimes.
How does disarming the law-abiding disarm the non-law abiding?
I’m retired law enforcement I believe every citizen should own and carry a gun if they desire. If you notice all the “officers” in these communist videos are chiefs etc. these people are politicians not police officers. They have politicians hearts and are usually spineless political lizards. I’m not taking my constitutional advice from a liberal actress named Fabiola either. If anyone sides with Bloomberg or any of his groups you do not believe in the constitution or natural (God given) rights.
ACTIVATE UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR: “Common Sense Gun Control Measures”, coming from a Bloomberg-financed or other associated proxy organization equals utter and absolute unconstitutional rubbish. After that, should one simply follow the money/intentionality, there is no need to so much as speculate what has happened with those who choose to parrot the line… they either are stupid enough to believe what they’re saying or cupid and compromised enough to take the cash-stuffed briefcase in exchange for their “opinions”. There’s also little need to wonder why the master class desires to unsell We The People on the ideals present in the Second Amendment… there are no more of the original owners of the North American continent left to be murdered in pushing back the frontiers. The filthy, corporate wetwork and strongarm thievery that requires doing these days is largely extraterritorial and can be accomplished with military force (yet another item which is both entirely anti-democratic and anti-constitutional), should corporate force somehow fail. Meanwhile, the various grades of wage slaves. ‘here at home’, need simply to knuckle under and get back to the work of further enriching the already wealthy. The rotten ol’ overseer class (police & governance, aka The State) will take care of any exigent need for the application of violence. So, you know, no need for the unwashed naifs to have such dangerous things anymore! Meanwhile, however, it is still pretty precisely as the old saying goes, “When seconds count, the cops are minutes away.” And even that doesn’t begin to cover the true reason behind the need for a well regulated (meaning well-trained) militial self defense capability in the hands of We The People. Which is where it essentially encompasses our duty as citizens to forcibly remove any form of governance which no longer cares to serve the will of us ordinary, non-elite sovereign schlubs. John Jay (later a Supreme Court Justice, ahem) is quoted as having said, “Those men who own the country should rule the country”. He also outlined one of the standard operating procedures of the power elite when he stated, “I never concern myself with the wrath of the working classes, as I can always hire one half to kill off the other.” Corporate capitalism 101 posits and needs us to accept that, “To them that have it shall be given.” But that isn’t really the case unless and until we believe it to be the case! And isn’t that simply the product of systematic, cradle-to-grave propagandization? Sure it is!! Remember folks, the revolution will not be televised. But the expensive ongoing attempts at counter-revolution (see Bloomberg & co. above) certainly shall be!
If I was selling a firearm to someone I didn’t know very well I would pay a FFL to do the background check,for my own protection. If you sell a weapon to a felon who shoots up a church your live will be ruined with charges and lawsuits coming from all directions. I’m also not interested in buying stolen weapons from people I don’t know. The risk is greater than the reward.
I agree
The BATFE website has an exemplar of an affidavit/bill of sale that it says it would accept for a lawful transfer of a firearm between two people, with the information they would require. There is no need for an FFL to be involved. Both the buyer and the seller are presumed to be acting in good faith and the average citizen has no legal requirement to check someone’s private information. It is incumbent upon the buyer to know the law and act in good faith. If the firearm is later used in a crime, presentation of the affidavit signed by the buyer severs liability. It’s been this way for fifty years. This ruse of requiring an ffl is to get serial numbers into the gun registry. I have used the ATF’s affidavit for years now and feel confident it is legal and binding with the pertinent information and a signature.
Why doesn’t the pro gun groups counter these dumbass ads with the truth? Run the counter ads right after a station runs this propaganda
They’re too busy fighting the anti-gun assholes in court with the money that they have.
They should go push their so called common sense crap in Chicago and other dem controlled areas where the real problems are.
Yeah, let’s keep poll taxes for elections. Can’t have too many of the wrong people voting, yes?
So you’re one of those racists who believe black people are too stupid to get a photo ID for voting?
Democrats were the party of the Confederacy, the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow, etc.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
You totally missed the point Nick S was making through sarcasm!
When you hear the words “Common Sense” coming out of a liberal politicians mouth run like hell. There is nothing common about any sense they may have.
I’m against any background checks. The very concept of requiring government permission to exercise a fundamental right is anathema.
So Evan, according to you logic, an illegal alien or a murderer or gang member out on parole should be able to go to a gun store and buy a gun?
That comment is the prize winner for ignorance and just plain inanity! Do you HONESTLY believe that some pos gang banger or other prohibited individual is going to have a background check done in order to obtain a firearm. If so, you seriously need some mental help.
The generally accepted definition of “fundamental rights” is those rights accorded “CITIZENS” of the USA in good standing.
Ergo, illegal aliens, ANY convicted criminal, gang member or otherwise, or other individuals that have lost, or NEVER HAD, rights, as a “CITIZEN” of the USA, do not come under the protection of individual rights accorded by the CONSTITUTION to “CITIZENS” in good standing of the USA.
As with any law, only the law abiding obey them so the idea of universal background checks will only negatively affect the law abiding by creating an extra cost and in some cases a great deal of inconvenience. Please note the words “LAW ABIDING”.
Well stated, Philip!
If they could then there would likely be a sharp drop in guns being stolen. Of course, stealing is still a lot cheaper than buying but it is safer for both parties.
We have the form 4473 and NICS, except in some states that exempt it for responsible CCW holders. These people who claim to be 2A supporters and want more or stronger background checks are nothing but whores for Bloomberg and his ilk. They’re worse than Fudds.
There is NO exemption for the 4473, EVERY firearm sold by a Licensed Dealer MUST include that form, period.
State forms may differ, but the Federal form is an absilute
I polled my family, 100 percent AGAINST universal background checks. Just saying.
Why all the anti gun stories? I think the cops should concentrate on there local problems like BLM trying to cancel them instead crusading for marxist causes like more gun laws. And Gunsamerica.com, please quit sending me stories about whiny cops asking the government to take our guns away. Trump for Speaker of the House 2022.
It is easier for them to go after the law abiding than the criminals. Going after criminals might be dangerous, you know.
They say they can’t keep track of the millions of illegal aliens in this country, but yet they seem to think they can keep track of the hundreds of millions of firearms.