New Yorkers see gun compromise in Congress as weak
Written by Dwight R. Worley
A congressional compromise that could expand background checks for gun purchases nationally received a lukewarm greeting in New York where observers were hoping for a stronger measure to slow the flow of illegal guns into the state.
From Gov. Andrew Cuomo to gun control groups, the deal reached by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Patrick Toomey, R-Pa. — mandating background checks for guns purchased at gun shows and over the Internet — was described as “better than nothing” but significantly weaker than New York’s newly implemented background checks.
Leah Gunn Barrett, executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, said unlike New York’s law the proposed Senate bill still allows for private transfers of weapons between family and friends without background checks.
She said a stronger national law is needed to stop the flow of guns into New York from states with weaker laws.
“This is better than what we have at the moment,” Gunn Barrett said. But “it would not cover all gun sales. We believe that it should.”
“We welcome any movement out of a Senate and a Congress that for so long has played the lap dog to the (National Rifle Association),” said Randolph McLaughlin, a Pace University law professor and co-chair of the civil rights practice group at Newman Ferrara in Manhattan.
“If this type of bill can ... restrict some of the guns from coming in (New York) then that's a positive step.”
The NRA criticized Congress' gun control efforts, saying the focus should be on better screening and treatment for mental illness not background checks.
“The sad truth is that no background check would have prevented the tragedies in Newtown, Aurora or Tucson,” the group said in a statement. “We need a serious and meaningful solution that addresses crime in cities like Chicago, addresses mental health deficiencies, while at the same time protecting the rights of those of us who are not a danger to anyone.”
Currently, the background check system covers sales only by licensed gun dealers. The Manchin-Toomey compromise would apply the system to all commercial sales, such as transactions at gun shows and online. The sales would have to be channeled through licensed firearms dealers, who would have to keep records of the transactions.
Private transactions that are not for profit, such as those between relatives, would be exempt from background checks. Senators are expected to debate the bill and other gun control measures, and possibly vote on them, today.
Sharon Watts of Mount Vernon said Wednesday she supported New York lawmakers in January when they passed a raft of gun control measures, including mandating a background check for all gun sales. She said a tougher federal law is welcome.
“Every time I turn on the news somebody’s getting shot,” Watts said. “They should have been had these extensive background checks.”
Noting a majority of Americans support tougher background checks, Cuomo criticized Congress for a measure he described “as only better than nothing.”
“In politics we have to be willing to take on the extremists, otherwise we’re going to have paralysis — and that’s what we are seeing in Washington,” Cuomo said. “You’re seeing a government paralyzed by the extremists.”
Daniel Friedman, a Ramapo councilman and author of “Saving Our Children: An In-Depth Look At Gun Violence In Our Nation And Our Schools,” said the proposal is a step in the right direction.
“These are responsible pieces of legislation that will undoubtedly enhance public safety and will not in any way restrict responsible individuals from becoming gun owners,” he said.
The Associated Press and Gannett News Service contributed to this report.