The Flaw of the Brady Bill
The federal Brady Law created an instant background check system meant to track the records of everyone prohibited from possessing firearms: convicted felons, people under a domestic violence restraining order, illegal aliens, drug addicts, dishonorably discharged military personnel, fugitives from justice and certain mentally ill people. The Brady Bill, imposed in February 1994, has been successful of what it was supposed to do. The Bill restricts mentally ill people from getting handguns, but medical records are kept secret, and there is no way of telling who is getting the guns. Is the Brady Bill working like it was planned? A priest and a parishioner were shot dead during church service in New York. Fr Lawrence Penzes, 50, had just finished his homily at Our Lady of Peace Church at Lynbrook on Long Island, when a gunman burst in and opened fire. Doctors say Fr Lawrence probably died at the altar. The other victim was Eileen Tosner, 73, a Lynbrook resident who attended Mass
Many people complain that a mentally ill database could violate doctor patient confidentiality, and the safety department says it would be hard to keep accurate. So safety officials, along with court officials and attorney general's office, are working on a better way and possibly more classified way to end this problem by sending the records directly from the courts to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Until the many different pieces of government come together this issue with the Brady Bill will still hold this flaw. The Californian NC times Associated Press 1/12/01 But because the state doesn't collect those records, there's no way to know how many mentally ill people have purchased guns, according to Chuck Drew of the gun-control group New Hampshire Ceasefire. This state policy may soon change, but for now gun dealers can't validate mental health information on customers' application to buy firearms. (
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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