From Dave Searles
Brodhead
To the editor:
Republicans want to eliminate the 48-hour waiting period to purchase a handgun. They call it a "time tax." The 48 hours is necessary to do a background check on handgun purchases. They claim with technology today, the check can be done in an hour. The 48-hour waiting period, though, is not just about a background check. It is also a cooling down period
Technology, meaning computers, may make things easier and faster today, but they are only as effective as the data they contain and can access via the Internet. Even 30 days is not long enough to do background checks in many cases. This is because the federal data bank is so incomplete. It is not interconnected with law enforcement agencies in many states.
Therefore, the 48-hour waiting period should not eliminated. Instead, it should be increased to ensure that an adequate background check is completed.
Brodhead
To the editor:
Republicans want to eliminate the 48-hour waiting period to purchase a handgun. They call it a "time tax." The 48 hours is necessary to do a background check on handgun purchases. They claim with technology today, the check can be done in an hour. The 48-hour waiting period, though, is not just about a background check. It is also a cooling down period
Technology, meaning computers, may make things easier and faster today, but they are only as effective as the data they contain and can access via the Internet. Even 30 days is not long enough to do background checks in many cases. This is because the federal data bank is so incomplete. It is not interconnected with law enforcement agencies in many states.
Therefore, the 48-hour waiting period should not eliminated. Instead, it should be increased to ensure that an adequate background check is completed.
