But, now I found out something else that helps the NRA can keep its blood drenched hands permanently soaked in red. If explosives are made and used for whatever purpose (like at the Boston Marathon), by law they cannot be traced back to gun manufacturers, because they are the only entities not required to use taggants in their products that are not plastic explosives. From MSNBC (excerpt):

“But a crucial piece of evidence called a taggant that could be used to trace the gunpowder used in the bombs to a buyer at a point of sale is not available to investigators.

“If you had a good taggant this would be a good thing for this kind of crime. It could help identify the point of manufacturer, and chain of custody,” Bob Morhard, an explosives consultant and chief executive officer of Zukovich, Morhard & Wade, LLC., in Pennsylvania, who has traced explosives and detonators in use in the United States and Saudi Arabia, told MSNBC.com. “The problem is nobody wants to know what the material is.”

Explosives manufacturers are required to place tracing elements known as identification taggants only in plastic explosives but not in gunpowder, thanks to lobbying efforts by the NRA and large gun manufacturing groups.

NRA officials at the group’s headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia declined to respond to calls and emails from MSNBC.com requesting comment.”

As you can see, it’s in the gun manufacturer’s best interest, that they keep the NRA funded to lobby unabated, so that unlimited gun types, unlimited ammo and untraceable gunpowder gets out to any all all who want to use it for whatever purpose, even the criminals and the crazies.

I’m all for background checks for two reasons:

1. I don’t think my crazy neighbor Larry (and I do mean 100 percent, absolutely bonkers) should be able to get a gun at all, but if he does he should at least be subject to a stringent background check.

2. I don’t think a more stringent background check would impede my ability to purchase and possess a gun.

So go ahead and pass the damn thing…

HOWEVER (and I went all caps on you because this is a big damn however!)

Don’t kid yourself that if you pass this thing it will change anything – it won’t. Instead of getting all worked up over the failure of something that wouldn’t make a bit of difference, how ’bout we figure out how to do something that would make a difference?

What they’re talking about passing wouldn’t have prevented Newtown, Va Tech, or any other you want to mention – the avenues available to purchase guns are too numerous to count (OK, that’s an exagerration, but if you want a gun you can get a gun, period)

Why get all righteous about the failure of what was nothing more that a “feel good not gonna change a damn thing” bill?

will not

get your gun into any GOP NO BACKGROUNDS CHECK meeting

AND

THE NRA will not allow your gun into their headquarters.

The NRA will protect themselves with a NO GUN policy for their building……. & then insist on putting guns into schools as a solution.

There is NO EFFORT from the NRA to PAY for that gun security.

If you’ve passed a check..why wouldn’t you want EVERYONE to pass a check?

Why the excuses?

Why are you “guessing” it will do nothing?

The MILITARY does background checks. They don’t “guess” the way you do.

STRAW SALES…BIG $$$$ business… and that is a fact.

Did the parents and families of the Newtown Dead annoy some of you? Well, too bad… because a lack of compassion is nothing to brag about.

I try to drive this point home when discussing gun control on the vine because everyone tries to lump each other into two categories only (e.g., pro-gun everyone needs a bazooka, and anti-gun we should outlaw everything) which is NOT a true description of the gun sentiments in this country.

But background checks and a basic form of gun registration (which will NOT lead to confiscation, that’s just crazy talk. We can’t even get background checks, and you think the government’s gonna go door-to-door and confiscate guns?!? really?) would be the two most effective means of curbing gun violence in this country, which predominantly occurs in the inner city, and predominantly occurs with handguns.

The argument that filibustering a bill on background checks was somehow “upholding the Constitution” is really no argument at all. It’s false, not grounded in reality.

If the filibuster was used on a bill like an “assault weapons ban” or “magazine size limit,” you might have a point. With background checks you do not.