LETTER: Gun control petition won’t prevent crime

To the editor:

Regarding the article on gun background checks (“Ruling aids petition backers,” Aug. 2 Review-Journal), two years ago, we went through this same exercise for universal background checks. We must realize that only the honest people comply with the system, as criminals are already not allowed to own firearms.

Previously, it was decided that dealers would do the background checks. The parties to the change of ownership would come to a dealer’s store, an employee would take the gun and run the background check, then hand the gun to the new owner. It sounds easy, right? But it’s not.

First, the state charges $25 for the check, so the buyer must pay that fee. Then Nevada sales tax folks jumped in and decided that if the gun came across a dealer’s counter, sales tax would be collected on the value. Then the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms says the gun must be logged into the dealer’s books, and logged back out to the new owner. Then Clark County says the dealer has to report any used firearm coming in and hold it for 30 days, in case the firearm was stolen.

So here’s the problem: If the buyer fails the background check, in order to return the gun to the seller, the dealer has to run a background check on the seller, too. Does that mean another $25 fee? Do we hold the gun for another 30 days? What if the seller fails the background check, too?

The new petition seeks to mandate background checks on nearly all Nevada gun purchases. The petition does not void the ATF regulations, the county second-hand dealer regulations or the Nevada Department of Taxation rules.

If that petition gathers enough signatures for consideration by the Legislature, and ultimately goes before voters for approval, how does all this reduce crime?

BOB IRWIN

LAS VEGAS

The writer is the owner of The Gun Store.