Imposing background checks for purchasing a gun should be a piece if cake. The mechanisms for doing them has been in place for decades. In 1985 the Boy Scouts of America required background checks for all adult leaders. It was nationwide, not by state.
About the same time the Civil Air Patrol—the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary— applied the background check rule to adults who were in squadrons with cadets. I was in one of those squadrons so I know first hand how it worked. I had to fill out a form with name, address, date and place of birth, social security number AND I had to go to the local police station and be fingerprinted. All that was submitted to the FBI.
I would assume that over the last 34 years the FBI’s checking capability has become exceedingly more efficient. It would not be that difficult to require a similar procedure for purchasing guns. I’m sure there are electronic ways of collecting fingerprints at the gun store counter.
So what’s the problem? Trump is always bragging about how much power he has. He has essentially been governing by executive order. So, if he is really serious about requiring background checks for gun purchases, couldn’t he just issue another executive order? But, just like Moscow Mitch and the other spineless Republicans in congress, he probably won’t have the guts to cross the NRA.
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