Obama's gun control executive orders not universally welcomed

Bill Caisee, of Eldon, fires two rounds from his Glock 19 pistol at a target in the distance at Ammo Alley. "It relieves tension," said Caisee, "I do two things to relieve stress - shoot and lift weights." Caisee agrees with having background checks for those who purchase firearms. "I think background checks for everybody is a good thing. It's not taking everyone's right away from owning a firearm."
Bill Caisee, of Eldon, fires two rounds from his Glock 19 pistol at a target in the distance at Ammo Alley. "It relieves tension," said Caisee, "I do two things to relieve stress - shoot and lift weights." Caisee agrees with having background checks for those who purchase firearms. "I think background checks for everybody is a good thing. It's not taking everyone's right away from owning a firearm."

Local law enforcement officials said last week they had mixed reactions to President Barack Obama's executive orders regarding gun control.

In a White House speech last Tuesday, the president said his orders included:

• Requiring "anybody in the business of selling firearms (to) get a license and conduct background checks, or be subject to criminal prosecutions," no matter whether the sales occur in a store, "over the Internet or at a gun show."

• Expanding background checks "to cover violent criminals who try to buy some of the most dangerous firearms by hiding behind trusts and corporations and various cutouts."

• Making the background check system more efficient, including hiring "more folks to process applications faster, and we're going to bring an outdated background check system into the 21st century."

Cole County Sheriff Greg White said the current background check process starts when residents fill out a federal form and the gun shop does a check with the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

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AP

Gonzaga's Bol Kong (34) passes under pressure from Florida State's Chris Singleton (31) during the first half of an NCAA first-round college basketball game in Buffalo, N.Y.,Friday, March 19, 2010.

The FBI determines whether a person can purchase a weapon and whether a person is eligible to make a purchase.

"That's as good as feds have access to and their checks are good," White said. "I'm not sure why the president is talking about this.

"It's the same in every state in the nation. The sheriffs and police don't have anything to do with it."

Jefferson City Police Chief Roger Schroeder added, "Our responsibility is to fairly enforce the laws of our city, state and, to some extent, federal governments.

"Elected officials are charged with the duty to enact laws which provide good order and safety for our respective communities. It's not my role to second-guess what they decide."

As with many issues, Schroeder noted, "The community we serve is split on this issue. ... My personal feelings have no place in that venue.

"We are dedicated to serve and sworn to protect all persons who live, work, recreate or simply pass through our jurisdiction."

In his speech last week, Obama argued, "We know that background checks make a difference. After Connecticut passed a law requiring background checks and gun safety courses, gun deaths decreased by 40 percent - 40 percent.

"Meanwhile, since Missouri repealed a law requiring comprehensive background checks and purchase permits, gun deaths have increased to almost 50 percent higher than the national average. One study found, unsurprisingly, that criminals in Missouri now have easier access to guns.

"And the evidence tells us that in states that require background checks, law-abiding Americans don't find it any harder to purchase guns whatsoever. Their guns have not been confiscated. Their rights have not been infringed."

A USA Today story published in the Springfield News-Leader noted Obama referred to a 2007 Missouri law that ended a state requirement that all handgun purchasers obtain a license verifying they had passed a background check.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research concluded in a 2014 study that the 2007 repeal contributed to a 14 percent increase in Missouri's murder rate.

"There is strong evidence to support the idea that the repeal of Missouri's handgun purchaser licensing law contributed to dozens of additional murders in Missouri each year since the law was changed," Daniel Webster, the study's lead author, said in a 2014 statement on his findings.

However, critics have questioned Webster's research, saying it is impossible to prove cause and effect in the Missouri case.

In a short speech on the Missouri Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, questioned Obama's new orders as "attempting to further restrict the Second Amendment rights of Missourians and all Americans."

Schaefer also challenged Obama's reference to Missouri in last week's speech.

"He specifically singled out Missouri and demonstrated an absolute lack of understanding of the background checks process in the state of Missouri," Schaefer told fellow senators, "including the fact that Missouri leads the country in mental health background check issues and has for a couple of years."

Schaefer also noted the president's plan would allow the Social Security Administration to cross-check its records with other information, then recommend against licensing some people with mental health issues who also receive social security benefits.

White said he would want to see whether the determination of a person's mental illness comes from a court finding or the Social Security Administration check.

"PTSD is listed for a mental illness, which could bar someone from purchasing a firearm," White said. "I also want to know if, once a mental illness is determined, does that mean you have to forfeit a firearm (you already have)?

"Now this office wouldn't have anything to do with that. It's a federal issue."

Schroeder said many people "cherish their right to bear arms, and no one wants persons, particularly our children, killed or maimed by the irresponsible or criminal use of firearms. I maintain my belief that we, as a nation, will eventually determine a reasonable equilibrium."

White added: "The thought that there is a way to manage to prevent someone from having a firearm seems discriminatory. The Second Amendment guarantees the validity of America, and attempts to take that away is an assault on our liberty."

Obama disagreed.

"I also believe that we can find ways to reduce gun violence consistent with the Second Amendment," the president said last Tuesday. "We all believe in the First Amendment, the guarantee of free speech, but we accept that you can't yell "fire' in a theater. We understand there are some constraints on our freedom in order to protect innocent people."