glad we agree.
Eh, perhaps we agree on certain general principles, but the devil is in the details.
A lot of your argument has been about straw purchase of multiple guns for sale illegally in states/cities where guns are heavily restricted.
My point is that those cities and states often have very high crime rates. Not all, NYC is an exception in recent years, but most (Chicago, DC, etc) do. Those are the places a law-abiding citizen needs the right to carry a gun the most, and is most often denied that right.
Turtle has already said that if someone buys multiple guns from a legal dealer, the ATF is informed of the purchase.
So why isn't the ATF arresting a lot more of these gun-runners that make the straw purchases and transport the guns to another state? There was a study done back in the 90's that revealed that of hundreds of thousands of NICs rejections of felons trying to buy guns from a dealer, there were only a few dozen charges filed and I think SEVEN convictions.
One has to wonder if the problem isn't the laws on legal purchasing, but rather a lack of competent enforcement when there is evidence of wrongdoing?
Studies have shown that shall-issue CCW DOES reduce certain types of crimes. In states where shall-issue CCW is implemented, criminals tend to shift away from crimes that involve confronting potentially-armed citizens directly, to crimes-of-property that avoid such confrontation... such as stealing unattended cars rather than carjacking a vehicle that is occupied. I'd think anyone would see this as a positive, if it reduces your chances of being directly confronted by a violent criminal (not to mention making it easier to level the playing field with your own weapon IF you are confronted anyway).
Personally I think THAT is the single most important change that needs to be made to aid in the safety of folks who live in Chicago, Detroit, DC and other high-crime urban areas. That, and competent enforcement of existing laws that are intended to convict black-market straw purchasers.
To impede on a Constitutional RIGHT, a law must meet certain requirements. An overwhelming necessity for it to serve the public safety is one, and the utility should be proven and not merely assumed.... that it will impede the evildoer vastly more than the honest citizen is another.
If we as a society want to tighten up on straw purchase and black-market guns, we need to do so in a way that will truly make things VERY difficult for the criminal while at the same time impeding the honest citizen
very little if at all.