Existing laws are worthless if they're not going to be enforced.
Here's the clip from The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News last night. One note: I said that the fact that criminals are able to buy guns from licensed dealers is an argument for enforcing the federal laws already on the books. Bill corrected me, saying that there are no federal laws about lying on a background check form (Form 4473), just state ones. Actually, it is a federal offense to lie on those forms: a felony with a penalty of up to ten years in prison.
The vice president, however, whined to NRA representative Jim Baker during the gun violence task force meetings that the federal government "doesn't have time" to enforce those laws. Consequently, convicted criminals have little reason to fear repercussions for lying on the forms, so they can just buy guns anywhere they darn well please. My point last night was, and is, before we rush to put other federal laws on the books--many of which will make us less safe--let's enforce existing laws, such as this one, and do some actual good.
As Mr. Baker pointed out to the Daily Caller,
“If we are not going to enforce the laws that are on the books, it not only engenders disrespect for the law but it makes law-abiding gun owners wonder why we are going through this exercise we are going through now.”
