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PBS NewsHour (Nov to Dec 2017), Nov 7, 2017 - How gun background checks work — and when they don’t

Nov 7, 2017 - How gun background checks work — and when they don't

Nov 7, 2017 - How gun background checks work — and when they don't.

Judy Woodruff:

Now back to Sunday's massacre in a Texas church.

As we reported, the killer's past behavior should have legally blocked him from purchasing the guns he used to kill 26 people.

Our nation's gun laws are a patchwork, varying from state to state, and requiring the diligence of many different agencies and officials.

William Brangham is back with a explanation of this complicated legal landscape.

William Brangham:

In the United States, the settlement gives citizens entered right to keep and bear arms.

The Supreme Court has several times affirm this fact.

But there are some legal restrictions on who can purchase or keep guns.

Under federal law, to buy a gun from a licensed dealer, you have to be a U.S.citizen and at least 21 to get handgun or 18 for a rifle or shotgun.

Retailers also have to run your through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Federal and some state laws designate four main categories that restrict your ability to get a gun — committing a violent or gun-related crime, having a diagnosed mental illness, known drug or alcohol abuse, or crimes committed when you were a juvenile.

These are all things that would show up in that background check.

These restrictions might seem obvious, but not every state has these rules, and not every state enforces the laws in the same way.

For example, in 23 states and Washington, D.C., you can't have a gun if you have been convicted of a violent or gun-related crime.

The killer in Texas, Devin Kelley, should have been blocked from buying a gun because he violently abused his wife and her toddler several years ago when he was in the Air Force.

A 1996 federal law bars domestic abusers from buying gun, but, as we mentioned before, the Air Force didn't report his record to other authorities.

On the issue of mental illness, a majority of states and D.C. bar people with a history of mental problems from accessing firearms. But it's by no means foolproof. The great majority of people suffering from mental illness are not violent.

So, who determines who is a threat?

Sometimes, an individual will be flagged by the legal system or by a mental health provider, but, often, reporting it to federal and state databases never happens.

On the issue of drug abuse, if you're known to authorities to abuse drugs or have been convicted of a drug-related crime, 28 states and Washington, D.C., will block your access to a firearm.

The same goes for alcohol in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

And with each of these restrictions, a handful of states only block people from having handguns, not shotguns or rifles.

Of course, people can often bypass state and federal rules entirely simply by buying firearms from private sellers, often at gun shows.

Those sales from one private citizen to another are largely exempt from any reporting rules.

This is what's known as the gun show loophole.

It's estimated that almost a quarter of all guns are bought this way, with no background checks at all.

Another loophole, there is no federal system for removing firearms if a person later falls into one of these prohibited categories.

So if you bought a gun legally, but then developed mental illness or commit a violent act or abuse drugs, it's nearly impossible for authorities to take those guns back.

So here's a crucial question, do any of these laws actually make a difference in reducing gun deaths?

Do they make us safer as a society?

According to one analysis done by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence — that's the group associated with former Congresswoman and gun control advocate Gabby Giffords — the answer is clearly yes.

The center graded all 50 states from A through an F on how they enact and enforce gun laws and then compared those grades to actual gun deaths in each state.

They conclude — quote — “States with stronger laws have fewer gun deaths per capita, while states with weaker laws have more gun deaths.”

Many gun rights group take strong issue with this kind of analysis.

They argue that fewer restrictions and more gun ownership is the way to better public safety.

For the PBS NewsHour, I'm William Brangham.

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Nov 7, 2017 - How gun background checks work — and when they don’t. 7 novembre 2017 - Comment fonctionnent les vérifications des antécédents d'armes à feu - et quand elles ne fonctionnent pas.

Judy Woodruff:

Now back to Sunday’s massacre in a Texas church.

As we reported, the killer’s past behavior should have legally blocked him from purchasing the guns he used to kill 26 people. Comme nous l'avons signalé, le comportement passé du tueur aurait dû légalement l'empêcher d'acheter les armes qu'il a utilisées pour tuer 26 personnes.

Our nation’s gun laws are a patchwork, varying from state to state, and requiring the diligence of many different agencies and officials. Les lois sur les armes à feu de notre pays sont un patchwork, variant d'un État à l'autre et exigeant la diligence de nombreux organismes et fonctionnaires différents.

William Brangham is back with a explanation of this complicated legal landscape.

William Brangham:

In the United States, the settlement gives citizens entered right to keep and bear arms. Aux États-Unis, le règlement donne aux citoyens entrés le droit de détenir et de porter des armes.

The Supreme Court has several times affirm this fact.

But there are some legal restrictions on who can purchase or keep guns. Mais il existe certaines restrictions légales sur qui peut acheter ou garder des armes à feu.

Under federal law, to buy a gun from a licensed dealer, you have to be a U.S.citizen and at least 21 to get handgun or 18 for a rifle or shotgun. En vertu de la loi fédérale, pour acheter une arme à feu auprès d'un revendeur agréé, vous devez être citoyen américain et avoir au moins 21 ans pour obtenir une arme de poing ou 18 ans pour une carabine ou un fusil de chasse.

Retailers also have to run your through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Les détaillants doivent également vous faire passer par le système national de vérification instantanée des antécédents criminels.

Federal and some state laws designate four main categories that restrict your ability to get a gun — committing a violent or gun-related crime, having a diagnosed mental illness, known drug or alcohol abuse, or crimes committed when you were a juvenile. Les lois fédérales et certaines lois étatiques désignent quatre catégories principales qui limitent votre capacité à obtenir une arme à feu - commettre un crime violent ou lié à une arme à feu, avoir une maladie mentale diagnostiquée, un abus connu de drogue ou d'alcool ou des crimes commis lorsque vous étiez mineur.

These are all things that would show up in that background check. Ce sont toutes des choses qui apparaîtraient dans cette vérification des antécédents.

These restrictions might seem obvious, but not every state has these rules, and not every state enforces the laws in the same way.

For example, in 23 states and Washington, D.C., you can’t have a gun if you have been convicted of a violent or gun-related crime. Par exemple, dans 23 États et à Washington, DC, vous ne pouvez pas avoir d'arme à feu si vous avez été reconnu coupable d'un crime violent ou lié à une arme à feu.

The killer in Texas, Devin Kelley, should have been blocked from buying a gun because he violently abused his wife and her toddler several years ago when he was in the Air Force. Le tueur au Texas, Devin Kelley, aurait dû être empêché d'acheter une arme à feu parce qu'il a violemment abusé de sa femme et de son tout-petit il y a plusieurs années lorsqu'il était dans l'armée de l'air.

A 1996 federal law bars domestic abusers from buying gun, but, as we mentioned before, the Air Force didn’t report his record to other authorities. Une loi fédérale de 1996 interdit aux agresseurs domestiques d'acheter des armes à feu, mais, comme nous l'avons mentionné précédemment, l'armée de l'air n'a pas signalé son casier judiciaire à d'autres autorités.

On the issue of mental illness, a majority of states and D.C. bar people with a history of mental problems from accessing firearms. But it’s by no means foolproof. Mais ce n'est en aucun cas infaillible. The great majority of people suffering from mental illness are not violent.

So, who determines who is a threat?

Sometimes, an individual will be flagged by the legal system or by a mental health provider, but, often, reporting it to federal and state databases never happens. Parfois, un individu sera signalé par le système judiciaire ou par un fournisseur de soins de santé mentale, mais, souvent, le signaler aux bases de données fédérales et étatiques ne se produit jamais.

On the issue of drug abuse, if you’re known to authorities to abuse drugs or have been convicted of a drug-related crime, 28 states and Washington, D.C., will block your access to a firearm. En ce qui concerne la toxicomanie, si vous êtes connu des autorités pour avoir consommé de la drogue ou si vous avez été reconnu coupable d'un crime lié à la drogue, 28 États et Washington, DC, bloqueront votre accès à une arme à feu.

The same goes for alcohol in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

And with each of these restrictions, a handful of states only block people from having handguns, not shotguns or rifles. Et avec chacune de ces restrictions, une poignée d'États empêchent uniquement les gens d'avoir des armes de poing, pas des fusils de chasse ou des carabines.

Of course, people can often bypass state and federal rules entirely simply by buying firearms from private sellers, often at gun shows. Bien sûr, les gens peuvent souvent contourner les règles étatiques et fédérales tout simplement en achetant des armes à feu auprès de vendeurs privés, souvent lors d'expositions d'armes à feu.

Those sales from one private citizen to another are largely exempt from any reporting rules. Ces ventes d'un particulier à un autre sont largement exemptées de toute règle de déclaration.

This is what’s known as the gun show loophole. C'est ce qu'on appelle l'échappatoire du salon des armes à feu.

It’s estimated that almost a quarter of all guns are bought this way, with no background checks at all.

Another loophole, there is no federal system for removing firearms if a person later falls into one of these prohibited categories. Autre échappatoire, il n'y a pas de système fédéral pour retirer les armes à feu si une personne tombe plus tard dans l'une de ces catégories interdites.

So if you bought a gun legally, but then developed mental illness or commit a violent act or abuse drugs, it’s nearly impossible for authorities to take those guns back.

So here’s a crucial question, do any of these laws actually make a difference in reducing gun deaths? Voici donc une question cruciale : est-ce que l'une de ces lois fait réellement une différence dans la réduction des décès par arme à feu ?

Do they make us safer as a society?

According to one analysis done by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence — that’s the group associated with former Congresswoman and gun control advocate Gabby Giffords — the answer is clearly yes.

The center graded all 50 states from A through an F on how they enact and enforce gun laws and then compared those grades to actual gun deaths in each state. Le centre a noté les 50 États de A à F sur la manière dont ils adoptent et appliquent les lois sur les armes à feu, puis a comparé ces notes aux décès réels par arme à feu dans chaque État.

They conclude — quote — “States with stronger laws have fewer gun deaths per capita, while states with weaker laws have more gun deaths.” Ils concluent - citation - "Les États avec des lois plus strictes ont moins de décès par arme à feu par habitant, tandis que les États avec des lois plus faibles ont plus de décès par arme à feu."

Many gun rights group take strong issue with this kind of analysis. De nombreux groupes de défense des droits des armes à feu contestent fortement ce type d'analyse.

They argue that fewer restrictions and more gun ownership is the way to better public safety. Ils soutiennent que moins de restrictions et plus de possession d'armes à feu sont le moyen d'améliorer la sécurité publique.

For the PBS NewsHour, I’m William Brangham.