Brady Bill

Paper Summary:

This paper gives a comprehensive review of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, known as the Brady Bill. The author gives a list of those who would be refused purchase of a handgun upon following a background check. The author also explains the relevance of the legislation's name. Next, the paper gives a critical review of this Act, citing both the pros and cons. The author then concludes, with an appeal for stronger gun control.

From the Paper:

"Federal officials had estimated that somewhere between two and six percent of the overall 7.5 million annual firearms sales would likely be stopped under the Brady legislation (Thomas, 1993). They based these estimates on data from states that already had waiting periods and background checks for handguns similar to what the Brady Bill would require. From 1989 until 1993, California, Florida, Virginia and Maryland had used these techniques to prevent more than 47,000 purchases by individuals who were banned from buying firearms. Despite this success, twenty-five states had absolutely no background checks or waiting periods for purchasing guns and others had vary lax procedures. As a result, thousands of prohibited persons routinely walked into gun stores and purchased guns. Therefore, the Brady Bill wanted to make sure that all states would screen gun purchases in a reasonable, consistent and responsible manner."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, J. (1996). Inside the NRA: Armed and dangerous: An expose. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Dove Books.
• Brady Act background checks: The first seven months (2000, January 2). http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa010200a.htm
• Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act. Wikipedia. http://www.answers.com/topic/brady-handgun-violence-prevention-act
• Did Brady bill block handgun sales? (1998, June 22). Capital Hill Blue. http://www.guncite.com/bradybilljun22.html
• FBI NICS operations report (2003, May). U.S. Department of Justice. http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/nics/oper-rpt/oper-rpt2001-2.htm

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