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Ayotte misses mark with gun points

By Staff | May 12, 2013

Sen. Kelly Ayotte made several strong points in a recent op-ed piece defending her vote against the failed Manchin-Toomey compromise plan to extend gun purchase background checks to gun shows and internet sales. Sadly, most of her points weren’t germane to the issue or they conveniently ignored that the proposal embraced some of her own objectives.

The essay did not specifically mention Manchin-Toomey, but instead, was a response to recent television attack ads aimed at her as a consequence of her vote against the measure. Like nearly all negative political advertising, on both sides of the gun control debate, the anti-Ayotte ads were hyperbolic propaganda that add nothing to the discussion.

So while Ayotte’s intent was to remind New Hampshire voters of her efforts to stem gun violence, it also carried the figurative weight of explaining a vote that went against overwhelming public sentiment.

Ayotte stressed she’s an ardent supporter of “effective” background checks and recently voted to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

That’s good. It’s widely accepted that the federal system isn’t working as planned and needs to be enhanced.
But the plan authored by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., would have strengthened the system by addressing one of its serious flaws. It would have encouraged states to provide all available records to NICS by providing grant money, while reducing federal dollars to states that don’t comply.

Ayotte also stressed the need to address mental health gaps in the criminal justice system, boost resources to improve school safety, and criminalize gun trafficking and straw purchases. She further supports legislation to create a high level federal task force to increase the prosecution of gun-related violence.

We agree. All these steps are needed because there are many causes of gun violence. But support of such a comprehensive approach to limiting gun violence is not a justification for rejecting extended background checks. If anything, it begs the question why would they be so demonstratively excluded from such an otherwise intelligent agenda.

Ayotte’s argument that a weak NICS hampers current law enforcement and that background checks shouldn’t be extended is specious at best. Yes, in 2010, NICS background check denials led to charges in just 44 cases and only 13 successful prosecutions. That’s still better than the zero charges and convictions from gun show or internet sales.

It makes no sense to say just because the NICS doesn’t catch everybody that we shouldn’t try to catch anybody.

Conspicuous by its absence in Ayotte’s commentary is any indication of whether she would be willing to support extended background checks under any conditions. She doesn’t address the glaring illogic of current law that exempts a significant portion of gun sales.

What if all the initiatives she supports came true, would that be enough to convince her that gun show background checks are a good thing? Inquiring minds want to know.

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