California wins award for safest laws on gun background checks

California is a model of sensible gun laws. Its universal background check system, strong gun dealer regulations, and assault clip ban are just some of the laws that help prevent gun violence. Meanwhile, Arizona, Alaska, and Utah do not have a single common sense gun law on their books, according to WCTV news and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The Brady Campaign has released a 100 point scale for the last four years that ranks all 50 states on gun laws that are in effect with the intention of preventing gun violence – with background checks being one of the key factors. The statistics reveal that 31 states have few gun laws or none, while the six states that rank in the top tier, including California – the winner with 80 points, have strong and effective gun laws – universal background checks an important aspect of these. “After the Tucson shootings, there was a public outcry, once again, over gun violence. With each new high-profile shooting, people wonder why. Why do these tragedies happen? What can we do to stop them?” said Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke. “California is a perfect example of how much more every state in America could do to protect our families and communities from the dangers and destruction of guns. Sensible gun laws save lives, as shown by states like California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Hawaii. That’s why we’re issuing this Scorecard – to educate and motivate elected officials and the general public. We can and should pass stronger gun laws, on both the state and federal levels.” At the opposing end of the scale to California, we have states with the ‘Craziest Gun Laws’, which go to Kansas for allowing guns in K-12 schools, Virginia for allowing guns in bars, as long as the patron doesn’t drink, Utah for allowing guns on college campuses, and Florida for being on the brink of passing a bill that penalizes doctors for talking to children and parents about guns in the home. Since the Tuscon shootings, background checks and gun laws has become a hot topic among both the public and legislators. With many states facing criticism for having lax laws, it is good that we see reports such as this to praise states like California who have the right laws in place. With comparisons there to be made, perhaps it’s time that the authorities in the states who received a low rating from the Brady Campaign took a long, hard look at the laws they have in place and how they can be improved.]]>