Harry Reid: Fort Hood Shooting Should Revive Gun Control Push

Speaking to reporters on April 3rd, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said the shooting at Fort Hood should revive the gun control push.

According to The Washington Post, Reid said, “As I was told today, [Army Spc. Ivan Lopez] bought his gun a day or two before he killed these people. Couldn’t we at least have background checks so that people who are ill mentally, or who are felons, shouldn’t be able to buy guns?”

This is somewhat misleading because “law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the pistol used by Lopez… was purchased legally last month… at Guns Galore.” This means Lopez went through a background check to get the gun, which also means the failed Senate gun bill would not have stopped Lopez from getting it.

It is important to remember the failed Senate gun bill would have expanded the number of background checks, but they would essentially be the very same checks we have right now. That is because the structures and mechanisms for the kind of information sharing required to do the background checks that Democrats promote doesn’t even exist. 

So the promise of peace and safety through expanded background checks actually just boils down to a way for the government to begin learning where every gun is and when every gun changes hands. 

Reid added that he would like to bring the bill to expand background checks up for a vote again, but he needs “some more votes.”

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.