[pc86]

Slightly more cynical take - it comes from gun-control advocates who want to repeal all of the firearms provisions in the PLCA lying about what it does to generate more public support for its repeal.

People who just dislike guns (or dislike the people who like guns) then repeat it forever, even after proven wrong.

[kergonath]

I am sure that those people exist, by how many are they and what kind of power do they have? To me it seems that they are convenient boogeymen every time someone suggests a sensible reform that would make gun circulation less of a problem (like restrictions for criminals and mentally unstable people or background checks). I don’t doubt your sincerity, but this is just too simple a point of view for such a complex and nuanced situation.

[pc86]

Pretty much everything out of Giffords is a complete lie[0], for some context. I'm sure there are gun control advocacy groups not as blatant as they are but that's the one I'm most familiar with, in part because they're the most egregious. They command decent power in Washington still.

I think your examples make a good point though. There are absolutely times and places where someone's right to gun ownership can and should be suspended or even outright denied - the same as we do with freedom of speech, voting, or any other right. But it's already illegal in every state for recently released felon to own a gun - only 12 states have some sort of automatic renewal of gun rights and most of them are 10 years after release for non-violent offenses only.

It depends on your definition of "mentally unstable" but there are several mental health questions on the form you have to fill out for the ATF if you buy a firearm. Paradoxically in the 50s-70s there was a huge push to deinstitutionalize mental health treatment, close the vast majority of mental asylums, and make it much harder to involuntarily commit someone, but that's also the primary mechanism by which you prevent someone from acquiring a firearm on mental health grounds.

It's been a while since I've done a deep dive on background check requirements as they tend to vary by type of firearm but you cannot buy any firearm from a dealer without a background check. Honestly I think this is the one gun control advocates could make the most ground on, and the one that people can most reasonably disagree on. Quick AI math tells me that 32 states allow the purchase of a rifle from a private individual without a background check, which covers about 48% of the US population.

[0] https://x.com/GIFFORDS_org/status/1953570096443510896 claims nearly 1,000 people die from gun violence in Colorado in a year when the average is less than 300 and it's never been more than the low 400's - in fact numbers have only drastically increased as Colorado has passed more and more restrictive gun laws