Two gun-control bills passed in the House on March 11 tighten the background check requirements on gun sales, including private ones. David Adams, vice president and legislative director of Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA), described the right to bear arms as “something that’s distinctly American.” He and other gun rights advocates warn that a universal background check is a step toward a means to an end—disarming law-abiding citizens.
Adams told The Epoch Times: “Americans are about individual freedom. That’s what this country was built on. While people owned firearms in Europe at the time of our founding, we are the only ones who have that enshrined in our Constitution as a constitutionally protected right. Canada doesn’t have that. Australia doesn’t have that. We need to understand that this is something that’s part of our culture and our way of life.”