Holes In Clinton's Safety Net For Guns

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By Newsweek Editors

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Flanked by police chiefs and mayors, Bill Clinton looked triumphant when he unveiled a new gun-buyback program last week and announced that the computerized "instant check" system (NICS) had blocked 100,000 illegal gun sales in its first seven months. But among those who do background checks, there is a growing sense that NICS is full of holes. For one thing, the system is only as good as the records entered into it, and many local courts are lax about reporting convictions. And despite original plans, NICS isn't linked to state mental-health records. That's significant in light of surprising new research on suicides, which account for the biggest chunk of gun deaths. Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin are finding that more than half of those who shoot themselves buy the guns less than a month before. Early data suggest that a third have a history of mental illness--which means a check of state hospital records might keep some from buying guns. Officials point out that no screening system will be 100 percent effective. Unfortunately, the gun usually is.

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