Here’s the straight facts on gun sales

Regarding the letter published July 26 (“We must control access to guns,” Pamela Richardson): I want to clear up some incorrect statements made by the letter writer.

If you are a gun dealer, what are the factors to be used when selling a gun to a person? How do you tell if a person is dangerous or a criminal or unstable? When a person buys a gun (handgun, rifle, shotgun), you must fill out a form with 20 questions. One of the questions asks if the buyer has ever been judged mentally incompetent (yes or no). This form must be filled out for every gun bought at a gun show or gun shop.

After filling out the form, the dealer is required by federal law to call the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He then submits the buyer's Social Security number. The ATF then does a background check and tells the dealer if the buyer is cleared to purchase.

In Iowa, the buyers of a handgun must also have a state permit to purchase handguns, acquired from the county sheriff, only after a seven-day waiting period and paying a fee. This permit is good for five years.

At the time of sale, information on the gun is recorded (type, manufacturer, serial number).

What would have been the result had someone in that Colorado movie audience been carrying his own firearm? Possibly a few less innocents killed and one tormented soul put to rest.

Fred Thompson

Cedar Rapids