Ted Nugent frequently writes about gun rights, but now his older brother, Jeffrey, has posted his opinion on the matter. And it turns out, he disagrees with Ted– and the NRA –on a key issue.
Jeffrey Nugent wrote a May 17 op-ed about firearms for The Washington Post, where he stresses the need for stronger background checks, a sore spot for the NRA.
He wrote, “I agree with Ted that our constitutional right to bear arms should not be undermined. I want all those who are qualified to purchase a gun to be able to do so. But — and here is where I part ways with my brother — not everyone is qualified to own a gun, so expanded background checks should be a legislative priority.”
The rocker’s brother points out that today, anyone (even a convicted felon) can purchase guns at gun shows or through private sellers without a background check. He asks, “Why would responsible gun owners want to protect people who threaten not only our safety but our gun rights?”
He goes on to say: “The NRA has it wrong: Irresponsible gun owners are bad for everyone. If you shouldn’t have access to a gun, then there should be no way for you to access a gun!”
Ted responded two days later with a post at Newsmax, titled “My Dear Misinformed Brother.”
The crux of his argument is: “Passing expanded background checks would do nothing to curtail or suppress thugs or psychos from accessing weapons and committing mass murder, carjacking, the nightly shootouts in Chicago or a gangsta shooting at the Mother’s Day parade in New Orleans. Paroled thugs or bug-eyed psychotics could not care less about any gun laws.The bold and ugly reality is that they will always gain access to a weapon.”
His feeling, and the feeling of many law enforcement officers (he says he has spoken with “many hundreds of beat cops, homicide investigators, undercover cops, police chiefs, sheriffs, and federal agents” on the matter) is that the criminal justice system is not tough enough. Ted writes, “The vast majority of violent criminals have arrest records many pages long for violent crimes, yet our criminal justice joke pushes them back out on America’s streets to commit more crimes against innocent law-abiding citizens.”
His conclusion: “Keep violent criminals and life threatening psychos in their cages. Problem solved.”
