Ummm...what kind of background checks? Which state are you referring to? Do they check for mental illness, or just felony convictions?
It goes through the Federal database background check. I know for certain that it checks criminal, I am pretty sure the federal database also has mental.
I don't know of any state that does not do this.
Your homemade bomb argument is an irrelevant strawman. A tanker truck filled with gas could probably level a city block.
It is not a straw man, the point is that it is:
1) Easier to make than it is to buy a gun (it is also cheaper)
2) It can do far more damage than a gun
The tanker truck would certainly cause more damage... but obviously those aren't exactly easily accessible.
Like I said....I'm not big on gun bans....but I do support registration and more stringent background checks.
I also think that the state of our mental health system in this country sucks. I've seen studies that indicate that a large chunk of our homeless are the mentally ill. People who used to be treated in institutions. This is what privatization does...Reagan cut funding in the 80's and our homeless population exploded....States couldn't do it on their own....so they discharged them. Funny how there's never enough money to take care of the sick or infirm, but there's always enough money to build more prisons.
I agree we can do more in the mental health side. So many on the left like to point out that Reagan cut funding, which is true. I wonder why Clinton and Obama didn't increase funding... surely left leaning Presidents would take care of them after the evil Reagan kicked them out?
As for the prisons, we are in agreement. In my opinion, every non-violent drug offender should be released. Instead of incarceration, train them to help build infrastructure projects. Then hire them to build infrastructure projects, whether it be bridges, dams, roads etc...