评论
打印
Every time there’s another mass shooting in America — politicians have the same idea.
每次美国发生大规模枪击事件，政客们的脑海里都会冒出同样的想法……
"It’s time to require a background check for anyone who wants to buy a gun."
“是时候对想买枪的人进行背景调查了。”
"I’m one of the Republicans who does believe there should be background checks."
“有一部分共和党人认为应该进行背景调查，我便是其中之一。”
"It is an open secret that the existing background check system is broken."
“现有的背景调查系统存在许多弊病，这点是大家心知肚明的。”
"Oh, I have an appetite for background checks.
“我对背景调查是很感兴趣的。
We’re going to be doing background checks."
我们要做背景调查。”
Here’s what they want to change:
而他们真正想要改变的是：
Right now, gun buyers in the US only have to go through a background check at a gun store.
在美国，只有在枪支商店购买枪支才需进行背景审查。
But they don’t have to go through one if they buy a gun from an unlicensed dealer, like at a gun show or a private sale.
但如果他们从没有执照的经销商那里购买枪支，比如在枪支展览上购买或私下交易，就不必走这样的程序。
But with universal background checks, everyone who buys a gun would go through one.
但是，实行全面背景调查制度的话，所有买枪的人就都需要进行背景审查。
Pretty much every American is in favor of this.
几乎每个美国人都是支持这一政策的。
There’s only one problem.
只是有一个问题：
Universal background checks won’t solve America’s gun crisis.
全面背景调查并不能解决美国的枪支危机。
But there’s something else that might.
但有一个办法或许可以。
To understand how background checks work,
要了解背景调查的工作原理，
it helps to imagine two very different people, who both want to buy a gun.
我们可以想象都想买枪，但彼此截然不同的两种人。
This first person is dangerous.
第一种人是危险分子。
Maybe he has a history of domestic violence or mental illness.
比如他有家庭暴力或精神病史。
And most importantly — he has a record.
最重要的是，他有犯罪记录。
And the second one is not dangerous.
第二种不是危险分子。
He just wants a gun for protection or to go hunting or cause shooting guns is kinda fun.
他只是想买把枪保护自己，或者买把枪打猎，再或者是因为好玩买枪。
Before either one can buy a gun, they first have to go through an FBI instant background check.
在购买枪支之前，二人都必须先通过联邦调查局的即时背景调查。
And I mean instant — it only takes an average of 108 seconds to get a response from the FBI’s database.
我是说，即时——因为平均只要108秒就能从联邦调查局的数据库中得到反馈。
That database is made up of records sent in by state police and other agencies.
这个数据库是用州警察和其他机构发送的记录统计出来的。
And it’s checked to see if the buyer has things like a criminal record, addiction, a restraining order or has been hospitalized for a mental illness.
它会筛查买家是否存在犯罪记录、毒瘾、限制令以及是否因精神疾病住过院等案底。
Under a universal background check system, anyone buying a gun — whether in a gun store, or through a private sale —
在全面背景调查系统的框架下，任何人购买枪支——无论是从枪支商店购买，还是私下交易——
would have to be checked through that database.
都必须通过这一数据库的审查。
That means our second person walks out with a gun.
也就是说，这样一来的结果便是，上面的第二种人拿着买到的枪走了。
And our first person, with a criminal record, doesn’t.
而第一种有犯罪记录的人却不能。
Or, at least he shouldn’t.
或者，至少不应该让他买到。
"I’ve done a lot of reporting on this,
“我做过很多这方面的报道，
we have just seen time and time again background checks just do not stop people we don’t want having guns from actually getting the weapons."
我们也一而再再而三地看到背景调查根本不能阻止那些我们不希望拥有枪支的人弄到枪支。”
There are a couple problems with the background check system.
因为背景调查系统存在几个问题。
One is that the FBI database is about as outdated as its logo.
首先，联邦调查局的数据库和它的标识一样老掉牙。
It’s missing millions of records.
有无数条记录都被它漏掉了。
That’s why the Charleston church shooter was able to buy a gun, despite having a record.
这就是为什么查尔斯顿教堂枪击案的凶手有犯罪记录也买到了枪的原因。
Or why the man who killed 26 Texan churchgoers was also able to pass a background check,
也是杀害了26名德州教徒的凶手明明有家庭暴力的案底，
after the Air Force failed to send his domestic abuse convictions to the FBI.
就因为空军部门没有把他的纪录交给联邦调查局，致使他通过了背景审查的原因。
So even with a background check for every type of sale, there’s still a chance this guy gets a gun.
所以，即便每一笔交易都进行背景调查，这哥们儿还是有机会拿到枪。
That’s partly why study after study has found that
一次次的研究都发现，
while background checks “prevent, or make substantially more difficult, the criminal acquisition of firearms,”
虽然背景调查能够“阻止罪犯获得枪支，或大大增加犯罪获得枪支的难度”，
making them universal doesn’t actually have any effect on the actual gun crisis in America: gun deaths.
普及背景调查并不会对美国真正的枪支危机——枪支引发的死亡问题产生任何影响。
A Johns Hopkins study of California, where comprehensive background checks were implemented in 1991,
约翰霍普金斯大学对1991年就开始实行全面背景审查的加州展开了一项调查，
found the law was “not associated with changes in firearm suicide or homicide.”
发现“枪支引发的自杀或他杀率的变化与这一法律并无关联。”
Thanks in part to those incomplete and missing records.
部分原因就在于那些不完整或缺失的记录。
The other problem with background checks is that they only look at “good” people and “already bad” people.
背景调查系统的另一个问题是它只针对“好人”和“确认已经变坏”的人。
But there is an in-between.
问题是，这两种人之间还有一个中间地带。
"The background checks are supposed to catch people who have a record already.
“背景调查抓的是那些已经有记录的人。
It just misses all the people who haven’t done anything bad yet but might do something bad in the future."
却漏掉了所有那些现在还没做坏事，但将来可能会做的人。”
Herman is not advocating for a Minority Report situation.
赫曼并不是在倡导《少数派报告》里那种谋杀100%可预测的操作。
He’s talking about someone like this guy, who is also dangerous, but who doesn’t have a record.
他说的是同样很危险，但还没有记录的购枪者。
Under a universal background check system — he could get a gun.
在全面背景调查的框架下，他是能买到枪的。
In 108 seconds.
而且只需要108秒。
But there’s another system that could prevent this.
但有一种制度能阻止这种情况的发生。
Twelve states and Washington, DC have gone one step further and established a licensing system.
华盛顿特区和另外12个州已经率先推出了许可制度。
How’s it different?
要说这种制度有什么不一样？
Well, Here’s how it works in Massachusetts:
嗯……我们先来看看它在马萨诸塞州是怎么运作的吧。
Before you ever go to a gun store, you first have to take a firearm safety course.
在你真正走进枪支商店之前，你得先上枪械安全课。
Then you go to the police department and submit an application,
然后倒警察局提交申请，
give references and give your fingerprints for a background check.
提供证明人和指纹作背景调查之用。
Then not only is the FBI database checked,
接下来，不仅联邦调查局的数据库会被启动，
but all local law enforcement agencies wherever you’ve lived are directly contacted, along with the Department of Mental Health.
你居住地——无论你住在什么地方——的所有执法机构，还有精神健康部门都会接到联系。
That entire process in Massachusetts usually takes about 3 weeks.
在马萨诸塞州，这整个流程通常需要3周才能走完。
And most people‚ about 97% — pass.
而大多数申请人，97%左右，都能顺利通过审查。
"Nothing about a gun licensing system will prevent a law-abiding citizen from going through the process and obtaining a firearm."
“如果是遵纪守法的公民，枪支许可制度是完全不会阻止他们通过审查获取枪支的。”
That’s Dr.Cassandra Crifasi,
这位是卡桑卓·克里法西，
she researches health policy at Johns Hopkins, and she’s one of the authors of the studies earlier.
她在约翰霍普金斯大学研究健康政策，也是上文提到的研究的作者之一。
She says the reason licensing works is that it’s designed to do both of the big things background checks fail at.
她说，授权制度之所以管用，是因为它是专门用来做背景调查没有做到的两件大事的。
"A, to properly identify and screen out people who shouldn’t have guns.
“一，正确识别并筛除不应该持有枪支的人群。
And B, create a system to reduce impulsive gun purchases."
二，建立起一个降低冲动消费枪支几率的体系。”
The licensing system is more comprehensive than the one-database background check system,
许可制度要比数据库单一的背景调查系统更全面，
so our criminal will be reliably denied a gun.
因此，可以放心地说，我们的罪犯是拿不到枪的。
But because it’s so meticulous, it also stands a chance of keeping our third guy, without a record, from getting a gun.
不过，因为这种制度审查得极为仔细，因而还能让我们的第三种人，本身也没有记录的人拿不到枪。
"There are people who, may want to impulsively acquire a firearm, for example to harm themselves or others.
“有些人，可能是一时冲动想要买枪，比如买枪伤害他人或买枪自残。
And the process of obtaining a license can at least delay that person during that time of crisis
那申请许可的流程至少可以将正处于危机的他们拖住，
or maybe deter them from getting that firearm at all."
甚至阻止他们获得枪支。”
In 1995, Connecticut implemented a licensing system.
1995年，康涅狄格州也开始实行这一制度了。
Over the next 10 years, they saw a drop in gun homicides and gun suicides.
接下来的10年里，该州涉枪杀人和涉枪自杀几率双双下降。
Compare that to Missouri, which once had a licensing system, but got rid of it in 2007,
相比之下，曾经也实行了许可制度，后来在2007年取消了该制度的密苏里州，
over the next decade, they had a huge spike in homicides and gun suicides.
在取消了许可制度后的十年里，该州的杀人案和枪支自杀数量都出现了激增。
In both states there were lots of factors involved.
这两个州出现这样的情况跟很多因素都有关系。
But researchers say this shows that licensing works.
但研究人员表示，这表明，许可制度是管用的。
It’s also… pretty popular.
不仅如此，这一制度也很受大众欢迎。
Among voters who live in a house with a gun, more than two-thirds think that it’s a good idea.
家里有枪的选民中，有超过2/3的人认为这个办法好。
Ask all Americans and more than three-quarters support it.
就整个国家而言，有3/4以上的人都表示支持。
Background checks are supposed to stop bad people from getting guns.
背景调查本应该阻止坏人获取枪支。
But they often don’t.
但它们通常都没有做到这一点。
Licensing picks up that slack.
许可制度就填补了这一空白。
"By making sure that people are crossing these hurdles,
“通过确保大家都要通过这些障碍才能获得枪支，
we just make sure, in a much better, stronger way, that people are not getting firearms when they shouldn’t have them."
我们以比以前的办法好得多，也牢靠地多的方式确保了大家在不应该拥有枪支的时候不会获得枪支。”
