These are things most folks don't know. Many of today's gun owners didn't own guns when Reagan was President, or may not have even been born yet. Some just have short memories. Politicians ride an agenda/platform many times that does not reflect what is best for America, but what is best for them. They say what their constituents and those that fund them want to hear. Today the sky may be blue, but tomorrow it may be green. Anybody that was alive after the Kennedy assassinations knows that the whole country, both left and right, had strong sentiments towards more gun control and is a major reason the GCA of 1968 was enacted. Same with the Brady Bill after the attempt on Reagan....which Reagan supported heavily.
......yet, those kids that received those "participation" trophies were participating in something positive and constructive, and most likely were involved because of support from their parents. They also spent a good part of their time doing that positive and constructive thing, so they didn't get into trouble, and had to keep their grades up to participate. These aren't the kids that we need to worry about, for the most part. And, since when did education become a bad thing?
While I am not for any more gun control for law abiding citizens, I also don't see this law as being as much as "anti-gun", as it is keeping guns from the hands of criminals(security systems and employee BG checks) and the protection of the gun dealers themselves(Liability insurance). As I and others have said, for the most part, responsible FFLs are probably already doing this even in states where it is not required by law. In the past, around here, it wasn't the larger more responsible FFLs that were allowing for straw purchases or making deals under the table with no 4473 for used guns, it was the kitchen table FFL. Kinda why they made that license harder to get.
I'm all for more punishment for any criminal that uses a gun to commit a crime. I am all for heavier fines/punishment for folks that allow weapons to get into the hands of children and those that are prohibited. I am on the fence about making all gun transfers(i.e. FTF) go thru FFLs, but mostly because I rarely if ever buy used from someone I don't know personally.