Firing of Mall Santa with Past Sex Conviction causes Controversy

Recently abuzz on the news is the recent firing of a 33-year old local mall Santa in Sheboygan Wisconsin Tuesday, just three days before Christmas day. Hal Specht, was hired by an agency that coordinates Santa appearance on numerous malls in Wisconsin. During Specht's employment, his supervisors ran several background checks despite him already passing his agencies background checks.

The agency that employed the mall Santa, IPI Event Photography, assured the public that they run criminal background checks on all their employees, and that there was nothing found when they ran a check on Hal Specht, but it was later found that Hal Specht had legally changed his name from Hal Barts in October 2008. Apparently, Specht lied on his application and claimed he had no criminal convictions which were confirmed during his background check with IPI.

There were some concerns among the public regarding the validity of Specht's termination. Although it is understandable that he is at fault for lying on his application, the core of the issue is the crime he committed and whether or not it justifies his termination.

On the background check run on Hal Barts, his report showed that Barts, who was then 23 years old, was convicted of having sex with a 16-year old runaway who was found hiding in his residence in 1999. Records also show a conviction for felony escape, but any checks that are run under Hal Specht show no convictions.

Multiple comments and emails sent to news rooms, and news sites have expressed concerns regarding the law that allows children who initiate sexual relations with other children from being convicted as sexual offenders. On most cases it is the parent of the female that files the case against their child's partner even if the intercourse was consensual. Similar to Hal Bart's case, where further investigations show, ran away with his 16 year old girlfriend when he was 23 years old and was convicted for sexual misdemeanor when both he and his partner were caught.

Employment Credit Background Checks keep Jobless Unemployed

In the past, having a credit background check for a job at the local Wal-mart was never a part of the employment process, but now with background checking services becoming cheaper and easier to do, more and more employers are using credit checks to judge a potential employees character.

Numerous people have already lost job opportunities due to problems seen by their prospective employers when their credit background check reports arrive. But for majority of the time there really isn't a relationship between job performance and credit problems.

Employment and recruitment experts have sighted that unemployment rates throughout the country continue to stay at double digits and is still climbing. More than 35 percent of the jobless remain without jobs for more than six months at a time. This in turn would lead to unpaid bills and debt which results in bad credit. It's a vicious cycle that haunts majority of the unemployed citizens throughout the US.

Today more that 45 percent of companies now include credit background checks in their employment screening. These credit checks show a potential employees payment history, outstanding debts and may or may not include the actual credit score depending on the service they are using and the information they require.

Numerous arguments have now been raised, labor advocates have expressed concerns that an applicant's credit standing should not be used as a basis to decide if a person is qualified, some applicants are automatically denied even if they were otherwise qualified. But employment experts argue that credit histories may serve as a good meter to judge how dependable a person is or if it's possible they might be tempted to bite the hand that feeds them.

There are proposed federal legislations that would put a stop to the practice, preventing employers from using an applicant's credit history as a factor for denying an applicant a job. It is understandable for some fields of work to conduct these credit checks, like high security companies and job descriptions that involve large amount of money or valuables.

Taking Gun Background Checks into Their Own Hands

Some gun safety advocates are worried about the apparent effectiveness of the current FBI Instant Background Check System. They worry that the response time and overall integrity of the program may be affected by the continued tightening of state budget.

Multiple government and privately run investigations has shown that the Brady Act, one of the corner stone of gun control laws, is apparently not that effective anymore. It is not as much as a problem with the law itself but with its implementation.

One major problem is with the continued practice of people purchasing firearms without going through background checks during gun shows which occur almost every week all around the United States.

With the rising problems in crime and guns continually falling into criminal hands, some states are now taking the law into their own hands, metaphorically and literally speaking. Colorado, one of 14 states that have launched their own state-run programs to conduct their own background checks, and they have already prevented 26 convicted felons and murderers from purchasing firearms using their state-run InstaCheck program.

In Colorado alone nearly five thousand people this November have been denied from purchasing a firearm, due to past criminal records, assault charges, or pending cases and arrest warrants.

Other states are still having their gun shops and registered dealers using the FBI Instant Criminal Background Check System, but there have been reports of delayed reports on some states. With some background check reports coming back as long as three days, which in some situations would already let the buyer purchase the firearm due to the delay.

The FBI Instant Background Check System still runs majority of the gun control background checks in the United States. It still is very effective at running background checks and preventing criminals from buying firearms, but in recent years it has been neglected and hasn't had much attention from congress or the government.

There are multiple advocates that have been pushing for stricter enforcement on the gun control laws, and perhaps an overhaul of the current laws, one of which is the Federal Brady Gun Control and Background check act of 1994, which hasn't had any improvement since its enactment.

Uninvited Party Crashers Reveal Lapse in White House Security

There was an apparent inadequacy in security during a White House State Dinner with President Barrack Obama, his family, White House elites, and other foreign dignitaries. Two uninvited guests that were not on the guest list were allowed to enter the event which has raised questions on how the secret service is protecting the president.

These party crashers did not even go through a background check, and the fact remains that the situation could have been much worse had they been terrorist agents or extremist out to harm the president.

Guests to the State Dinner had to go through criminal background checks before being listed as guest to ensure that they not pose any possible threats to the president or his guests, but the two crashers did not go through such a check.

It is still under investigation and a full inquiry has been launched on how and why these two were able to slip through multiple layers of high-level security, the white house's security checks and the secret service. Among the guests of the dinner were powerful world leaders such as the Prime Minister of India and other government officials.

The intruders were identified as two aspiring reality TV stars, Michaele and Tareq Salahi. They were shockingly able to bring with them a film crew and make-up artists. They were able to literally rub shoulders with the Vice President and the White House Chief of staff among many others, after which they posted pictures on their facebook pages.

Secret service officials spent their thanksgiving answering inquiries from reporters regarding the Virginia couples escapade during one of the most exclusive social events in the country. They refused to comment on details regarding their investigations on how the couple managed to enter the premises and the apparent lack of implementation of security procedures during the event.

The party crashers were not the first fame seekers to do this kind of stunt these past few months. The Heene family who also shocked the nation, when they set off a homemade saucer shaped balloon and claimed that their six year old son was on board, just to get the attention of TV producers.

VA Tech Survivor Surveillance Videos on Poorly Enforced Gun Laws

It is a sad and disturbing reality that anyone in our country, including criminals, murderers, rapist, gangsters, felons and even those with dangerous mental illness, can easily purchase a high powered assault rifle without as much as a background check.

Although we do have laws that prohibit them from doing so, the law does not cover private sellers from peddling their lethal goods in thousands of gun shows across 43 states.

It is a well known fact, and is no secret, even to our own government. You just have to know where to go.

There is really an apparent weakness in the enforcement of these laws, or be it a deliberate oversight. Most of the time, people just don't care, unless their directly involved in the consequences of this apparent mistake in our society.

Colin Goddard is a survivor of the Virginia Tech Massacre of April 16, 2007. He was shot multiple times, and fortunately managed to survive through the ordeal. He is now dedicated in letting people know how dangerous this oversight is.

This is his story:




Colin, with the help of fellow gun law advocates, went to numerous gun shows to show the people how poorly gun laws are enforced and how anyone can buy guns without going through any kind of background checks.

The Brady Gun Law required anyone who wished to purchase a firearm, but it only applies to licensed firearms dealers and not to private sellers. Colin and a few friends travelled to different gun shows across America including his home state of Virginia, equipped with hidden surveillance cameras to document how sellers recklessly sell their guns to buyers with no questions asked. Selling Semi-automatic assault rifles and pistols to who ever can dish out the cash.

Watch the Video Here:




The danger to our freedom and safety is apparent in this video, it shows how dangerous people can easily arm themselves with high powered weapons. The move to close down the gun show loophole is of course met with fierce opposition by the Gun Lobby, led by the NRA (National Rifle Association) which fights to keep unlicensed sellers and the sales in these shows legal.

There is a growing number of supporters to close down the gun show loophole, with various petitions to Congress to stand up to the Gun Lobby and strictly enforce criminal background checks on all gun buyers at gun shows.

You can sign petition on their website: http://www.bradycampaign.org

Renewed Background Checks after Texas Town Tragedy

Killeen, Texas – A quite little close-knit town in Texas, adjacent to the largest military installation in the US, was devastated by a shooting spree by a lone gunman. The gunman open fired on a room full of soldiers preparing for deployment, wounding 30 and killing 13.

The perpetrator was an US army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik Hasan. What seemingly was an ordinary day on the 5th of November now is day the residents of Killeen would never forget. Soldiers and workers in the installation never saw it coming, nor did they expect the tragedy’s perpetrator to be one of their own.

The town and the US installations relationship is what you would call symbiotic, as seen the various stores that offer tailoring services for uniforms, and the bars where soldiers and townsfolk are seen sharing breakfast and coffee at the same table.

Sunday, 8th of November, 13 white crosses were placed on a church in Killeen, as well as various donation booths for the victim’s family. There was a widespread concern among the townspeople on the overall security of the installation and how it can affect their town.

“We’re shocked because this is the biggest Army base in the world. How could that happen?” “It’s really sad.” commented one of the Killeen’s residents.

The US base has then voiced out various measures to prevent the tragedy from happening again, they have mentioned tighter security checks when entering the installation as well as renewed background checks on both current and new employees.

This incident has sparked concerns among both government and the private sectors, prompting others to rethink their security strategies by now including renewed background checks on current employees to promote safety and protect everyone in their companies and their communities.

Background Check News: Beefed Up Commitment to Enforce Existing Gun Laws Required

Investigators placed by New York City Mayor's office pretending to be firearm buyers, secretly filmed different purchases made by their agents across a three state and seven city study on the gun show loophole.

The undercover surveillance video shows how simple and quick it is to purchase firearms during the thousands of gun shows held every weekend across America.

The undercover investigators clearly mentioned not being able to pass background checks while attempting to purchase the firearms. They were still able to buy the guns anyway. Under law a seller is not to proceed with a firearm transaction if he/she has reason to believe that the buyer cannot pass a background check. The video shows clearly how anyone, even convicted criminals and murderers, can easily score firearms during these gun shows.

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Here is the video showing the transactions:



After the gun show sweeps, New York City Mayor's office had some startling figures, the office's undercover agents were able to purchase 36 semi-automatic hand guns and 2 assault rifles without going through background checks, and in some instances even without as much as showing an ID.

During the investigations, the agents ran multiple integrity tests on gun show sellers, and 19 of the 30 private sellers failed by selling firearms to the agents who admitted to not being able to pass background checks. This comes as no surprise to some security analyst, during these shows, when a buyer comes with the right amount, the dealer will sell the gun, no questions asked.

The investigation clearly shows the existence of the gun show loophole, which studies show are the source of firearms for a large percentage of criminal activities across the united states. 30 percent of the illegally trafficked firearms are traced to gun shows, a figure reported by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Major concerns among the different state heads is the lack of enforcement to the current gun control laws, laws that are already in the books, but is poorly enfored, especially during these gun shows.

Florida Orders Checks on Employee Background Checks

Florida USA – A recent review by The South Florida Sun-Sentinel had reported that there are more that 6,000 employees that were approved by the state, who are now currently working with children, the elderly and the disabled, including people who have been previously convicted of felonies such as rape, murder, sexual harassment, and other violent crimes.

This finding has prompted Governor Charlie Crist in ordering agencies and businesses to recheck and audit their compliance with the state law requiring criminal background checks on people employed in sensitive positions and those whose jobs directly involve, children and the elderly.

The Governor’s order coincides with a recent legislation by Democratic Senator Nan Rich to tighten up screening requirements. Current laws still do allow caregivers to start work even before their criminal background checks are completed.

The proposal would mean that the Department of Children and Families will perform follow-up criminal background checks on currently employed workers including those who have been previously given exemptions to work despite having criminal convictions in the past.

Obama Supreme Court Nominee, SotoMayor, Dodged Questions on Gun Background Checks and Abortion

Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, during the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, sat through hours of discussions and question.

But during this grueling interrogation, Sotomayor managed to do what almost all high court nominees have done in the last two decades, and that was to dodge controversial questions pertaining current issues on abortion and gun control laws.


The only difference now is that the hearing almost became a media circus with columnist and critics giving mixed reactions to how Sotomayor answered the controversial questions. Most questions that were thrown were met with a comment which left supporters on both sides hanging and without definite answers.

She was able to give details of her court decisions based upon her long judicial records, which were dug up especially for this hearing. When questions on her stand on the current background check and gun control laws, she quickly refused to engage republicans on what her views were on abortion, gun background checks, and same-sex marriage.

She apparently did not show any kind of favor towards being against or for abortion and gun ownership rights. The way Sotomayor handled herself during the interrogations drew praise among those who witnessed the hearing stating that she is unbiased and decides her cases based on facts and not on her predetermined opinion and stance towards these laws.

“I can’t answer in the abstract” was a phrase she repeated more than once in facing questions regarding these issues. As the hearing drew near to a close, Democrats no longer pressed on Sotomayor to disclose her views on the issues, and instead defended her for her experience and unbiased decision making as seen on her long judicial records.

Homeowners Cry Foul over Landlords Requiring their Visitors to Undergo Criminal Background Checks

Dallas, Texas - A basis for a new implemented measure by a Dallas housing development firm is that the main source of most domestic crimes are perpetrated not by residents but by the residents' visitors.

The new measure requires that tenants' visitors that are staying over are to register and undergo a criminal background check which brought about a lot of complaints from tenants, and home owners associations from the units operated by the Dallas Housing Authority. DHA operates at 27 locations with 3,900 units.

The controversial new lease agreement requiring tenants to have overnight visitors register and undergo criminal background checks, was met with negative feedbacks from would be tenants as well as current ones. They proclaim that the new policies are a direct invasion of privacy and that the DHA does not have the right to choose who they let into their home.

Some tenants proclaim the problems that will arise with the implementation of such a policy, stating how they were to tell guest or visitors that they had to undergo criminal background check before they are allowed into their homes.

After the initial proposal, the agreement was revised and reinstated with new compromises agreed upon by the DHA and the homeowners. The policy now says that guests must undergo criminal background checks under to conditions, that is if the staff believe they are living at the property without authorization and if they cause any problems that cause complaints among other tenants.

Among these revises there were additional policies implemented with the agreement stating that the DHA will no longer lease to anyone with any history of arson or child sex crimes. These revisions and policy will be up for voting by the board of commissioners in august.

Why The Nice Man Didn't Save the Toddler

Just goes to show that our own ignorance, fear, and paranoia have finally caught up. Not only do we choose to ignorantly see the worst in people, but now so is our own government. It's just so sad that even actions done with good will can be considered grounds for suspicion of evil. I also read about the man who was sued for trying to save someone who was trying to commit suicide, now that's just wrong. Our laws are no longer making any sense, and is basically now trying to ban us from acting like moral human beings.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Firearm Criminal Background Check could have Prevented McNair Shooting

Nashville, Tenn. – Recently abuzz on news papers and news networks is the death of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair and his 20-year-old girlfriend found dead by his side. McNair was shot four times, twice in the head and twice on his chest, while his girlfriend died of a single gunshot on the side of her head.

They were both found dead on a downtown Nashville condominium leased by McNair and close friend Wayne Neeley.

Police are yet to determine if this was in fact a murder suicide. The gun that was used was a firearm purchased by McNair's girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, from an unnamed private seller. Investigators have yet to identify or name the private seller. Sahel Kazemi was not yet of legal age to buy a firearm from a licensed gun store, and if she did, she would have failed the background check that would be required to purchase guns.


Current gun background check loopholes, like purchasing from private sellers, have not really been given much attention. Had background check and gun control laws been strictly implemented, the waiting time and background check on Kazemi could have prevented the alleged murder suicide.

McNair is married and his death leaves his four children fatherless. Police and detective have yet to provide solid evidence to determine that the shooting was a murder homicide brought about by a lover's quarrel gone wrong or perpetrated by a third party assailant.

One thing is clearly determinable, McNair's death was a homicide, but the death of his Kazemi is yet to be determined. Uncovering the truth will follow after thorough investigation, autopsies and ballistic tests.

DBAV News: Gun Range Suicides Prompt Gun Rental Background Checks

Orlando, Florida - On July 1st 2009, Wednesday, a 43-year-old man went inside an Orange County gun range and rented a gun for target practice. Valentin Pepelea proceeded to fire a few shot before pulling the trigger on himself at around 6:40pm. Employees and witnesses told reporters that the man was a regular, and never caused any problems with anyone at the range.


Rieg's Gun Range is on South Orange Blossom Trail, and the shooting is the fourth incident and the third gun range suicide in Florida since April where a woman shot her 20-year-old son and then killed herself at a Casselberry shooting range.


The other incident was at the same Casselberry range where a 26-year-old Jason McCarthy killed himself with a 9mm rented handgun. The first incident was a failed suicide attempt on June at another Orange County gun range.

There are no current laws or regulations that require a person to undergo background checks before renting a firearm in any of the 50 states. The only requirement is an ID.

The recent incident has raised concerns about the gun ranges and establishments readily renting guns to anyone without checking on their mental or criminal backgrounds. Currently Florida Gun Ranges are already petitioning for legislators to pass a law mandating background checks for people renting firearms, and allowing these ranges to access government databases to conduct instant background checks.

The Casselbury gun range where most of the suicides occurred are now looking at running instant background checks by employing a third party firms services, and are no longer renting firearms since the july incident. Other Florida gun ranges no longer rent out firearms to individuals but only to parties of two or more, they would also require an ID copy of a family member and their phone number before being allowed to possess the firearm.

Federal law does not mandate these requirements, but since the incidents, gun ranges have made their own regulations regarding gun rentals. Many second amendment advocates see's these regulations as a threat to American's rights to bear arms, despite the current suicides.

Mandatory Pilot Background Checks called for at FAA Regional Airline Safety Summit

Original Article: DBAV Background Check News

After several high profile plane crashes in recent months like the February crash in Buffalo, N.Y., and the June crash of an Airbus over the Atlantic Ocean, the FAA is now seeking changes and improved pilot training as well as more thorough background checks on all airline applicants. The FAA recently called for a meeting of all the major airline businesses in the US for a regional airline safety summit.

The catastrophic crash of a propeller plane in Buffalo New York, which caused 50 confirmed fatalities, was a wake up call for members of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The incident sparked different reactions amongst the public and from members of the FAA. The main cause of the buffalo crash was due to pilot error, and evidence shows that the crash could have been easily prevented if the pilots acted or did what they were trained to do.


The flight black box recording instead shows that the pilots did the opposite of what was supposed to be done, this in turn opened up questions of whether the pilots went through proper training and were updated with new procedures, also in question is the airline company and how they might be held responsible for negligent hiring.

Representatives of different airline businesses met in Washington DC for a regional airline safety summit to focus on finding ways to make flying safer for the public.

On top of their concerns, was the lack proper background checks on pilots, and how some companies are negligent in hiring pilots without looking through their training history and their background information. The committee also mentions the importance of verifying pilot's credentials against a thorough background check.

Airline companies were required to do complete background checks on all pilots they wish to hire including permission from the pilots for their employers to access all their training records, perform criminal background checks, and check previous experience and employer records.

It became apparent after the wake of the buffalo crash that not all airlines run extensive background checks on new hired pilots. Without going through background checks, there is a possibility that an inexperienced or improperly trained pilot can get hired and will fly commercial airplanes, risking the lives of countless passengers.

Current aviation laws states that pilots need to sign release forms to allow potential employers to perform background checks and access their training records, but the FAA wants to make these mandatory and is actually pushing to make this into law. The FAA is looking into making a recommendation for congress to expand the Pilot Records Improvement Act to allow employers access to all documents and records in a pilot's file.

The summit was organized after the recent crashed in previous months with the purpose of improving and finding new ways to improve safety.

Use Car Background Checks to Avoid Headaches and Costly Repairs

Orinigal Article: Use Car Background Checks to Avoid Headaches and Costly Repairs

Do you know what a car background check is? It is pretty self explanatory, but you might be asking yourself what the significance is of doing a background check on a car?

Well, if you are in the market to buy a second hand or used car then a background check on your selected vehicle can prove to be vital. Perhaps you're eyeing that red corvette in the used car lot you pass through when going to work, or for the new teenage driver in the household. Whatever your purpose is, don't ever jump into that purchase without doing a little background checking first.

Before you go and perform a car background check, first try to gather as much information as you can, perhaps jot down the plate number, year, make, model, owner or contact number. Then make arrangements to meet the owner and take the car for a test drive.

Now that you have gathered this information, you can now perform a car background check to try to see if the data matches with what you have gathered so far. When you pull out this report, you can check if there are any discrepancies with what the owner or salesman told you, and decide whether to take the offer or not. A car background check can reveal a load of information you can use.

Check if the car has been in any major or minor accidents; try to see the extent of the damage. And more importantly check if the car's registered owner is the person who you met with. Surprisingly a lot of people are conned into buying stolen cars in the US. Only if you are careful can be you prevent yourself from being a statistic.

Part of the results from this search is found in the Department of Motor Vehicle's database. Here you will see the car's history, from its acquisition and every repair that was made to the car from repair shops. Mechanics are usually required to submit a report on car repairs they have made, including the plate number, registration information, and other data to the DMV. You can easily get this information by searching through the internet if you give yourself the time.

Vehicle background checks are used all the time by police officers; they can run plate numbers through their databases which are connected to numerous other databases including the DMV. Usually private detectives have police officer friends who run these checks for them. These reports will show if the car has been reported stolen or if it is unregistered. Acquiring this type of background check report won't be easy, unless you know someone in the police station.

It is always good practice to perform background checks, not only on the cars your buy but also on the people that own them. That way, you are informed beforehand what type of person you will be dealing with. Then you can make the correct informed decision whether to go through with the purchase, or to just find other opportunities and avoid the potential headaches.

In Light of Rising Crime Rates, Online Criminal Background Checks now more Essential

The USA has one of the highest crime rates among other developed countries. Identity theft and white collar is on the increase. Without proper background checking procedures, you or your business can become victims of costly and potentially life destroying criminal activities.

A recent study demonstrated that:

- 95% of all companies are victims of theft, and yet only 10% ever discover it.
- 30% of all business failures are caused by employee theft.
- 39% of all Background Checks had at least one serious flag.

Millions of dollars have reportedly been lost due to fraud and misrepresentation; these crimes are often due to lackluster background checking procedures which can result in employees with less than desirable backgrounds and identities working within important roles where they have access to accounting or employee information.

Laws have now been passed requiring companies and certain positions to have mandatory background checks for all applicants. And it's very surprising how this simple countermeasure has resulted in a dramatic reduction of violence and fraud related crimes.

With the rise of the internet, including social networking where people share information about themselves or their personal lives, it has become much easier to obtain and use this information to commit fraud, or identity theft.

There is some good news - background checks are now more accessible then ever; the US government has actually made their database more transparent in recent years. The net result of this is that the number of business and individuals conducting online and conventional record and criminal background checks has grown significantly (be it for employment or the acquisition of information for personal use). These circumstances and events have led to the growth of the background check industry in the US.

DontBeaVictim.org is a completely free website that provides information regarding this new industry. The site contains relevant and informative articles regarding all the information that you need to know about background checks, how they work, and which background check is most relevant for your situation or workplace.

As they say "An Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure." - For the relatively small price of online background checks, it's worth the peace of mind.

For more information on DontBeaVictim.org, visit the website: http://www.dontbeavictim.org

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Importance of Background Checks

The Truth about Employment Background Checks and Privacy Laws

Privacy laws were put into place basically to protect individuals and privacy of their personal information, but there are times where in there is a necessity to locate and review their personal data. Such is the case when it comes to employment for a certain job, especially if the job description includes being around children or handling large amounts of money unsupervised and other careers including with the government.

Early in the 1990s there was rise in cases involving assault and damages done to customers by employees, and courts then ruled that the employers were legally responsible for negligent hiring. This started the entire employment background check and background screening business we have today. Many privacy laws have been introduced and amended to take the rise in this industry into account.

It still stands today that every individual has the right to privacy, but it is also the right of every employer to get as much information as they can on the person they want to hire. Most, if not all, jobs now require an employee to have good moral character, diligence and at least a clean record. It is legal for employers to carry out normal background checks, previous employment checks, as well as to seek other information on any applicant. Employers have the right to hire the best person for the job, and if the job involves children or money, they wouldn’t want to hire a person with previous sex offenses or robbery charges.

Part of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), is that employers cannot use convictions over 7 years ago as basis for denying any applicant employment. Also part of the FCRA is an act known as the American with Disabilities Act that states that employers are not allowed to use an applicant’s disability as reason for rejection if the disability has no bearing on his/her ability to perform the job offered.

There is a loophole to the FCRA that currently most employers are using; they now use their own resources to conduct the background checks because the act only applies if the employer subcontracts the background checking to a professional agency. Another is that the law only applies to the reporting for the results not to the pre-employment background check itself. They can therefore view all necessary information then provide the applicant with a reason for rejection that is not part of the reasons stated in the FCRA act.

Most of the time when this happens, applicant usually want to view the report themselves, often times some may not bother to. There are some states that allow applicants to legally view all information procured by the employer, but even in these states the law cannot force an employer to hire someone they don’t want to hire. The true reason behind an employee's rejection is, more often than not, kept and never revealed. Any company can just easily say that they found someone better suited for the job and have no legal repercussions whatsoever.

For more information and resource on background checks, self defense, ID theft and other life saving tips visit www.dontbeavictim.org

Gun Control Background Checks; 10 years after Columbine

The mention of Columbine still strikes fear and brings back memories of the awful tragedy that befell on the victims on that fateful day. It is also now synonymous as being the worst school shooting incident in American history.

Colorado - April 20, 1999. Students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a rampage and killed 12 students including a teacher. They were armed with guns, pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, and had propane bombs set up around the school. They later killed themselves forty-five minutes after the massacre began. It was later discovered that they obtained three of their weapons from an 18-year-old acquaintance at a gun show, where their friend was not subjected to any gun background checks.

The incident then sparked a national debate on gun control, and later resulted in mandatory background checks for purchases at gun shows. The "Gun show loophole" was one of many ways Americans could acquire firearms without the hassle of background checks and rid of any waiting time.

Shorty after Columbine, Colorado voters passed a ballot to close the "Gun show loophole" and required dealers to run criminal background checks to purchasers as they would if they were buying at retail stores, but even with the legislation approved there were still ways for potential gun buyers to purchase firearms at gun shows without going through background checks. Some patrons of these gun shows sometimes bring their own guns for sale and sell them to other attendees in private deals not involving any licensed dealer, therefore escaping any background checks that are supposed to be mandatory for any purchase.

A rally was held Monday to commemorate the 10th year anniversary of the incident. The event was sponsored by Colorado Ceasefire, a gun control group. The group is pushing for stricter gun controls laws as well as the strict implementation of current law specifically the mandatory background checks on purchases made at gun shows.

The Brady Campaign, also a gun control group is lobbying for stricter gun control laws. Numerous other groups have also come into being following the Columbine incident and the massacre two years ago at Virginia Tech where 32 people were killed by a lone gunman. A recent report has also shown that 32 people die in gun/shooting related incidents every day in America.

DontBeaVictim.org - Free Background Check Information

Dontbeavictim.org is a free information provider to aid individuals and businesses. The site provides completely free background check information, self defense, safety and security, and other vital tips to help avert and counteract potentially life threatening and otherwise costly situations.

As they say "An Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure." - For the relatively small price of online background checks, it's worth the peace of mind.

If you’d like more information on this topic, please email webmaster@dontbeavictim.org.

Website - www.dontbeavictim.org