On November 30, 1993, the Brady Handgun Prevention Act was enacted, which required “a waiting period and criminal records check before a dealer may deliver a handgun to a purchaser” (Vizzard 881). This law not only affects people who suffer from mental illnesses, but it also includes all people to submit their past. The Brady Handgun Prevention Act intentionally affects people with a criminal background, so that the felons are not inspired to break more laws with the use of a gun. Studies have shown that alleged criminals could benefit from this law, because they do not have the weaponry to break more laws. Statistics state that “increases in background checks are associated with a decrease in the total crime rate and the relationship is significant at the 10% level. The increase in background checks between 2000 and 2012 are associated with a 3.5% reduction in property crimes” (Lang 50). The use for background checks is an ethical viewpoint, because it prevents innocents from being in harm’s way. Though background searches uncover peoples hidden pasts, they protect people’s futures from being affected by guns. Researchers discovered that “Since 1998 background searches have stopped over 1 million people from getting guns; the background checks prevent the criminally minded, mentally ill, and for the suicidal people from owning a gun” (Gun Ownership with Stricter Controls Could Reduce Gun Violence