TFred
Regular Member
imported post
PVC posted an update to the Crime Commission meeting today, which contained 5 or 6 articles from various news sources. It's rather long, so I have posted just a link.
Reading through the articles, it is clear to me that we are losing the war on words in the effort to protect private firearms sales between private citizens.
Ironically, the least biased article was by the NBC affiliate from Charlottesville, Channel 29, which did accurately portray these subject transactions as being between private individuals "at a gun show". Nearly all the other articles blatantly misrepresent the issue.
Article 1: "Virginia is one of 35 states that do not require criminal and mental-health background checks for firearms purchases at gun shows." Implies that all gun sales at a gun show are unregulated, not just those between two private citizens, which is unregulated no matter where it takes place.
Article 2: "Even if the Virginia State Crime Commission recommends closing the gun show loophole, or perhaps suggests a middle-ground, supporters of the legislation still face an uphill battle in the General Assembly." Of course there is no "loophole". All licensed gun dealers are required to do background checks for all sales, even at gun shows.
Article 3 (the NBC 29 affiliate): "For both sides, this is a very personal battle about whether Virginia should require background checks for every gun sale, including ones between private sellers at gun shows." Finally some truth, but offset by a blatant misrepresentation from the other side: "'These are not some backyard swap of a few guns. These shows are big business,' said Lori Haas, the mother of an injured Virginia Tech student." Again, implying that all sales at gun shows are unchecked.
The remaining two articles from the Washington Post and Associated Press were more of the same dishonest reporting.
Ladies and gentlemen, if we have any hope or thought to prevailing in this matter, the first battleground is that of terminology. At every use of the phrase "gun show loophole" our first and emphatic reply needs to always be: "There is no loophole, all gun dealers must follow the rules no matter where they make a sale... This is simply the private sale of personal property between two private citizens."
These articles at least imply, and come very close to explicitly saying that any Joe Citizen can show up to a gun show, set up a table and start buying and selling guns all day long, with no regard to any existing regulations. And that is just what the anti-gun media wants the public to believe. Until we expose these lies, we have already lost.
It is frustrating when those with the power of mass communication are so dishonest. We must never miss any opportunity to correct and counteract that dishonesty.
Just some thoughts.
TFred
PVC posted an update to the Crime Commission meeting today, which contained 5 or 6 articles from various news sources. It's rather long, so I have posted just a link.
Reading through the articles, it is clear to me that we are losing the war on words in the effort to protect private firearms sales between private citizens.
Ironically, the least biased article was by the NBC affiliate from Charlottesville, Channel 29, which did accurately portray these subject transactions as being between private individuals "at a gun show". Nearly all the other articles blatantly misrepresent the issue.
Article 1: "Virginia is one of 35 states that do not require criminal and mental-health background checks for firearms purchases at gun shows." Implies that all gun sales at a gun show are unregulated, not just those between two private citizens, which is unregulated no matter where it takes place.
Article 2: "Even if the Virginia State Crime Commission recommends closing the gun show loophole, or perhaps suggests a middle-ground, supporters of the legislation still face an uphill battle in the General Assembly." Of course there is no "loophole". All licensed gun dealers are required to do background checks for all sales, even at gun shows.
Article 3 (the NBC 29 affiliate): "For both sides, this is a very personal battle about whether Virginia should require background checks for every gun sale, including ones between private sellers at gun shows." Finally some truth, but offset by a blatant misrepresentation from the other side: "'These are not some backyard swap of a few guns. These shows are big business,' said Lori Haas, the mother of an injured Virginia Tech student." Again, implying that all sales at gun shows are unchecked.
The remaining two articles from the Washington Post and Associated Press were more of the same dishonest reporting.
Ladies and gentlemen, if we have any hope or thought to prevailing in this matter, the first battleground is that of terminology. At every use of the phrase "gun show loophole" our first and emphatic reply needs to always be: "There is no loophole, all gun dealers must follow the rules no matter where they make a sale... This is simply the private sale of personal property between two private citizens."
These articles at least imply, and come very close to explicitly saying that any Joe Citizen can show up to a gun show, set up a table and start buying and selling guns all day long, with no regard to any existing regulations. And that is just what the anti-gun media wants the public to believe. Until we expose these lies, we have already lost.
It is frustrating when those with the power of mass communication are so dishonest. We must never miss any opportunity to correct and counteract that dishonesty.
Just some thoughts.
TFred