It's a war of words: "gun show loophole"

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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

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TFred wrote:

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.

Click to expand...

If people are making "big business" out of private sales, they're breaking federal law, and the ATF would be all over them.

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http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/19313.html

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/19376.html

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The "Loop hole" is another myth, that keeps getting repeated so that a lot of people fall for it. I know the "gun show loophole" came up at the self defense for the handicapped talk I attended. So I had to 'splane this to at least one person at this meeting. I explained to her that when I bought my gun in 1995 at a gun show, I still had to submit to a background check. Same thing happened with myfor my hunting rifle as I continued explaining to her. She seemed really amazed about that. I do my best to dispell these myths since people are still falling for the liberal spin.

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This bill should be called the Gun CollectorSuppression Act.

This bill would outlaw gun collecting in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I know this sounds over the top, but you are right, this is a war of words.

The activity that separates a collector from an ordinary purchaser is the authority granted by BATFE to a C&R Collector to conduct interstate commerce for C&R firearms. So the law proposed would outlaw this gun collecting activity.

Federal Firearms Licenses for Curios and Relics (C&R) allow Collectors to buy, sell and trade C&R firearms without using a FFL Dealer. They are specifically allowed tobuy, sell and trade withcollectors from other states. This activity cannot be done by FFL Dealers, who cannot deliverC&R handguns to persons from other states.This activity brings commerce into the state from surrounding states. Here in Hampton Roads you see N.C. license plates at the gun shows. If gun collecting activity were outlawed, then these N.C. collectors would not come.

On Lobby Day when you oppose this bill you should ask the senator or delegate:

Sir/Ma'am, why would you support the suppression of Federally licensed gun collecting in Virginia?

Sir/Ma'am why do you support the Gun Collector Suppression Act?

Sir/Ma'am why are you not concerned about the loss of tourism dollars that the Gun Collector Suppression Act would cause?

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This LTE is also a very powerful message. It is gfrom the Fredericksburg Free Lane Star:

Base gun laws on facts, not emotion

Date published: 12/19/2008

Here we go again. The left and uninformed gun-phobic people are relentless ["VA Tech families taking a stand," Dec. 10].

Laws based on emotion rather than facts are usually bad laws. And, although I deeply sympathize with the victims and families of those injured in the Virginia Tech shootings, the fact is that the vast majority of gun sales at gun shows are by licensed dealers.

The fact is that Justice Department studies found that only 1.7 percent to 2 percent of criminal guns are obtained from such gatherings, and a Michigan study determined that 3 percent of youthful offenders acquired their last gun at such shows, and that many of these were "straw purchases" made illegally by people legally qualified to make such transactions.

According to a report issued by Handgun Control, only two out of 48 major-city police chiefs said that gun shows were an important problem in their cities.

This is nothing more than a thinly veiled step toward regulating all private gun sales, even those between families and friends.

Logically, the proposed law would eventually invade one of the most cherished of private affairs--where firearms considered family heirlooms willed by a parent to sons and daughters will require background checks before they can take possession.

California has banned all private gun sales, and they have to be handled by a licensed dealer. There is a fee and a two-week waiting period, and the sale must be registered with the state's justice department.

There is no evidence that this measure has reduced violent crime.

Bob Taubert

Spotsylvania