Times Sun Union Calls for Background Checks on All Gun Sales
This week the editors at the Times Sun Union in Albany, New York offered an editorial that basically calls for the closing of the gun show loophole, and demands reporting of sales of all firearms. The editorial offered this thought:
A loophole in the federal law exempts private sales at gun shows from undergoing a NICS check. Only seven states, including New York, require the checks to be done for all sales. That should be mandatory nationwide.
The rest of the editorial notes the so-called “gun show loophole,” argues that criminals can get guns, and states many facts such as how licensed dealers must report all sales. All this makes good points and a very convincing argument, but there are some counter-points that the editors should think about.
Namely, “for all sales.” What about friends that give guns to one another? Or a father giving a son a gun? Would these need to be done through a dealer so a background check is done? And couldn’t people just “give” guns if cash isn’t exchanged? In other words, doesn’t this just create other “loopholes?”
And finally, this so-called nationwide background check would only affect law-abiding citizens, and wouldn’t have any effect on illegal gun sales. That is something to think about. Isn’t this really just about making it harder for the law-abiding to arm themselves?
AP Offers Biased Take on Gillbrand Bill
This week the Associated Press, via The Long Island Press, noted that U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is looking to close the so-called “gun show loophole.” The story presents a variety of dubious, misleading and even contradictory facts including:
-90 percent of firearms used in New York City gun crimes come from out of state
-Most of the guns are illegal
-Closing the “gun show loophole” would “keep operators responsible”
Now here are some points the article doesn’t note. New York City has extremely strict gun laws, and apparently these only deter law-abiding citizens from being armed, especially if criminals are going out state. But the article implies that 90 percent of crime guns come from out of state, which may or may not be true, as it is probably difficult to track many of these guns in the first place.
But let’s consider that New York State doesn’t have any significant gun industry, so wouldn’t all crime guns be from somewhere else? See how easy it is to skew the facts?
And now let’s review the second fact listed above, “most of the guns are illegal,” so what does that have to do with gun shows, where the vast majority are illegal. This sort of reporting implies that gun shows are akin to black market arms fairs, which they are not.
As for the loophole, here are two more points. One, what is to stop illegal dealers from selling guns off the books beyond gun shows? Nothing, which is how most criminals get their guns anyway. In other words, criminals aren’t going to gun shows. Closing private sales – and make no mistake that this is what it is really about – would only further punish the law-abiding.
Media Matters Aims at NRA Again
First, we’d like to ask why is the NRA always the target of Media Matters for America, which claims to look at conservative bias in the media. Isn’t the NRA technically non-partisan? Or is it just that the liberals at Media Matters hate guns so much they try to target the group relentlessly?
This week, in a post titled “NRA Complains As NY AG Enforces the Laws Already on The Books,” Media Matters offers this thought:
“Enforce the laws on the books already before passing more” is the plea of the National Rifle Association (NRA) when proposals are made to strengthen guns laws. In April NRA executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “We support all kinds of behavioral requirements, restrictions … there are dozens of laws on the books that we support. The problem is they’re not being enforced.”
So what happens when a state starts enforcing gun laws at gun shows? Long-winded jeremiads complaining of “entrapment” by the “anti-gun cabal.” Maybe it’s time to change the slogan to “enforce the laws on the books, but make sure it’s not a law we don’t like you jack-booted thugs.”
On Wednesday New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the arrest of ten people for selling guns at a gun show without performing a background check on the buyers as is required by state law.
What isn’t noted is that this is just another attempt to close the infamous so-called “gun show loophole” and bar all private sales. So while it is possible that those 10 individuals may have broken the law, the NRA has argued – as we agree – that there is no loophole. Private sales are allowed at gun shows and should remain so.
But that is a fact that doesn’t matter to Media Matters as it is never mentioned.
KNDO Offers Rambling Article on Gun Show Loophole
We can’t even make heads or tails of this report on a gun show in Yakima, Washington. KNDO.com, offered the story, titled “Local gun shows bring out protesters,” and had this report:
Gun control is a hot topic for many people across the country including in Yakima. This weekend a gun show in Yakima was the focus of protestors saying they demand change in state gun sale laws.
Thousands of people made there way through Yakima’s gun show, some browsing, others buying some of the hundreds of guns up for sale at the Fairgrounds.
But not everyone was excited for the show.
Protestors gathered Sunday on the second day of the gun show not protesting against owning guns, but rather a loophole in state law.
First, this copy is badly written, to the point that it sounds like there are two introductions. Perhaps one was from the studio and the other the voice over from a beginning of the segment. But even if so it is confusing. And the point of the story is misleading.
The truth is that this is little more than an excuse to give anti-gun zealots a voice about an issue they don’t understand. The article fails to mention that criminals don’t regularly buy guns at gun shows, and that many background checks are conducted.
National Association for Gun Rights: Sarah Brady & Mayor Michael Bloomberg Are Calling You a Terrorist
National Association for Gun Rights:
They’re calling it the “terror gap” and it’s the anti-gun left’s latest ploy to tar gun owners as terrorists and ban ALL private firearms sales.
Anti-gun activists like Sarah Brady and BILLIONAIRE New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are relentless.
They know that with President Obama in need of electoral support before the next election, the time is now to pursue their gun control schemes.
So, they’re not wasting any time.
In fact, BILLIONAIRE New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his gun control group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, have just launched a multi-million dollar media and TV-ad blitz aimed at painting gun owners as radical terrorists and setting the stage for a TOTAL ban on private firearm sales!
That’s why it’s vital you urge your Representative and Senators to oppose H.R. 591 — arch gun-hater Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy’s bill to close the so-called “gun show loophole” — or any other bill that would federally-infringe on private gun sales. Read more
Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America:
With the Iowa straw poll concluding over the weekend, the 2012 presidential race is in full swing.
The Republican field is taking shape, with one governor dropping out (Tim Pawlenty) and another jumping in (Rick Perry).
But one question that remains for gun owners is where do the candidates stand on gun control issues? Read more
Huff and Puff Notes Mayors Against Illegal Guns Uses Misleading Terrorist Message
Scare tactics. That is what Mayors Against Illegal Guns is doing with a new ad campaign reports the Huffington Post. Instead of presenting actual facts or real information, the group has released a new TV sport that quotes American preppy turned wannabe terrorists Adam Gadahn, who is reportedly the spokesman for al Qaeda. In his rant filled message he urges American Muslims to buy guns in America.
Among the statements that Gadahn makes:
“This is a golden opportunity. America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show … and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle without a background check. … So what are you waiting for?”
The problem with using this statement is that you can’t buy fully automatic assault rifles without a background check at a gun show or anywhere else legally. Fully automatic guns are tightly controlled, and simply are not available at gun shows.
The ad counters:
“Call your member of Congress. Tell them to close the loopholes that let terrorists and criminals buy guns.”
Huff and Puff notes:
“The spot does clarify — in small text at the end — Gadahn’s misleading assessment of the accessibility of firearms at gun shows. In fact, purchasers cannot obtain fully automatic assault rifles at those venues. Consumers can purchase semi-automatics.
“The broader point for the coalition, however, remains the same: A loophole exists in current gun laws. Private sellers are not required to perform the same background checks at gun shows that federal licensed dealers must. By some estimations, private sales make up 40 percent of total gun show sales.”
What Huff and Puff doesn’t say is where they come up with that 40 percent number… a number actually offered by Mayors Against Illegal Guns. So this is the group that uses the words of a terrorists to scare Americans, and Huff and Puff backs up it up with misleading statistics.
Why you trust any of this information?
Firing Back: Our Response to Lautenberg Letter
Last week Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) wrote to President Obama calling for more gun control. We offered a full transcript of the letter, and took time to debunk it. Here is our response to his letter (our response in bold):
I am writing to express my concern with the Administration’s silence on critical gun issues and to seek some leadership to better protect the American people. The issues transcend partisanship and could attract bipartisan support. Read more
Salt Lake Tribune Calls for “Common sense weapons bill”
Gary C. Sackett offered a commentary titled “Common sense weapons bill that would makes us safer” for The Salt Lake Tribune. Sackett, who also happens to be on the board of directors at the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, writes:
“Do we have such legislation in the United States? No. Why not? The simple answer is that the National Rifle Association and its followers oppose these measures — often through their omnipresent ‘slippery slope’ argument: If we enact any restrictive legislation, where will it all stop — a Nazi-like confiscation of all weapons and ultimate subjugation of the populace?
“The more complex answer is that the NRA and many of its members have bamboozled an entire generation of legislators into believing that support for any restriction on the availability of firearms is a third-rail issue: Touch it and your re-election possibilities are history. But, acceptance of this political ‘wisdom’ shows a serious lack of responsible leadership and a distressing disregard of public safety.”
Mr. Sackett seems to imply, like many anti-gun zealots, that the NRA is some nefarious organization with untold power. Why can’t he accept that the NRA is just a powerful organization because it has a lot of members and those members vote “guns” in elections? Thus it isn’t the NRA, it is the ballot that determines this legislation.
However, Mr. Sackett also plays politics, and offers misleading information. He notes various shooters from recent high-profile shootings, including Seung-Hui Cho, Nidal Malik Hassan and Jared Loughner but then calls on the closure of the “gun show loophole.”
What Mr. Sackett doesn’t note is that none of those shooters bought guns at gun shows. This type of misleading information is used time and time again. He then adds:
“The Fix Gun Checks Act would not only close the gun show loophole and require background checks for all purchasers, it would force states to provide information to the national background check database on ineligible individuals, such as the mentally ill and those subject to stalking orders and domestic-violence crimes.”
And yet all those shooters above still bought guns, from dealers and passed the existing background checks. Doesn’t this imply that the problem is with something besides gun shows?
Finally, note that Sackett calls on “background checks for all purchasers.” This implies that he means every sale. As we’ve noted many times, this means every sale to everyone. Family transfers, sales between hunting buddies, etc. would all require background checks – and it would criminalize not conducting the background check, thus ensuring that anyone who violated the background check would be barred from own a gun. That sounds pretty much like the road to “Nazi-like confiscation of all weapons” to us.
Gun Show Loophole Debated in Delaware
This week Delaware Online noted that “a rhetorical gunfight broke out” over the so-called “gun show loophole.” The state’s governor, Jack Markell, is being accused by the NRA of looking to ban all private sales.
Gun control types say this is the right move, and that all private sales should be banned unless a background check is conducted. According to the article:
“Senate Bill 39 would require background checks to be conducted for all sales at gun shows. Licensed firearms dealers would have to request the checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System on behalf of unlicensed vendors making sales. Sales between private citizens not taking place at gun shows would not be affected.” Read more
