Castle, McCarthy: It's Time to Close the Gun Show Loophole

[beevul]

Castle, McCarthy: It's Time to Close the Gun Show Loophole
Wednesday May 06, 2009

Castle, McCarthy: Now is Time to Close Gun Show Loophole

Prevent Gun Show Sales from Going around the Law



Washington, DC- Today, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) kicked-off a campaign to pass The Gun Show Loophole Closing Act, legislation to require background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows. Every year there are thousands of gun shows across the country and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has estimated that at least 25% of the gun-sellers at these events are unlicensed. Requiring background checks on all gun sales at gun shows, not just transactions with licensed dealers, will help ensure that firearms do not fall into the hands of criminals, terrorists or the mentally ill.



Reps. Castle and McCarthy believe that now is the ideal time for this bill to gain traction in Congress as Senator Frank Lautenberg recently introduced similar legislation and on the 2008 Presidential campaign trail, the concept enjoyed the bipartisan support of both candidates.



"Over ten years after the Columbine shooting and two years after the Virginia Tech shooting, we still have not taken this simple step to require background checks and keep guns away from those who have a history of violence or mental illness." said Rep. Castle. "With Representative McCarthy, our Senate colleagues, and the dedicated advocates who have pushed us to hear their voices for years, I am hopeful that we can finally make progress to prevent firearms sales from going around the law."



“Closing the gun show loophole is a commonsense measure that we know can save lives. There is no logical reason that gun purchases at gun shows should not require the same background checks that are necessary in stores," said Rep. McCarthy. "The gun show loophole has made it possible for thousands of deadly illegal guns fall into the wrong hands, as was the case with the tragedy at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO ten years ago, where the perpetrators acquired the weapons they used to carry out their crimes at a gun show without undergoing a background check. The time has long since past to fix this loophole in our system and make our communities safer and prevent more illegal guns from pouring out onto our streets.”



At the press conference, the lawmakers joined with Paul Helmke, the President of the Brady Campaign and victims of the Virginia Tech shooting to highlight their continued commitment to work with colleagues in Congress to pass this legislation and strengthen violence prevention laws.



“I commend Representatives Castle and McCarthy for introducing a bill to prevent dangerous people from buying guns without a Brady background check from unlicensed sellers at gun shows nationwide," said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign. "Ten years after the Columbine tragedy is more than long enough for the American people to wait to see Congress eliminate this dangerous loophole. We urge a bipartisan majority of Congress to pass this bill and send it to President Obama for his signature.”

International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) also lent their support to the legislation.



“The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is proud to support the Gunshow Loophole Closing Act of 2009, said IACP President Russell B. Laine. "The IACP calls on Congress and all levels of government to mandate that all gun purchases are made through holders of a Federal Firearms License to ensure a single, consistent system for conducting gun sales, including background checks, will be established.”



“It shouldn’t be easier for a criminal to buy a gun at a gun show than it is for a law-abiding citizen to rent a car,” said Co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “The Second Amendment guarantees the right of law-abiding citizens to purchase guns, but criminals don’t have that right, and unlicensed sellers at gun shows make it far too easy for criminals to get their hands on guns. I’m hopeful that Congress will act to close the gun show loophole, and Representatives Castle and McCarthy have my full support for the bill they introduced today.”


http://carolynmccarthy.house.gov/?sectionid=155§iontree=189,155&itemid=1035

Lets see here:

McCarthy "former" rebublican.

Castle - republican.

Paul helmke - republican

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg "former" republican


I'm seeing a pattern here...


And ...Is McCarthy telling a lie here (the underlined)?

"There is no logical reason that gun purchases at gun shows should not require the same background checks that are necessary in stores," said Rep. McCarthy. "The gun show loophole has made it possible for thousands of deadly illegal guns fall into the wrong hands, as was the case with the tragedy at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO ten years ago, where the perpetrators acquired the weapons they used to carry out their crimes at a gun show without undergoing a background check."

Was it not a straw purchase, or purchase by someone other than the actual perpetrators? (that was my recollection)

[pocoloco]

1. Gotta limit Obama to one term.

Don't you know.

[rwheeler31]

2. Logic and guns ?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

17. Troll.

[SteveM]

21. That is why you are here? To learn about both?

[bluestateguy]

3. Gun grabbers go away

I like winning elections a lot more than losing them.

[jmg257]

4. The people who acquired them (a male friend & a girl friend) did so

legally at a gun show. Supposedly to avoid background checks, which both would have passed.

These people then gave them to the perps.

[X_Digger]

5. So full of fail

Rep "Thing that goes up" should know that Cho (VT shooter) acquired his handguns at a local gun shop after an NICS check. The Columbine shooters acquired theirs from friends and family (straw purchase).

This wouldn't be the first time she's urged legislation based on examples that are totally unrelated- her husband is killed by a handgun, she wants to ban rifles.

[rl6214]

14. Cho: VT shooter's gun purchases

"During February and March 2007, Cho began purchasing the weapons that he later used during the killings. On February 9, 2007, Cho purchased his first handgun, a .22 caliber Walther P22 semi-automatic pistol, from TGSCOM Inc., a federally-licensed firearms dealer based in Green Bay, Wisconsin and the operator of the website through which Cho ordered the gun.<74><75><76><77> TGSCOM Inc. shipped the Walther P22 to JND Pawnbrokers in Blacksburg, Virginia, where Cho completed the legally-required background check for the purchase transaction and took possession of the handgun.<78> Cho bought a second handgun, a Glock 19 semiautomatic pistol, on March 13, 2007 from Roanoke Firearms, a licensed gun dealer located in Roanoke, Virginia.<74><79>

Cho was able to pass both background checks and successfully complete both handgun purchases after he presented to the gun dealers his U.S. permanent residency card, his Virginia driver's permit to prove legal age and length of Virginia residence and a checkbook showing his Virginia address, in addition to waiting the required 30-day period between each gun purchase."

All legally purchased afterr passing background check and the required waiting period

[X_Digger]

16. Yup, and VA was castigated for not keeping

NICS updated with relevant information. The governor and legislature worked to close the gap that allowed Cho to legally acquire firearms.

[Raskolnik]

6. I'm starting to think that it might be worth it to give them their little bill

if for no other reason than we wouldn't have to hear any more bullshit about the GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE, KILLER OF MILLIONS.

[inkool]

7. But it will not stop the...

bullshit. They would take the victory as some kind of mandate to push for stricter laws.

[Raskolnik]

9. You're right, but at least we would never have to listen to the words GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE

again, which is tempting.

[DonP]

10. If I thought for a second it would shut them up - yes - but it won't.

In Illinois they banned private sales at gun shows, so the private seller went to Craig's list and other sources, like small town shopper style papers. Now our local gun grabbers got their "loophole" closed they want to ban all private sales and want a $1 million liability insurance policy for every gun owner plus a state registration system. They will not stop, they will not negotiate in good faith and they will not change. The only way to deal with them is a hard and fast line ... and rallying thousands of supporters.

Our I-GOLD (Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day) in Springfield turned out 2,300 people in 2008 and over 5,000 this year. We're expecting up to 10,000 next Spring. That many people (voters) gets the attention of even the biggest gun grabber politician, especially when a lot of them of them are your own constituents and show up at your office requesting a meeting.

But these people would use the agreement to a "loophole" bill as a sign of weakness and proof that "the people want more gun control and we can't stop here".

Personally I want to hear what the gun control side is willing to give up in the next "compromise" first. The ball's in their court now. What are these politicians willing to ease back on to gain their latest hula hoop gun control idea?

[Israfel4]

13. IMO, this is EXACTLY

the mind set the gun haters want you to have. Just ONE more law won't hurt. There are already 20,000+ gun laws on the books, gun owner's have compromised too much IMO, its time for gun haters to compromise.

[rl6214]

15. If by "giving them their little bill" you mean

pass a law that will allow individual sellers the right to somehow do a NICS check on potential buyers, fine, let them do it. If you mean that there would just somehow be a restriction on my right to sell my private property just as a feel good law, forget it.

You give them that and they won't stop, they always want more while never giving anything.

[Raskolnik]

8. Delete.

Wrong place.

[slackmaster]

11. McCarthy is a lying sack of shit

...There is no logical reason that gun purchases at gun shows should not require the same background checks that are necessary in stores...

They do require the same background checks as purchases made at stores.

[aikoaiko]

12. If only they would speak about this issue honestly, something useful might get done.

For those who don't know or have been mislead, there is no gunshow loophole.

Most people who sell firearms at gunshows are Federal Firearm License holders and are required to conduct NICS background checks and complete form 4473 on all new and used gun purchases from their gun dealership business.

Some non-FFL persons also sell their privately owned pistols to residents of that state at gun shows and (unless the state requires a NICS check) no background check is required. In many states, a private gun owner may sell his or her gun to another resident of the same state whether they are at a gunshow, a flea market, a garage sale, through a classified ad, or just word of month. In GA, I am required to know for sure that they have GA residency (I ask to see their GA drivers licenses) and I cannot know that they are prohibited persons. It is illegal to for private person to engage in the "business" of reselling guns, but selling off private collection is fine. If I sell a gun to someone of another state, I must send it to a FFL in their state where that FFL does a background check.

So there is no gunshow loophole per se. And I'm not sure how the Federal government can justify regulating this clear in-state commerce activity.

I urge people who are for restricting private sales of guns at gun shows to call it that, and then we can discuss it more reasonably.

I, for one, would like to see the NICS background check opened to the public. As a private seller, I would be happy to call NICS with the relevant information and receive a go - no go response with the purchase. The reason for denial would remain confidential and I would prevent a sale to a prohibited person.

[Redneck Socialist]

18. Can someone explain to me why the "gun show loophole" is an evil worse than the Borg...

...but the "supermarket parking lot loophole" and the "living room loophole" are just fine?

I'd take these people a lot more seriously if they'd just come out and say they want to ban the sale of private property.

[X_Digger]

19. No kidding!

Especially considering that criminals get 0.7% of their guns from 'gun shows' (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fuo.pdf)

[DonP]

20. It's the only potential winning play they have now

The Brady Bunch and Friends are getting increasingly desperate IMHO.

They know the tide has turned against them in a major way, legislation, even at the state level, has been stalled for the most part and in spite of Rush, Lautenburg and McCarthy's posturing their bills are going nowhere with anyone that hopes for re-election outside of parts of Manhattan.

They need a win, or even a tie, to keep even a whiff of credibility with their friends in the media, their four remaining dues paying members and the board at the Joyce Foundation. The Gun Show Loophole myth is the only card they have to play.

It's like trying to bluff in poker with a hand with a 6 as your high card.

[SteveM]

22. Yes, they are desperate; compounded by the collapse of their ally, MSM (nt)

[ManiacJoe]

23. The Columbine guns were straw purchases.

While these things are usually not prosecuted, surprisingly both the buyer and seller were sent to jail over it.