Many years ago, after attending a huge gun show in Los Angeles, this writer observed that a band of terrorists with sufficient cash could have left the venue fully armed. Experiences at rural gun shows in more recent years have caused this impression to be refined in that modern terrorists would prefer more sophisticated (i.e. fully automatic) weapons. But the needs of psychopaths and/or violent criminals would be very well met at gun shows. That’s because federal background checks aren’t required at gun shows and gun shows purchases constitute 40% of total firearm sales.
That seems an obvious hole in the law. It should immediately be filled. An overwhelming number of Americans agree. According to a pew poll released last week http://www.people-press.org/2013/01/14/in-gun-control-debate-several-options-draw-majority-support/1/ eighty percent of Americans including 90 percent of gun owners favor laws to prevent the mentally ill from buying weapons. Eighty-five percent favored instituting background checks for private and gun-show sales. People may disagree on other gun proposals but no one could disagree with that, right?
Wrong. The NRA disagrees. This despite its public stance that firearms should be kept from the hands of criminals and psychopaths. Which of course can’t be done without universal background checks since any psychopath failing to pass background at a gun shop can simply go to a gun show and arm himself to the teeth. In effect the NRA is saying “we don’t want nutcases to have fire arms” while whispering out of the other side of its mouth “hey nutcases; buy all the military weaponry you want so long as you buy it at a gun show.” What other reason could the NRA have for its opposition?
Unless the NRA has decided to blindly oppose EVERYTHING.
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