Madison Newspapers Won't Stop Accepting Gun Ads

[Drizzt]

Madison Newspapers Won't Stop Accepting Gun Ads
WAVE: Classifieds For Assault Rifles, Handguns Are Common

POSTED: 10:09 a.m. CST February 17, 2003
UPDATED: 10:25 a.m. CST February 17, 2003

MADISON, Wis. -- Guns could get into the hands of felons, young people and the mentally ill. The source? Your local newspaper.

Madison's two daily newspapers are among 20 in Wisconsin that accept classified ads for guns, reports News 3's Toni Morrissey. But now there is a renewed effort to get newspapers to stop accepting classified ads for guns.

The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort is asking the newspapers to change their policy.


WAVE officials say it's not unusual to see classifieds for assault rifles and handguns.

The group says unlike licensed gun dealers, unlicensed individuals don't do criminal background checks, and they're not required to check the age of the person who wants to buy a gun.

The group is making a personal appeal to all of Wisconsin newspapers because lawmakers have refused to close the loophole, Morrissey reported.

"Clearly it would be better if Congress or the Wisconsin Legislature closed the loopholes in the Brady Law," said Jeri Bonavia, WAVE executive director. "We should be regulating the secondary gun market by requiring that all firearms sales be conducted thru federally licensed firearm dealers."

A gun classified showed up in a Madison newspapers last week -- in the section shared by both newspapers that are managed by Madison Newspapers.

Madison Newspapers officials defended the policy saying, "We have an obligation to all of our customers to accept advertising for products and services that can be lawfully sold ... including firearms."

The company says it works with local police to make sure none of the firearms advertised are illegal.

Madison Newspapers told News 3 it has no plans to change its policy.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/1982077/detail.html

Should Madison Newspapers continue to accept classified ads for firearms?
Choice Votes Percent of 660 votes
Yes 493 75%
No 141 21%
Not sure 26 4%
Thanks for participating. Please check back for results.

 

[45Badger]

Madison, WI-

Ground zero for leaf eating, tree hugging, there'sagovernmentprogramforeverything, don'tsellpistolsinourfaircity cheeseheads.
Soft headed ones.
At least the newspapers haven't totally folded.

 

[SkunkApe]

The choices on the poll in that link are "yes", "no", and "not sure".

What kind of person would vote "not sure" on an online poll? I mean, if you don't have an opinion, why even take the time to vote? That's just weird.

 

[Monkeyleg]

Every Cheesehead who reads this forum should take a careful look at WAVE.

Jeri Bonavia, whom I've spoken politely with, and frequently, claims she has nothing against guns. She just wants to stop "gun violence."

Problem is, WAVE supports bans on semi-autos, opposes CCW, supports closing the "gun show loophole," and every bit of anti-gun nonsense that's being tried nationwide.

The bigger problem is that her organization has big money behind it. Her non-profit group has over $500,000 in the bank (not to mention Bonavia's salary and benies). Compared to state-level grassroots pro-gun groups, that's a fortune. And it comes from big corporations.

Shades of Jesse Jackson?

If anyone wants more of the "skinny" on WAVE, PM me.

 

[Ed Straker]

Madison's a pretty town. The antis there seem to be a little behind the times. It's taken them this long to go after the 'classified ad loophole'?

 

[meathammer]

You're all preaching to the choir about Madison.

Liberal land times ten. They just flat out hate guns. Period.
I'm sure you remember the UW
Madison "policy" that was going to bar a visiting team's mascot from donning his musket, let alone fire it in the stadium. It is nice when these idiots get exposed, especially on a national level.

I don't know much about WAVE, but I will after today. I don't understand this big concern with private sale of firearms all of a sudden. Sure, criminals can get their hands on guns through classified ads. WAVE is assuming this. I want proof. Show me the numbers. This sounds like another witch-hunt to me. I personally do not sell, trade firearms very often. Only once actually. I sold a rifle to someone that I know. A good, stand-up guy that isn't going to do something stupid with it. I'm sure WAVE thinks people who sell, trade firearms won't use discretion in making the sale. I disagree. I don't need a babysitter watching over every aspect of my life. I am glad the newspaper is at least sticking up for itself.

I want to thank everyone on this forum for keeping us informed on things like this. I am very proud to be a member of THR.

 

[Khornet]

Cheese-headed

.......surrrender monkeys?

 

[John Galt]

Before 1968, "felons" could own a gun.

What's the problem with a person who, once upon a time, commited a crime owning a gun anyway.

If they served their time and parole, why not let them go hunting, join the army, protect their children, stop the neighbor lady from being raped?

We really need to get back to defining crime as bad behaviour.

 

[Gewehr98]

Easy there, Khornet...

Cheese-headed surrender monkeys

Not quite. Just a liberal cesspool in an otherwise gun-loving state. My state of legal residence, as it were. Although when I read about WAVE and UW Madison's far-left swing, I look up at my diploma from there with a certain amount of sadness, it wasn't always that way. But I wouldn't equate the cheddarheads with the French, in any way, shape, or form. Too many German Lutherans (like me) in that neck of the woods. "Coffee and cookies will be served in the church basement afterwards..."

 

[Nightfall]

Does anybody know where I could find a break down of illegal weapons sources in the US? Does any such statistic even exist? As in, blank percent traced back to private sales, blank percent from some unscrupulous FFL, etc. Been thinking about the secondary market lately, just wanted some facts before I started thinking too hard. I'm not a liberal, I need my facts first.

 

[Standing Wolf]

The group is making a personal appeal to all of Wisconsin newspapers because lawmakers have refused to close the loophole, Morrissey reported.

Is that the so-called "loophole" that used to be known as "freedom of the press"?