Washington state gun show loophole baloney

[carnaby]

I just got this message from "stopthenra.org"

Dear Washington StoptheNRA Member,

The Washington state legislature has returned to the state capitol for a short 60-day session and they are hitting the ground running. Very soon, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on a very important bill (SB 5343), that will require Brady background checks on all guns sold at gun shows. If passed and enacted, this bill would close a dangerous loophole in our current gun law that allows criminals, the mentally ill and would-be terrorists to purchase guns at gun shows…no questions asked…no background check!

PLEASE CALL STATE SENATOR HARGROVE AND STATE SENATOR ESSER TODAY!
Urge them to: “Require Background Checks at Gun Shows, SUPPORT SB 5343!”

Senators Hargrove and Esser are key votes on SB 5343 and they will determine if this life-saving legislation moves forward in the current session. They need to know that you support this life-saving legislation. Recent polling shows that 80% of Washingtonians support requiring background checks at guns shows. Please let your voice be heard!

This is the first I've heard of it, arrrrgh! When will they quit? :banghead:

 

[Old Dog]

It's not the "gun show" loophole, it's the fact that the state of Washington rightly allows private sales of firearms between adults who are eligible to purchase and own firearms.

This hoopla restarted after it was discovered that the "Tacoma Mall shooter," one 20-year-old convicted felon, had allegedly purchased one of the weapons he used in a private sale -- supposedly using a fake Washington state CPL to convince the seller he was legally eligible to purchase guns.

One thing I find truly ironic in all this is that the bulk of the gun sales in this state's largest gun show, the Washington Arms Collectors (WAC) shows in Puyallup and Monroe are conducted with background checks -- as sales may only be made between/by WAC members. There are the few private sales and aisle and parking lot deals, but most of the gun sales do not involve the ol' "gun show loophole."

life-saving legislation

indeed ... Of course, the esteemed gentlemen introducing the legislation will not be trouble to introduce any evidence that homicides in this state are committed by criminals who bought the murder weapons at a gun show the previous weekend ...

Recent polling shows that 80% of Washingtonians support requiring background checks at guns shows.

Hmm ... when I checked the poll the Seattle paper ran, it was nowhere near that figure. I believe this statement to be an outright lie.

 

[George S.]

First, this bill was introduced last year and died in committee after public testimony on 1/25/2005. There were a number of amendments last year. The action taken on last Monday simply puts it back into the same status it had last year.

At this point with so much to do in this session and it being only a 60-day session, this bill may not make it to the floor of the Senate, much less passed and sent to the House for action. Even if it did pass in the Senate, the House may make changes and send it back to the Senate. I just don't see this bill going to Gov. Gregoire's desk.

I have no idea why Senators Hargrove and Esser are mentioned other than they are both members of the Judicary Committee. They may be "swing" votes that would be needed to get the bill out of committee. Neither Senator was a co-sponsor of the original bill from last year.

Sen Esser is the Republican Floor Leader and he may not want to side with the Dims on any form of gun control.

The message sounds more like a last gasp of hope by this group to get their foolish and ignorant stamp on gun control. Anyone who is a member of WAC (Washington Arms Collectors) certainly knows that this so-called loophole is not something that is found at WAC shows.

 

[Standing Wolf]

If passed and enacted, this bill would close a dangerous loophole in our current gun law that allows criminals, the mentally ill and would-be terrorists to purchase guns at gun shows…no questions asked…no background check!

Wrong! Terrorists, criminals, and the mentally ill are already breaking laws by the dozen, and won't be stopped by yet another law. The actual purpose of the law is to make it more difficult and expensive for law-abiding commoners to keep and bear arms. If passed, it will be successful in that.

 

[Darth Muffin]

What gets me about the whole "gun show loophole" thing is the attitude of calling it a "loophole". It's not. A "loophole" would imply that the government has a right to track and register all firearms transactions. It does not!

 

[Standing Wolf]

What gets me about the whole "gun show loophole" thing is the attitude of calling it a "loophole". It's not.

Yep. He who defines the terms generally wins the argument.