General Assembly rejects bills concerning gun shows
Virginia laws concerning gun shows will remain status quo. Anyone can purchase a firearm at a gun show without having a background check.
Andrew D. Mager
News Assistant
The Virginia General Assembly rejected a bill requiring all gun show vendors to carry a federal firearms license and submit to a background check. The U.S. Department of Justice has been struggling with what they call the gun-show loophole for years. Attendees can bring their own guns to a gun show, and not only profit from their sales, but not have to provide any background information to authorities.
Kitchen-table dealers have always been to gun shows in Virginia, Gelles said, but she has seen the other side of the spectrum as well.
Gelles witnessed an undercover police officer at a gun show who recognized a criminal he had arrested before, selling his personal gun collection.
Most of the criminals purchasing guns are getting them from black markets or the projects, she said.
The legislation in Richmond states, although the proposal may increase the need for state and local prison bed space, neither can be quantified.
Another bill that recently passed in the assembly requires gun show vendors to only submit one list of vendors five days after the gun show.
The old requirement was 30 days in advance [pre-attendance list], then 72 hours in advance [another pre attendance list], then 72 hours after the show, then again five days after the show [a final list], said republican Scott Lingamfelter, (R-31) who proposed the passed bill.
My bill got rid of the two 72-hour notices, Lingamfelter said. Even the state police said they were not of value or needed because [the lists] rarely change much. Plus my bill lets the gun show organizers communicate with the state police via e-mail instead of just letters and faxes.
On the other hand, Addie Haughey, vice president of the Young Democrats, believes politicians who are keeping these background checks from happening are helping the wrong kind of constituents.
An honest citizen who wants to purchase a gun should have no fear about a vendor looking into their criminal record, Haughey said.
Robert Caverly, Arab and Islamic philosophy studies sophomore at Villanova University, also believes criminals selling their gun collections should undergo background checks, just like the vendors.
I dont see how anyone could object to a federalized license system. It is not a closure of your second amendment rights, its a protection of your first amendment rights, Caverly said.
According to the Department of Justice less than 1 percent of felons purchased their guns from gun shows. Also, The National Rifle Association estimated that 375 gun crimes are committed annually in Virginia with firearms that were purchased at gun shows.
*Note: The old "If you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about" argument. I prefer the "Mind your own damned business" argument, personally. Oh, and here's a new tactic, claiming that one right must be infringed in order to protect another. Guys like this make me feel like I need to bathe to get the stink off...
