A Baby Step on Loophole at Gun Shows

In Virginia, guns rule. The most recent General Assembly session proved that. How else can you view a legislature that would seriously consider mixing deadly weapons with whiskey in a bar? How else can you view a proposal that would allow people without a concealed-carry permit to stash a loaded weapon in the glove box of the car?
And what about the commonsense proposal to make unlicensed gun dealers follow the same rules as licensed dealers and run background checks on gun buyers at gun shows?
Fortunately, neither of the first measures was approved. Unfortunately, the bill that would have restored some sanity to the sales of guns at shows — those open-air bazaars at which all sorts of weaponry is for sale to buyers who walk in off the street — also fell short of being approved.
Many thought this loophole in the gun show law would be closed after the Virginia Tech slayings last year. Although the killer did not get his weapons at a gun show, he could have. And had he purchased them from an unlicensed dealer, no would have known his criminal background, if any.
Now the Virginia State Crime Commission had decided to take a look at the private sale of guns at shows. That’s an excellent idea. But the commission has already said it will not recommend any proposed laws of its own.
And why is that? Because the political divisiveness of the issue surrounding the loophole in the laws regulating gun shows is too much for its members to handle. That’s pathetic, but it should not be unexpected in a state where guns rule the legislature.
The study itself could be useful. The commission will study state and federal firearms laws so the Assembly will have a clear understanding of the gun show law in any future legislative debates.
In September, the commission may direct staff members to try to obtain statistics on the number of gun show sales by unlicensed sellers and how many of those firearms wind up being used in crimes. That would be an interesting statistic.
But if it showed an alarming number of guns sold by unlicensed sellers at gun shows, wouldn’t you think the commission would recommend a course to reduce the sales of those weapons? After all, the crime commission is more or less charged with the duty of overseeing the fight against crime in Virginia, isn’t it?
Col. W. Gerald Massengill, former superintendent of the state police and a member of the crime commission, said he felt “very strongly about the Second Amendment.” But, he added, “I also feel strongly about public safety.”
Massengill, who also chaired the governor’s panel that reviewed last year’s Virginia Tech killings, told the commission that he favors more thorough background checks on gun show purchases.
And so does a majority of Virginians who find nothing objectionable about subjecting buyers of guns from unlicensed sellers to the same rules faced by licensed dealers.
It makes no sense to have two sets of rules for gun show buyers in Virginia. Subject them all to the background check and you’ll probably have a safer state.
If the Virginia State Crime Commission would put its weight and authority behind that effort, perhaps a bill closing that gun show loophole could pass the next Assembly session. In that, it could dent the rule of guns in Richmond.