John Patrick Bedell, who shot and wounded two police officers near the Pentagon earlier this month, bought at least one of his 9 mm guns at a Nevada gun show, The Associated Press reported yesterday.
Law enforcement officials say Bedell, a man with a history of severe psychiatric problems, had been sent a letter by California authorities Jan. 10 telling him he was prohibited from buying a gun because of his mental history.
Less than three weeks later, Bedell bought a 9 mm Ruger at a Las Vegas gun show by exploiting one of the largest loopholes in the nation’s gun control laws: While federal law requires licensed gun dealers to perform background checks on all prospective gun buyers, unlicensed sellers — like those who often set up shop at roaming gun shows — are exempt. The background checks are designed to prevent sales to those legally ineligible to own guns, including felons, illegal immigrants and, like Bedell, the severely mentally ill.
Several bills floating around Congress would subject unlicensed vendors to the same background check rules as licensed sellers. Considering the political environment on Capitol Hill in recent years, however, even sponsors of those proposals concede that they’ve got no chance of passing anytime soon.
"One of the largest loopholes" indeed. When we first discussed Bedell, the pro-gun crowd was quick to point out that he came from California. Now it turns out he picked up at least one of his guns in Vegas. But still, you can be sure, the gun rights folks will insist that either there's no such thing as a "gun show loophole" or that the common expression is not exactly right because it should be called the "private sale loophole" or something like that. Some will refuse outright as they refuse to consider any gun laws for fear of the slippery slope. If they do acquiesce to the obvious, it's usually with a request for compromise, if we give that up what do we get in return?
I say what you get is the satisfaction of doing the right thing, period. How we do it is another discussion. Whether the NICS gets opened up or each buyer has to go to an FFL guy for a document, these are just details. The point is we cannot accept this flagrant violation of common sense any longer.
Of course, in Virginia, they don't see it that way.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
There's no "loophole."
ReplyDeleteIf he's a CA resident he can't just hop into a gun show in NV and pick up a gun.
Well I suppose he can, but not legally.
Whether the NICS gets opened up or each buyer has to go to an FFL guy for a document, these are just details.
ReplyDeleteThese are some pretty big details. I'm not opposed to opening up NICS to non-FFL owners. This way background checks could be conducted in a way where a registry cannot be created. Forcing all transfers through an FFL is just begging for a registry to be created.
I don't have to wonder why most anti-gun advocates resist opening up the NICS system to everyone.
I believe that the gun was sold at a Las Vegas gunshow. I don't believe they know if Bedell bought it there or from another individual that may have obtained it there legally. Unless something has changed today linking Bedell to that purchase at that gunshow that day, the AP is making a big leap--not that that surprises me.
ReplyDeleteJadeGold translation: Myth, urban legend, didn't happen.
The video accompanying the post is just another "close the 'gunshow loophole' because of Virginia Tech" video. Of course it, as do the others, ignore the facts that the Virginia Tech shooter didn't buy his guns at a gunshow and passed two NICS checks that they are calling for all sales.
ReplyDeleteYawn.
Many gun rights advocates are for background checks, including myself and others here (as you have seen us discuss last week). What we are not for is exaggerations, lies, fear tactics, vilification of gun shows, and the ever annoying use of the word “loophole”. In fact, I am going to start calling gun control the “Bill of Rights Loophole”.
ReplyDeleteMikeB Said: the pro-gun crowd was quick to point out that he came from California. Now it turns out he picked up at least one of his guns in Vegas.
But the gun he actually used was still bought in a gun shop in Sacramento, right?
MikeB Said: Whether the NICS gets opened up or each buyer has to go to an FFL guy for a document, these are just details.
They are not just details. You can support the former and “get the satisfaction of doing the right thing, period.”
MikeB Said: Of course, in Virginia, they don't see it that way.
You mean anti-gun Virginians.
So is Omar going to be arrested for being a straw purchaser? He said he can turn around and sell all those guns, but that doesn’t mean he will make money. With the rate he was buying, I don’t think he was shopping for good prices.
As pointed out by MikeW, there is already a law preventing a CA resident (or any state) from buying a gun out of state- private purchase or FFL. If these sellers truly weren’t checking Omar’s ID then there could be better enforcement- but the law is already there.
-TS
"I say what you get is the satisfaction of doing the right thing, period."
ReplyDeleteYou can't put satisfaction in the bank.
If you want to close the "gun show loophole", then you need to make NICS available to non-FFLs, preferably free of charge.
Omar is a straw purchasing criminal and should be prosecuted.
ReplyDeleteWhy do the anti-gun loons glamorize these villains?
Here is an interesting follow up. This Washington Post article (anti-gun mind you) specifically says Bedell was not the one who purchased it at the Vegas gun show. It looks like the strategy is to trace a gun through its transactions and if at any point it passed through a gun show, the antis will scream, “gun show loophole!”
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/14/AR2010031401254.html?waporef=obinsite
-TS
Check out this piece of drivel from the “one of the largest loopholes” link in this article. It accompanies the video of Omar buying 10 guns at a Virginia gun show:
ReplyDelete“Even though Samaha immediately turned in all the weapons he bought at the gun show to the Richmond Police Department, Nunziato pointed out that if Samaha had wanted to, he could have caused a lot of damage with the guns he purchased.
"There were three or four police cars in the parking lot [at the gun show]. None of them could have stopped him [Samaha] with the firepower he bought," said Nunziato.”
That’s right; he’s claiming 6 to 8 cops are no match for one man with 10 guns. What if Omar bought 1000 guns? He could take over the world!
Any remaining credibility flies out the window with asinine statements like what Nunziato said. This is what I am talking about when those in favor of the Bill of Rights Loophole resort to hyperbole, fear mongering, and vilification. Much like those complaining about personal "arsenals" being extra threatening- do they realize you can only use one gun at a time? Sure you can fire two, but you can only aim with one. And who should be scarier to them, anyway? The guy who has amassed a 30 gun collection over the decades, or the guy who just bought his first gun- and who knows why?
-TS
What's the big deal? Neither of the officers was seriously hurt--no harm no foul.
ReplyDeleteThe only one who didn't come out very well here ain't worth missing.
Compromise is you give up something, I give up something. There is no "You do what I want, and fuck you, you should be satisfied that what I want is the right thing." That's a nastier way of putting what you said. It's not compromise.
ReplyDeleteA real compromise is what I've long suggested. You want universal background checks? OK. We hate the current background check system, and want some changes. You give up something, I give up something. That's compromise.
No, it's not a "fuck you" kinda thing. Sebastian likes to take it that way because that would make me look like the oppressor and the poor gun rights folks like the victims.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm talking about is a genuine attempt by well-meaning people to agree on what's right and what's wrong. What you seem to be talking about is antagonistic bargaining.
Continuing to allow people to buy guns with no background check is such a blatant violation of common sense that I find it hard to believe you would offer it as your half of a compromise.
FWM, Maybe you didn't watch this one all the way through. It was just like some of the others, but at a certain point they said although Cho bought his guns legally, which proved the inadequacy of that system, the gun show loophole needs to be closed too.
ReplyDeleteMikeB, I did watch the whole thing through and what I saw was people using dead kids to further a political agenda that had nothing to do with Virginia Tech and breaking the law in the process. Disgusting.
ReplyDeleteAll politics is antagonistic bargaining, Mike. That's the process. That's why it's hard, night, impossible, for people to come together and just do what's right.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows Health Care is a mess too, but how easy has it been for everyone to "come together" and fix the problem?
You've got some point out there Zorro. No ones been hurt so what could be the big deal with that?
ReplyDeleteAudree
Las Vegas Shows