Closing the Gun-Show Loophole Is Good Policy, Is it Good Politics?
Only a complete idiot could try to argue that the 2nd Amendment preserves the rights of mentally ill to buy guns at fly by night gun-shows – (cue complete idiots commenting below), so Mike Castle should be given credit for introducing this gun control “no brainer” right?
Maybe.
My unwillingness to jump up and down is due to the fact that Castle uses think kind of trickery all the time. It is the “liberal” crumb he throws to people like me every four years or so. It is a little bit of lipstick on his fat conservative pig of a voting record. It allows him to play the part of the anti-partisan for an afternoon of grandstanding. frankly, it pisses me off that our press allows him to get away with this naked con-game.
And yet, read the testimony below of Virginia Tech shooting victim Colin Goddard, who went on a cross country trip to try and make sense of how and why he and so many others were shot:
Last summer, I traveled all over the country visiting gun shows in an attempt to expose the Gun Show Loophole. I passed right by all the licensed dealers responsibly conducting background checks and went right through the loophole over and over again. I went to shows in Texas, Ohio, Maine, Minnesota and right across the river in my home state of Virginia. I was amazed at how quick and easy it was getting my hands on just about any type of weapon I could imagine.
I bought, or watched a friend buy, 9mm’s, 22’s, Tech-9’s, and Mack-11’s. I bought an AK-47 without showing any ID or going through any background check. I even bought the same type of gun that shot me. Each transaction took less than 5 minutes. And when I was done, either I, or the purchaser I went with, would turn all weapons over to the police. The sickening thing about what I did and the footage you just saw was that everything was completely legal under our current law.”
So I guess, even if he is doing this for the most sickeningly self serving reason, he is still doing the right thing. My only hope is that by doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, Castle is punished by the Christine O’Donnell dipshit brigade.
That would be a kind of justice.
Comment by dv on 19 July 2010 at 3:56 pm:
expanding your blogging into other topics I see
Comment by jason330 on 19 July 2010 at 3:57 pm:
What are you my Mom?
Comment by delacrat on 19 July 2010 at 4:43 pm:
Pamela Gorman, Arizona GOP candidate for Congress, mows down imaginary illegal aliens, liberals and terrorists.
Comment by Jason330 on 19 July 2010 at 8:52 pm:
I wish O”Donnell would pull some bullshit like that. it could put her over the top in the primary. (Also it would be fun to se Mike Castle rushing out to be photographed shooting a gun.)
Comment by Observer on 19 July 2010 at 11:15 pm:
Once could, of course, take your opening assertion of opinion as fact and rewrite it as:
Only a complete idiot could try to argue that the 1st Amendment preserves the rights of Muslims to worship at fly by night mosques.
Comment by Geezer on 20 July 2010 at 12:00 am:
One could, but of course one would have to be a moron and a bigot to compare a Muslim to a gun.
Comment by a.price on 20 July 2010 at 8:10 am:
I dunno, both are used by the right to scare people into following their form of government… fear of muslims? Right wing answer… Christian theocracy. Fear of losing your guns to defend yourself from the savages? … Right wing answer.. bazookas for all!!!!!!
DO they not realize how unevolved they look crouched in their homes, fearing everything different and brandishing a weapon?
Comment by MJ on 20 July 2010 at 11:39 am:
It took the Columbine massacre to close the loophole in Colorado. Led by Tom Mauser, whose son was one of the Columbine victims, SAFE Colorado placed an initiative on the ballot that was passed with over 70% of the vote. Of course, the NRA opposed the initiative.
Unfortunately, it’s going to take a few more Columbines and Virginia Techs to get our elected officials off their asses and close the loophole, because they won’t respond to logic.
Comment by a.price on 20 July 2010 at 12:14 pm:
silly MJ, if EVERYONE had guns, no one would get shot. The mentally ill wouldn’t shoot people because they would know the other guy is armed and might shoot back. It would be a safe responsible society for all!
Comment by MJ on 20 July 2010 at 12:45 pm:
In that case, a.price, I’m gonna break out my Menachem Begin autographed uzi and go rabbit hunting. ;-P
Comment by Miscreant on 20 July 2010 at 1:27 pm:
“I even bought the same type of gun that shot me.”
I’d bet anything he didn’t get shot by the gun, but by the person shooting the gun. That being said, as a former FFL dealer (I collect British military and police firearms), the gun show loophole needs to be closed by whatever means possible.
Comment by jason330 on 20 July 2010 at 2:05 pm:
…as a first step. All private sales next.
Comment by Observer on 20 July 2010 at 11:16 pm:
It is just amazing how willing you all are to restrict the rights guaranteed to Americans under the Constitution.
Comment by Observer on 20 July 2010 at 11:17 pm:
Geezer — my point was to show the absurdity and offensiveness of jason’s anti-civil liberties position.
Comment by Geezer on 20 July 2010 at 11:27 pm:
Observer: OK then, I guess. But you know, registering guns is arguably part of a “well-regulated” right to own them. If your side would give on that point, most of the issue would evaporate. But fund-raisers on both sides would hate that.
Comment by jason330 on 21 July 2010 at 7:27 am:
Mike Castle is simply pointing out that private, no-background check sales are not guaranteed under the Constitution. Case closed. Mike Castle wins and the gun nuts lose another round.
Comment by anonone on 21 July 2010 at 7:46 am:
Maybe he’ll apologize to you again.
Comment by jason330 on 21 July 2010 at 7:55 am:
I don’t need an apology. I just need Republican primary voters to know that Castle wants to make all gun ownership illegal.
Comment by mikeb302000 on 21 July 2010 at 9:24 am:
On my blog the main response I got to the mention of Goddard and other VA Tech folks pushing for this legislation is that it would not have prevented their shooting. The VA Tech shooter bought his guns on-line.
I always thought that reaction was an attempt at obfuscation. No one that I heard ever said closing the loophole would have prevented any particular shooting. What they are saying is it’ll save lives.