Close the loophole!

For years, but especially since the horrific shootings at Virginia Tech, many people have suggested closing the so-called gun show loophole that gave an avenue for mentally ill or criminals to get weapons. While no one thinks closing the loophole will prevent all guns from falling into bad hands, there does seem to be a consensus among many folks that it would help to make our communities safer.

Closing the loophole has been controversial and for years has been shot down by gun rights advocates. Just a couple weeks ago the Virginia State Crime Commission deadlocked over a vote to recommend legislation that would require an electronic background check. That vote seemed to doom any legislation for the 2009 General Assembly session.

This week, Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Bath Co.) helped craft a bipartisan compromise in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.

It was a tight vote in the committee, but prospects are now reasonably good for passage in the Senate. The bill will face a tough test in the House of Delegates, but passage in the Senate plus the upcoming election, may place pressure on a few delegates to do the right thing to make our commonwealth a bit safer.

Senator Deeds has a long record of working the middle ground between parties and with rural and urban interests to find consensus and solve problems. That's leadership. 

Chitty chitty bang bang

A few days ago the Virginia State Crime Commission held hearing about the so-called "gun show loophole." The commission investigated the loophole in the aftermath of the horrible shootings at Virginia Tech which led to, among other things, enhanced procedures to identify mentally ill individuals. 

While gun dealers and stores must follow laws requiring background checks of purchasers, sellers at the numerous gun shows that are held throughout the state are deemed "private sellers" and have no such obligation. In this almost totally unregulated environment, purchasers may be mentally ill or have felony convictions and no one is the wiser.

Republicans on the commission made it clear that they will not require individual sellers to do background checks on buyers. With so many individual sellers, it would be cumbersome, impractical and unenforceable. Some suggested that an individual who sells a certain number of guns each year would have the same requirements as a licensed dealer. That too, would be clumsy and enforcement difficult.

The Roanoke Times suggests an approach that has potential to be workable, enforceable, and improve public safety by helping to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. I'll take this idea a step further. The gun show organizer would be like the dealer and individuals at the gun show who wish to make a purchase would have to produce an ID and go through the basic background check. They'd then get a "pass" that, along with an ID, would allow them to purchase guns from sellers at the show. Anyone could come into the gun show but only individuals with the "pass" could make a gun purchase.

Sure there would be ways to dodge the law (there is with any law). Someone could negotiate a deal that would be consummated later on the parking lot out of the back of a pickup. 

I'm sure some would see this as a "huge" inconvenience. But, I think preventing another Virginia Tech or a single murder would be well worth the few extra steps it would take to make that gun purchase. Simply common sense.