CLOSE VIRGINIA'S GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE
Target:
Virginia General Assembly
In Virginia, licensed gun dealers (known as Federal Firearms Licensees, or FFLs) are required to conduct a criminal background check on each and every individual they sell a gun to. However, due to a loophole in federal and state law, unlicensed sellers are also allowed to sell firearms at Virginia gun shows without conducting background checks on purchasers. The Virginia State Police report that between 22 and 35 percent of the firearms sellers at Virginia gun shows do not possess an FFL and are not required by law to perform background checks. This dangerous gun show loophole allows criminals and other prohibited purchasers to obtain firearms without any paper trail or accountability.
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In Virginia, licensed gun dealers (known as Federal Firearms Licensees, or FFLs) are required to conduct a criminal background check on each and every individual they sell a gun to. However, due to a loophole in federal and state law, unlicensed sellers are also allowed to sell firearms at Virginia gun shows without conducting background checks on purchasers. The Virginia State Police report that between 22 and 35 percent of the firearms sellers at Virginia gun shows do not possess an FFL and are not required by law to perform background checks. This dangerous gun show loophole allows criminals and other prohibited purchasers to obtain firearms without any paper trail or accountability.
Find out more on these sites:
Find out more on these sites:
We, the undersigned, urge you to pass legislation during the current legislative session to close the gun show loophole in Virginia.
We know that background checks work. In 2005, the Virginia State Police reported that background checks by licensed dealers prevented 2,668 illegal gun transactions in Virginia. It is time to extend background checks to all gun sales in Virginia so that we can be certain that those buying guns in the Commonwealth are indeed "law-abiding citizens." This is the minimum that we should do to honor not only those lost at Virginia Tech, but also the 800 other Virginians lost to gun violence every year.
Governor Kaine's Executive Order No. 50 was important and praiseworthy, but additional measures are necessary to prevent dangerous individuals from purchasing firearms in the Commonwealth. Passing legislation to require background checks on all firearms sales at gun shows is a good, common-sense next step to protect public safety in Virginia.
We know that background checks work. In 2005, the Virginia State Police reported that background checks by licensed dealers prevented 2,668 illegal gun transactions in Virginia. It is time to extend background checks to all gun sales in Virginia so that we can be certain that those buying guns in the Commonwealth are indeed "law-abiding citizens." This is the minimum that we should do to honor not only those lost at Virginia Tech, but also the 800 other Virginians lost to gun violence every year.
Governor Kaine's Executive Order No. 50 was important and praiseworthy, but additional measures are necessary to prevent dangerous individuals from purchasing firearms in the Commonwealth. Passing legislation to require background checks on all firearms sales at gun shows is a good, common-sense next step to protect public safety in Virginia.
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We signed the "CLOSE VIRGINIA'S GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE" petition!
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I'm a victim of crime. We lost our nephew Ryan on 7/10/05, by a brutal drive-by shooting, never caught the criminal. www.justice4ryan.com I support gun control Bill AB2235 / AB 2062
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As a graduate of Virginia Tech, I think we need to take all the steps we can to make sure that people with criminal backgrounds or mental health problems cannot purchase guns to avoid another tragedy. This will make our state safer for everyone, including gun owners!
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The fact that dangerous criminals and mentally unstable people are able to obtain guns with such ease is an outrage! PLEASE make it more difficult for these people to get ahold of DEADLY weapons!
# 291:
Accountability is necessary and fair. Those that have nothing to hide have no reason to circumvent the law or requirement. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I went to the recent gun show at Dulles, and inquired about licenses and hand gun registration. As much as I like instant gratification, a gun is not a pair of shoes. Preparation and personal responsibility are little to ask or require to preserve our right to bear arms.
# 290:
Too many of these guns leave Virginia to be used in the commission of violent crimes in other states. Background checks are not a violation of rights; they are common sense when it comes to ensuring public safety.
# 289:
Guns are too easy to obtain and too powerful. Our forefathers would roll over in their graves if they saw how we have missinterpreted their definition of the "right to bear arms". That is not all the amendment says, but as usual if it benefits some, they will take words out of context to suit individual desires. Every US citizen should read the entire amendment.
# 288:
I lost a friend in the VT Shootings. Please stop this and prevent anything else horrible from happening in the future.
# 287:
This doesn't go far enough. *ALL* semiautomatic weapons must be outlawed and destroyed. There is no reason for a civilian to own anything beyond a single action pistol. Autoloaders make it too easy for mass murder. After VT, NIU, and the murder of the little girls in the Amish school house, this gun owner is looking for some place to turn in and destroy his weapons. As a VT alum, thanks to the world, especially UVA, for your support. Let's get together and put this kind of violence out of reach for the sake of everyone.
# 286:
Please let us get rid of all guns in this already crazy world!
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I am very concerned for our population with hand guns so easily accessible. There is NO reason NOT to close up the loop hole that allows gun purchase without complete medical and criminal background checks. For the safety of all of our loved ones, please view the information on this subject and do the right thing.
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Not a cure-all, but a common sense move that may save lives.
# 280:
My daughter is a Student at Virginia Tech and I worry about her safety and her classmates. I don't wont this to happen again.
# 279:
My daughter is a VT student and the horror of watching this tradgedy unfold on TV and not being able to reach her, is a form of torture that I don't wish on any parent. It can happen anywhere at anytime and to anyone and we must make it STOP!
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The senseless violence has to stop and, while I whole heartedly support a responsible citizen's right to bear arms, I believe that it has become far too easy for UNresponsible citizens to get firearms.
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As a mother and a former educator, I am concerned that young people and adults, particularly those with criminal backgrounds or mental instability, have unrestricted access to lethal weapons at gun shows. I am a Southerner, and support those who own guns for sports like hunting or skeet shooting, but I vehemently oppose the easy access to predatory weapons that the state is granting to consumers at gun shows. This must stop.
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There are already thousands (yes, thousands) of laws on the books regulating who can buy guns, what kind of guns, what you can do with these guns. We don't need more laws, we need law enforcement. Passing laws doesn't stop bad guys from doing bad things with guns. Law enforcement does. To use a catch-phrase, my guns have killed less people than Ted Kennedy's car has! Go after the criminals, who are by far mostly already known because 80%+ of the crime is committed by repeat offenders, and leave me the heck alone!
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There is NO LOOPHOLE. Criminals are ALREADY prohibited from possessing guns, buying guns, attempting to buy guns, steal guns, sell guns, transfer guns, use guns in the commission of a felony, induce another person to buy a gun for them, trade guns, etc. etc. This proposal (mandated background checks by law-abiding sellers of personal guns) is just another misguided attempt to infringe on our Constitutional rights.
# 264:
As a friend of the Samaha family and personally knowing how wonderful Reema Samaha was, who was killed during the Virginia Tech shootings, I feel the gun show loophole REALLY needs to be closed. The request is nothing outrageous. Background checks take very little time, and the result could save many innocent lives.
# 263:
This is a no brainer,we absolutley need hand gun control.
# 262:
Gun violence has had a direct impact on my family. One year ago, last August, the oldest son of my nephew was shot dead by his own brother. Had there been no gun or ammo in the house, the victim would have had a fighting chance against his momentarily enraged brother. I have seen and felt the grief of the victim's family. Last April, in classrooms where I had taught many classes for the Department of English, 32 lives were taken at Virginia Tech. Long before these tragedies, I felt for the families affected by lax gun laws. In 2004, eight children and teenagers were killed per day, shattering the lives of those left behind. If people in their hearts don't really care about the tragedies of others, they could at least act as though they care and push for sensible gun legislation. Let's behave as though we all lost children last April. Let's try to imagine the unendurable grief felt by the victims' families.
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Because I am a student at Virginia Tech, because I lost fellow Hokies on April 16th, 2007 and because sometimes when I sit in class I can't help but think about what would happen if a shooter came in.
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I have two teenage daughters, one of which attends a public university in Illinois. It is freightening to think that a mentally unstable person can purchase guns. Our laws are suppose to be established to protect us. Why is there no law that requires not only a criminal background check, but a mental health background check as well. If a mental health background check had been required, the shooters in both the Virginia Tech case and the more recent Northern Illinois University case would have never been able to purchase the guns that they used to slaughter 37 innocent people with. It is time for a change. As Americans, we have the right to protect ourselves against those that would purchase guns that would be found to be either criminally suspect or mental suspect to own such a gun. American's have had it with these irresponsible, unreliable gun laws and with the NRA buying it's way into our politicians pockets. This sucks and we are not going to stand for it anymore! We are pissed off!!
# 254:
I do not believe that anyone should be able to buy a gun without a criminal background check, and think that all guns should be registered and tracked, instead of the current system, which is a free for all for terrorists, criminals, and psychopaths.
# 253:
I'm a Republican voter but constantly angered by the GOP's disregard for gun safety and pandering to the gun lobby and the NRA. The Brady bill took far to much energy to get enacted. There are too many handguns and the world - certainly the US - doesn't need another one. It is the Government's job to provide funding to do whatever whereever and whenever possible to erradicate illegally owned handguns from our cities. Foreign countries should not be allowed to continue to send handguns to the US. Our kids are in the line of fire and profits and special interests should not be benefitting as they are. For God's sake close any loophole making it easier to obtain weapons - use your heads!
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