Gun Shows

Hello and welcome to another blog post.  A commenter recommended me on last week's blog post that I should bring up the subject of gun shows, their popularity, and are they the way school shooters can obtain weapons?  After looking through some online articles regarding gun shows, I believe there should be some discussion on this topic.  For those of you who don't know, gun shops are places where people can view, buy, and sell guns, gun accessories, etc.  It is also an area where citizens can engage in "private transactions", meaning that people can purchase firearms there without going through the traditional methods of gun transactions (Brandus).

So why are gun shows so popular?  Reasons can range from an expression and enjoyment of their second amendment rights to checking out and admiring the designs of weapons, or to purchase them. You will need pockets stuffed with cash if you plan to purchase one, especially when a Browning shotgun costs anywhere from $16,500 to $19,000 (Brandus).  Another huge reason why gun shows are popular as well as a reason that almost shocks me is the private transaction factor.  At the gun show in near Dulles Airport in Fairfax County, VA, Paul Brandus states that "sellers aren't required to perform background checks if they sell their guns at their kitchen tables" ("What I learned at the gun show").  This is because of a "loophole" within the commerce clause, which states that interstate transactions can be monitored by the federal government (Brandus).  With these purchases being made in the state of Virginia, transactions can be made without a background check when gun stores give their guns at least several days when a customer buys one after filling out paper work and background information.  How do sellers at gun shows know they aren't handing over weapons to people who will commit school shootings?  What is also troublesome is that Brandus mentions that while a fair amount of venders were licensed, there were around 25 to 50 percent who were not licensed ("What I learned at the gun show").  It really makes me uncomfortable knowing that unlicensed sellers are out there at gun shows hoping to make some quick cash.  Also, its not just the possibly of arming school shooters that concerns me, but also home grown terrorists or those with severe mental problems are just a few examples.  




In regards to the question as to whether or not gun shows are the way school shooters can obtain weapons so that they can bypass a background investigation, the answer is very likely, but surprisingly not all have.  Adam Lanza, the Newton shooter, used weapons that were owned and lawfully bought by his mother.  The 2012 Aurora shooter, James Holmes, was able to procure several weapons that were lawfully bought despite being registered to the National Criminal Background Check.  A judge had declared Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho "mentally ill" and yet, when Cho purchased guns legally before the shooting, his name never came up during the time when he bought the weapons (Johns).  


While it is a shocking revelation that it is easy to buy and/or sell weapons at a gun show, we can't quite demand that it be taken away to prevent school shootings.  Personally, I believe gun shows are important expressions of our second amendment rights, but there should be a stricter sign up process that sellers should go through and buyers should follow the same process as buying a gun from a gun shop.

Brandus, Paul.  "What I Learned at the Gun Show."  The Week.  Felix Dennis, 25 Feb. 2013.  Web.  12 Feb. 2014.


Johns, Joe.  "Would background checks have stopped recent mass shootings? Probably not."  CNN.  Cable News Network, 10 Apr. 2013.  Web.  12 Feb. 2014.