LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The brief by Mary Boyd is lacking
fact, and it does not seem like she has
actually researched the law or the bill
that would eliminate this supposed
“gun show loophole.”

Mary Boyd states, “Parents and relatives
of victims of last year’s Virginia
Tech shootings urged legislators to
close what they see as a loophole in
gun laws. While federally licensed
gun dealers must conduct criminal
background checks on buyers, that
requirement does not apply to gunshow
vendors.”

This is where the facts are not
technically wrong, but the article is
very misleading and shows that she
either is intentionally misleading
people or she does not know what
she is writing about. There are two
types of sales at a gun show. Those
two types are private sales and those
guns sold by federally licensed gun
dealers (FFLs for short, which is
how I will refer to them for the rest
of this letter).

Private citizens selling firearms at
a gun show make up a very small
percentage of all sales at these shows.
These are the only people who would
witness any change from the bill. All
other vendors at the shows either sell
non-firearm items (usually beef jerky,
beanie babies and hot sauce) or are
FFLs who are already required to perform the background checks, gun show
or not. These few private citizens already retain the right to sell their personal
firearms, inside or out of the gun shows, so such a bill would only mean that
they were unable to sell their property within the walls of the show. They would
still be allowed to sell from their kitchen, yard sale or a flea market. The only
affect of this bill would be to hinder private citizens, who have no access granted
by law to allow for the ability to conduct background checks*, from being able
to sell their own personal property, all while having little to no impact on the
flow of guns into the wrong hands.

The good thing about selling a privately owned firearm at a gun show is that
it is done in a safe area. Otherwise, people have to run an ad in the newspaper,
then either have the potential buyer come to their home or meet them somewhere
to sell it. Not everyone wants to invite people into their home to sell a firearm
or meet in a public area to do so. If sales are allowed at gun shows, it is done
in a safe and proper area, and if the buyer has reservations with selling it, they
do not have to worry about backlash from someone, as it is being done in this
controlled area.

Ironically, the last place a felon or person unable to purchase a firearm would
go to buy a gun would be a gun show, which is normally monitored by various
law enforcement agencies, such as the ATF, state police and local police.

I also have to wonder why people who believe in this supposed gun show
loophole are using the Virginia Tech incident to garner support for their cause.
Cho bought both of his firearms from a licensed dealer at a gun shop. Where
is the connection between Virginia Tech and gun shows?

Jon Cencich

*Editor’s Note: According to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act section
2.2-3706, “Law-enforcement agencies shall make available upon request criminal
incident information relating to felony offenses.”