Libs Call for Closing of Supposed Gun Show “Loophole” Is Still Bogus

We all know people who think that if they repeat something enough times that it will eventually come true.  Politicians and those on the left side of the aisle use this tactic often –  they do it all the time, especially when it comes to guns.

Take the gun show “loophole” for example.  The bottom line is, there isn’t one.  But, it has been spewed enough by talking heads that a lot of folks think there actually is one.  There isn’t.  Every single gun show must comply with every single law on the books.  No exceptions.  Can’t just waltz in and pick up a gun – any gun – and walk out.  There are background checks, waiting periods – the whole enchilada.

But once again, California legislators think they can solve the Bay Area crime problem by shutting down the Cow Palace Gun Show.  Senator Scott Wiener and his Democrat compatriot Assemblyman Phil Ting have renewed efforts with SB 221 to prohibit guns shows at San Francisco’s famed Cow Palace, a premier event center that has welcomed over 50 million visitors pretty much without incident since it opened in 1941.  It is officially the 1-A District Agricultural Association, a state agency of the California Department of Food and Ag’s Division of Fairs and Expositions.  This means it belongs to all of us Californians.

Politicians need to come to grips with the fact that they don’t own any state building and as such, don’t get to dictate what happens there.  There have been virtually no gun show instances of violence, and recent horrific shootings have nothing to do with the Cow Palace but that didn’t stop Senator Wiener’s proclaiming at a press conference that “Our country is awash in guns and school children are dying.”

At GOC, we aren’t fooled by calls to “close the gun show loophole” because we know they really just want to prohibit private firearm sales. Their claims that it would reduce crime is bogus – firearms purchased at gun shows account for an insignificant number used in actual gun crimes, and the majority of firearms used in crimes are either stolen or snagged on the black market. It’s an absolute mystery how anyone could swallow the idea that criminals have any respect for the law.  Their very nature indicates that they do not.

In the last year alone, Crossroads of the West Gun Shows attracted more than half a million guests, more than any other gun exhibitions in America. In California, the shows at Del Mar have come under fire as has the equally popular event in Costa Mesa.  Crossroads presents some of America’s best opportunities for just about anyone to see all kinds of gear – guns and otherwise – from the serious hunter to the occasional outdoorsman/woman to the avid collector.

So the bottom line is there are no problems at gun shows, but deaths and hospitalizations at electronic music events (raves) led to a moratorium of such events at the Cow Palace.  The big difference is that this was ultimately decided by the Cow Palace’s Board of Directors – not some politician with an ax to grind (even though convicted and imprisoned gun-runner, former Senator Leland Yee tried).  In the immediate aftermath of Wiener’s bill introduction, GOC’s Executive Director was flooded with media calls for his reaction.  He hits the nail on the head:

“Here we go again. When you allow legislators to force on everyone else their own inclinations and predilections, and they decide what legal products can be used and sold at public venues, it smacks of social engineering and royalty. These shows are as safe as a knitting show or a coin show. But that’s not enough for these politicians.”

GOC’s Executive Director Sam Paredes – San Francisco Chronicle, May 2018