Fix the ‘Gun Show Loophole’…?

Dear Editor,

You want to fix the “gun-show loophole” on firearm purchases? There isn’t one, really (know what you are talking about, see above). It is a private party transfer loophole. I’m cool with that fix, but you had better improve the restricted buyer database. Not all law enforcement (local, state, federal) contribute data; mental health data is also often not included or incomplete (but be careful to protect privacy rights).

Texas mass killer D.P.K., convicted of domestic violence and discharged for bad conduct, was not reported by the Air Force, allowing him to buy firearms. A 2015 Pentagon report found the military was failing to provide crucial information to the FBI in about 30 percent of a sample of serious cases handled in military courts. (NPR Nov 7, 2017).

I would suggest that the U.S. has a violence problem as much as a gun problem. Twice as many people here commit suicide by gun than are murdered by one. But Japan, with almost no guns, has a suicide rate 50 percent higher than ours, whereas Israel, where every Israeli is trained, and many are armed (with automatic weapons too!), the suicide rate is 50 percent less than here.

Who was the first person shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary school? Principal Dawn Hochsprung, a brave woman. Why? She charged the gunman EMPTY HANDED! It’s hard to believe that it would have been worse if she had been armed. At the Orlando/Pulse nightclub shooting, the police stayed outside for THREE HOURS, while inside dozen of victims bled out. You can’t convince me that it would have been worse if one of the dozens of hostages had been armed.

I support the Second Amendment. I also support the ACLU, free universal health care, women and LGBTQ rights. Want a firearm in your home, fine. But to carry in public, then mandatory training and licensing is called for. There are far too many uneducated gun control advocates and owners.

So you want to ban the AR-15? Better know the other side’s issues.

Chris Mielke
Sagle