It’s usually pretty tough to legally purchase a firearm — most people think it’s a good idea to have a few hoops to jump through for a sale like that. But there’s always been a way around that process, and it’s referred to as the “gun show loophole.” In case you haven’t heard of it, let Kevin Malone and Tobias Fünke break it down for you:
In other words, all those pesky things getting in the way of owning a gun (waiting period, background checks, ID, and recording of the sale) are ignored. Since gun shows, and anyone else with arms to spare, are private sellers, they can sell to whomever as long as they aren’t out of state or have reason to believe the buyer is prohibited from owning a gun. But that last one isn’t as important as there are plenty of videos depicting gun show salesmen selling to camera-wearing buyers that would in no way pass the required background check.
Essentially, the loophole allows those who shouldn’t be around guns in the first place to have their hands on a firearm.
But the gun show loophole could be closed soon. President Obama gave a speech on gun control with new regulations, and among them were his plans on closing these types of loopholes. While his actions don’t change these rules definitively – he needs Congressional support for that – he does clarify who is a “private seller” i.e. who doesn’t stand to make a profit or sell guns regularly. He’ll also be cracking down on those who abuse the law.
For any action beyond these, Obama and Biden need citizens’ support to urge their Congress members to close these loopholes for good.