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Furor Over Gun Shows and Background Checks

Gun Shows have always been a subject of controversy.  People opposed to firearms or those who wish to further regulate them call for tougher regulations.   Those in favor of a more liberal firearms possession policy, want to see the regulations relaxed and more in keeping with what they perceive as their civil rights.     This is always a tricky subject, and the subject .

Seventeen states presently mandate various degrees of regulation for those who sell and buy firearms at gun shows.    Among restrictions in most states is the requirement that gun purchases undergo background checks before obtaining a weapon.     Sellers are generally mandated to have an FFL or Federal Firearms License, before they can transfer weapons.

There are arguments of course that oppose what some term as unfair government practices.    in an article on Prison Planet, a website  we discovered through Google that ostensibly favors gun owners rights, it was noted that —

“According to the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, individuals “not engaged in the business” of dealing firearms, or who only make “occasional” sales within their state of residence, are under no requirement to conduct background checks on purchasers or maintain records of sale.”

The article centers around one Darwin Boedeker who was conducting a gun show in Austin, Texas.   According to the article, the Austin Police threatened to shut him down unless Boedeker complied with ATF,  Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms stipulations.

The stipulations were as follows–

““At the direction of the Austin Police Department and the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms anyone selling a firearm at this show location will be asked to comply with the following: 1. Any person selling a personal firearm must go through a licensed FFL Dealer in the show to transfer the firearm to the new owner. 2. Selling of Firearms in the parking lot will not be permitted. Thank you for your cooperation!”

As these articles are always controversial, I am interesting in getting the perspectives from both sides on this issue.   While we are a background checking company, I can attest that we have never conducted background checks for those purchasing weapons at gun shows.   Why?  Well, we have never been asked to do so.

So give me your thoughts.  Remember, we do not advocate one way or another.  We want your feedback.  So, polite works best, please.

By Gordon Basichis

Gordon Basichis is the Co-Founder of Corra Group, specializing in pre-employment background checks and corporate research. He has been a marketing and media executive and has worked in the entertainment industry, the financial, health care and technology sectors. He is the author of the best selling Beautiful Bad Girl, The Vicki Morgan Story, a non-fiction novel that helped define exotic sexuality in the late twentieth century. He is the author of the Constant Travellers and has recently completed a new book, The Guys Who Spied for China, dealing with Chinese Espionage in the United States. He has been a journalist for several newspapers and is a screenwriter and producer.

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