By Richard Quinn and Matthew Bowers
The Virginian-Pilot
RICHMOND
In his strongest words to date, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine vowed Tuesday to fight for background checks at gun shows.
The state's rules do not require the checks on people who buy guns privately through unlicensed dealers at the shows.
The loophole gives felons and mentally ill people access to weapons they should not be allowed to buy, said Kaine, speaking at the annual AP Day at the Capital, a legislative forum sponsored by The Associated Press and the Society for Professional Journalists.
"I am very unequivocal about closing the gun-show loophole," Kaine said.
Kaine had said last week he wanted to close the loophole, but his press secretary later said the issue wasn't yet a high priority. Kaine dismissed that Tuesday, calling it a "black- and-white issue."
"I'm going to be very aggressive," he said. "One thing you can count on... that bill will be introduced."
Gun control and mental health services will be high-profile issues when the General Assembly convenes next month, panelists at the forum promised, spurred in large part by the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech.
Several family members of the 32 killed and 27 injured by senior Seung-Hui Cho attended the forum and pressed panel members for answers.
Gerald Massengill, a former Virginia State Police superintendent who chaired the governor's Virginia Tech Review Panel, called background checks "reasonable, not intrusive" measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
He cited another loophole closed by the governor after the shootings - one that had kept information about Cho's record of mental health treatment out of the background check made when he bought the two handguns he went on to use.
"Cho could not buy that weapon today," from a licensed dealer, Massengill indicated. "So the question we have to ask is, where would he get it? Because he would still get it. And likely get it at a gun show."
State Sen.-elect Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, disagreed. Forcing sales by private, unlicensed dealers to fall under state control would be a violation of liberty, he said, and wouldn't have prevented the Virginia Tech killings.
"What would have prevented April, in your opinion?" asked Lori Haas of Richmond, whose daughter Emily was wounded in the shootings.
Mental health reforms are key, Hurt answered.
But guns remain part of the issue, countered Lu Ann McNabb, a friend of Reema Samaha, a student from Northern Virginia who was killed. She noted Cho's use of oversize magazines, which allow for faster shooting.
"It's very disconcerting to me that you members of the General Assembly want to push the gun issue aside," McNabb said. "It's not right." The Virginia Tech victim families also pushed for clarifying privacy rules governing students' school and medical records. Panelists and Kaine agreed that school employees too often default to withholding information from parents or school officials because of a misunderstanding of legal repercussions.
"In my humble opinion, I think Mr. Cho cried out several times for help... and there was no one there to help him," said Mike White of Smithfield, whose daughter Nicole was among those killed.
Later, White said he was glad to see a commission studying these issues and possibly preventing a repeat tragedy.
But, he added, "to me, ignorance of the law is not an excuse" and said officials shouldn't be allowed to "hide behind" privacy laws.
Matthew Bowers, (757) 222-3893, matthew.bowers@pilotonline.com
Richard Quinn, (757) 222-5199,
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This is just a smoke screen
All this is to cover the mistakes that we made at Tech. They figure if the appear to be doing something people will not see how they screwed up. Cho should have been institutionalized long before he got to Tech. There should have been quicker police response. But these issues reflect badly on the powers that be so the pick a non-related issue and make a lot of noise about it.
Tiocfaidh Ar LA
Terrorist don't need guns. When it happens again it will be bigger than a shooting spree. Were all num to shooting sprees. Its got to be terrorizing!
terrorists also buy guns
The right wing is so eager to allow the gov't to spy on its own citizens without a warrant but also so eager to allow terrorists to buy guns with absolutely no background checks here. Kaine is trying to close a loophole that favors terrorists and the right wing does not want the loophole closed. You're either against the terrorists or you're not.
It doesnt matter
It doesnt matter how strict the gun control laws are criminals will get their hands on guns. The laws will only apply to the law abidding citizens that are trying to protect themselves. Anyone that thinks this country needs stricter gun laws needs to get their head out of their butt and realize that n matter what kind of laws you enact it wont change things. Criminals are criminals because they brake the laws. Duh!. If we dont wake up as a country we will become a third world country and have no rights as american citizens. What we need to do is make harsher punishments and not back down from them. Because it is the first time little Johhny killed someone while robbing them with an illegal firearm lets have mercy on him and that is the mentality
Background Checks Are at Gun Shows
Every gun show I ever attended had required background checks. I never saw anyone hawking guns out of his car.
Soon you will have to register
Not only any weapons, but your relatives who are found to have mental health problems. Here's an idea. Lets brand a big capital M on their foreheads to denote they have mental issues so people will know up front who they are dealing with. We could also use other letters for STDs, sex offender, substance abuser, wow there are unlimited possibilities! I mean next time you cruise a bar wouldn't it be great to just look at their forehead and see exactly what their issues are? But legally purchased and owned guns by responsibile owners aren't the problem. I don't care how you argue about it, a gun is a tool that is designed to kill. But the users are the issue and the problem. Only mentally defective people do what he did, not responsible ones.
Nice Propaganda
There is no such thing as an "unlicensed gun dealer". Someone who would meet the legal definition of "gun dealer" but is not licensed is already violating federal law. Will this make it "illegaler?" Do you call private citizens selling personal cars "unlicensed car dealers?" The "gun show loophole" canard is pure propaganda. Anyone who would be required to perform a background check outside a gun show is required to do so inside a gun show. There is no "loophole". This proposal would have in no way prevented VA Tech. Governor Kaine, the Pilot, and other hoplophobes are callously attempting to profit from the deaths of innocents for nothing more than political gain. All of you should be ashamed.
Misleading
This whole issue is misleading. Should we really be surprised that a political candidate is using this kind of tactic though? In case people don't know, or just read the headlines and think they do not do gun checks at gun shows, this is not entirely true. An actual gun dealer will do background checks, storefront or show. As far as throwing Cho into this argument, they did do a background check on him. Remember the court never put anything in his record that would flag a background check. It's the typical democratic smoke and mirrors to incite fear and anger to further their agenda. Why can't we ever hear the truth? Because the truth doesn't get you elected.