The 'gun show loophole' myth rears its ugly head in Minnesota

I just talked about the "gun show loophole" myth yesterday, and now we're seeing such a bill in Minnesota.

Gun control advocates are taking another stab at changing a state law that allows people to buy handguns and assault rifles without a background check from unlicensed dealers.

One problem right from the get-go is that these "unlicensed dealers" aren't dealers at all, any more than someone who sells his used car is a car dealer, or someone who puts his house on the market is a real estate agent.

A similar bill got nowhere in the legislature last year, but chief sponsor Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul, said he hopes tweaks in the bill's language will satisfy the measure's opponents.

"It's a good bill, a simple one designed to keep dangerous guns out of the hands of dangerous people," Paymar said.

Ah--"dangerous guns out of the hands of dangerous people." Good line, Mike--did Helmke teach you that personally, or did you pick it up yourself from the Brady Bunch website?

Then, we go on to learn that gun shows are only part of the agenda.

The bill would close the so-called "gun show/Internet loophole." It would prohibit private sales of pistols or assault weapons unless the buyer or seller was a federally licensed dealer, or used a licensed dealer to transfer the weapon. That includes sales at garage and estate sales and over the Internet, which are currently exempt from background checks.

"Internet loophole?" In other words, the idea here is to go after all private sales.

Language in the bill that would have included private gun transactions between family members has been dropped from the legislation, he said.

OK--not quite all private sales.

Gee--how nice of them to make a family exception to their infringement of that which shall not be infringed.