Let’s Close Virginia’s Gun Show Loophole

During October, Virginia will host two of the largest gun shows in North America: the Nation's Gun Show in Chantilly (yesterday and today) and the gun show at the Showplace in Richmond (Oct. 17-18).

Like other gun shows held most weekends across our state, these shows will draw thousands of gun enthusiasts -- mostly good citizens who take their Second Amendment rights seriously and do what they can to practice and preach safe gun ownership. Hundreds of thousands of dollars will change hands between shoppers and the licensed gun dealers and so-called occasional sellers who lay their guns out on miles of booths and tables.

While most sellers are responsible, gun shows also attract some shady operators -- licensed dealers who are willing to sell to "straw purchasers," who in turn provide the guns they buy to someone who cannot pass a background check; or perhaps an "occasional" dealer who claims to sell just a few guns irregularly but in reality makes his living at these shows.

Federal law requires gun dealers to run background checks to prevent sales to criminals, the mentally unstable, and other dangerous persons, but "occasional" sellers are exempt. They don't have to keep records or even ask the name of the person buying their wares. This is the gun show loophole. Some states have closed the loophole. Virginia has not.

Virginia is the home of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and we hold our guns dear, but large majorities of Virginia voters of both parties support state legislation to close the loophole that allows guns to end up in the wrong hands. It also puts at a disadvantage Virginia's legitimate sellers who play by the rules.

Last year, a smart reform bill came within two votes of passing in the Virginia Senate. It simply required that gun buyers at gun shows be subject to the same background check they must pass if they buy from a licensed dealer.

That's why Virginia mayors, county officials, police officers, law enforcement associations, and faith leaders are coming together in hopes of stopping this unsavory and dangerous practice that puts us all at risk and damages the reputation of law-abiding gun owners and dealers.

As one of the 12 members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns in Virginia, I support closing the gun show loophole and making it harder for criminals to get their hands on guns. Our coalition of more than 450 mayors across the nation believes that the way to stem violence and ensure public safety is to keep guns away from those who should not have them. Our effort is also supported by 49 Virginia police chiefs and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Unfortunately, the NRA recently targeted my constituents and those of other mayors with misleading postcards saying the coalition wants to "regulate gun shows out of existence." That's just not true. Our goals are simple: We want gun shows to be safe, vibrant, and successful venues where law-abiding citizens can sell guns to and buy guns from other law-abiding citizens. And we want the background check laws to be reformed and uniformly enforced.

That sounds like something the NRA should support; it often says the focus should be on enforcing the laws on the books. We are doing that in Richmond. We instituted Project EXILE, which transfers cases of criminals caught with illegal guns to federal court, making sure they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law and receive the maximum penalty for their crime. We've seen the results. Smart enforcement works and closing the gun show loophole would be a good next step -- it's the reform we need to be able to properly enforce the background check law that's on the books.

If you're planning to attend the gun show in Richmond, I hope you have a good time and find some bargains. If you're selling guns legally, I hope you turn a profit while doing everything you can to ensure your buyers are law-abiding citizens. And I hope all of you will visit Richmond's restaurants and shops while you're here, so you can see what a safe and inviting city we have become.

We're working hard to reduce crime and we want every kind of help we can get to make that happen. Closing the loophole that allows guns to be sold with no background checks would be a big step forward.

Dwight C. Jones is the mayor of Richmond. Contact him at .