Atlantic Editor David Frum wasted no time using news that a Republican lawmaker was shot while at baseball practice to advocate for more gun control.
Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise was shot at a GOP baseball practice Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Va., and Frum took the opportunity to bash the state’s lax gun laws — despite a lack of evidence of how the shooter obtained a rifle.
Virginia:
No background checks
No licensing
No registration
No permit req’d for concealed carry of long guns
Open carry long guns & handguns— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 14, 2017
There was a terrible fire in London.. Would any British person say in the aftermath “this is not the time to discuss fire safety?”
— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 14, 2017
Contrary to Frum’s claims, however, Virginia does have background checks for people purchasing firearms from licensed retailers. Frum also didn’t seem to understand that Virginia doesn’t require permits for concealed carry “long guns” because rifles can’t be concealed in any meaningful sense.
Virginia has used a “Firearms Transaction Program” since 1989 to conduct instantaneous background checks on gun sellers and buyers in the state. Even state law enforcement officers must consent to background checks.
Rifles, or “long guns,” can be up to three feet long. It’s not really practical to “conceal” them as you would a handgun. States license concealed carry handguns because they can be stashed in purses or bags, hiding them from view.
Twitter users were quick to criticize Frum.
Va. requires a background check for gun purchases. You also can’t “conceal” a long gun https://t.co/C3KxnI9jPR
— Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) June 14, 2017
There are background checks in Virginia, and you don’t don’t “concealed carry” long guns. Why do you never do any research?
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 14, 2017
Frum issued a correction after a barrage of criticism. He noted how there’s no background checks for private gun sales, not gun stores sales, which do undergo background checks.
One correction: “No background checks for private sales.” https://t.co/9ZgmPRyz4N https://t.co/GWtPoLvvQn
— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 14, 2017
Private gun sellers can request voluntary background checks from police.
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