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a gun for your money |
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by scott medlock • • • As a part of my experience interning for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, my boss, Mike Gipstein, thought that we should attend a gun show. Gun shows are currently in the sights of the gun-control movement—in many states you can purchase a weapon at a gun show without facing a background check to determine if you are a convicted felon, undergoing psychiatric treatment, or subject to a domestic violence restraining order. The shooters at Columbine High School bought all four of their guns at a Denver area gun show because they could avoid background checks; the resulting rampage left 12 other students and one teacher dead. Two measures will soon be introduced in the Senate that will require background checks at gun shows, and President Bush — despite his recent love affair with the Second Amendment — has said that he will sign the measure. I attended the Silverado Gun Show in Upper Marlboro Maryland, with Mike, a fellow intern and another employee at the Brady Campaign. Maryland actually does require background checks at gun shows, so things were not as crazy as they could be — in other states, dealers advertise “no background check necessary” at their booths. State law also requires a seven-day waiting period. These things considered, after purchasing my ticket I had high hopes that this show would be a display of responsible gun ownership. Signs above the ticket booth helpfully reminded visitors: “Safety First!” But my hopes were soon dashed. The “Sons of Confederate Veterans” ran a table near the entrance. (Contrary to their name, none of the men at the booth appeared to be pushing 140 years old, as one would expect of the son of an actual Confederate veteran.) One could purchase bumper stickers that read “I Salute the Confederate Flag, and All It Stands For.” (Which would be ... ?) Of course, you could also purchase an actual Confederate Flag, or a bumper sticker with the Stars and Bars reading “Proud Redneck.” If you prefer your hate groups a little more repulsive, Nazi memorabilia was also available among the dealers’ tables on the floor. One table had two apparently authentic World War II- era German army helmets, complete with Nazi insignias proudly displayed. Next to the helmets were two knives; I would have inspected them to see if they were also Nazi paraphernalia (such items are popular at gun shows), but a rather frightening old man was sitting nearby, staring intently at them. As I did not feel like expressing my undying love of the Third Reich to this dude in order to get a closer look, I opted to walk away. But gun shows aren’t just for white supremacists; the best of them offer fun for the whole family. Admission to the show was free for children under 12, and a good number of people appeared to have brought their young 'uns. I dodged one stroller and another group of children running between dealer at one booth you could purchase signs for your home to scare off intruders — one, showing a hand gripping a revolver, stated “Forget the dog, we have really mean kids.” My boss heard a young girl remark to her father “I think the right gun for me is a shotgun, Daddy.” And just a few short feet away from the Nazi booth was a table overflowing with Beanie Babies. Yes, Beanie Babies. Not stuffed AK-47s or Beanie Eddie the Eagle (the NRA’s Child “Safety” Mascot, essentially Joe Camel with feathers), but the same Beanies hoarded by insane speculators everywhere. Although your average gun nut is often perceived as an illiterate redneck, many dealers had books for sale — some of them even used for purposes other than burning. The books covered a wide array of topics, including how to make a silencer from things lying around your house, how to make fake IDs, and how to be a professional hitman. Sadly, that particular tome was marked 'out of print'). And that wasn't all; one could also purchase a copy of the Turner Diaries, the book that inspired Tim McVeigh to blow up the Oklahoma City Federal Building. In fact, Mr. McVeigh’s endorsement was featured on the back cover. Of course, the reason for the gun show is the guns. While many dealers offered mere hunting rifles or handguns, you could purchase essentially any type of gun you desired. One table had a World War I machine gun next to a display of other assault weapons—free twenty round clip with purchase! Another dealer boasted that everything at his display was fully automatic. From assault pistols like the TEC-9 used at Columbine to the same weapons used by the US army, this guy had it all. Next to his display was a very large gun — it stood about waist-high and fired bullets larger than my finger. Mike pointed at it and inquired, “How much for that one?” The dealer laughed and assured us that it was for display only, but, if we really wanted one we could get it for a grand. Many of the weapons on display had no legitimate self-defense or sporting purpose — unless you were defending your home from the Terminator, say, or hunting Godzilla. In the midst of all this, it was very unclear how the background checks were conducted and the waiting period was enforced. Many people could be seen strolling out of the show with their new purchases. Though it should be acknowledged that many dealers were just selling hunting rifles or shooting memorabilia — not handguns or assault weapons — and that the tattoo-to-tooth ratio was much lower than I expected, visiting the show was at times a harrowing experience. As someone who, like the majority of Americans, has never spent a lot of time around firearms, seeing so many guns in one space was more than a little intimidating. And see so many weapons that should only be possessed by active military personnel was even more harrowing. Scott Medlock is now a student at the University of Texas Law School. |