GOP plays politics with public safety - Part One

[photo via Greg Fallis]

Employing the classic Republican projection tactic, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz accused President Obama of playing politics with gun safety reforms. In the world according to NRA beholden Republicans, our President and all citizens concerned with the overly easy availability of firearms are hypocrites. And by the way he didn't see anything at all odious about the NRA's hideous pro-gun ad which was definitely not about the President's daughters. Pay no attention to the fact they were referenced in the opening ten seconds of the ad. And we'll just ignore the NRA's ad was premised on a outright lie.

But please let's not trouble Mr. Cruz with those damned librul facts. It would interfere with his false statements made about firearm availability:

"There actually isn't the so-called gun show loophole. It doesn't exist. Any licensed firearm dealer that sells at a gun show has to have a background check," he said.

I guess that's technically half true. I'm reasonably sure the majority of licensed dealers are responsible sellers. But that's not the loophole. The problem is irresponsible private sellers at gun shows like this 70 year old guy with a huge stash of high powered weapons for sale:

Asked who could buy his Uzi semi-automatic weapon with a bundle of 30-round magazines, Norm replied, "Anyone who has $2,000."

And this father/son team anxious to close a single sale:

At Saturday's show, a teenager named Jacob walked the aisles with an AR-15 slung over his shoulder and a "For Sale" sign pinned to his chest. For $1,800, Jacob said, the deal would include magazines of 20 and 30 rounds.

Jacob turned the final stage of the transaction over to his father, Doug, who declined to give his last name.

Told that his would-be buyer lived in California and the weapon was illegal there, Doug said it didn't matter.

"As far as I'm concerned," Doug said. "I'm selling you a DVD player."

Just a little free market capitalism between strangers no doubt to take advantage of the inflated prices caused by gun industry alarmists. Somehow this doesn't shout "taking personal responsibility" to me.

Wanting to shut these dark deals down is not the same as trying to prevent responsible owners from buying firearms. But if the gun hoarders want to call pointing out the insanity of this lax regulation playing politics, well fine. Deal me into the game. I'm playing to win this round.