I buy a gun and give it to someone as a gift … that’s OK.

I buy a gun “for” someone else … that’s forbidden.

Hard to see a clear line between the two, and ATF itself has tried without too much success to define it. At one point they said that the line was whether the ultimate recipient could not legally possess (note possess, not buy from a dealer, because the underage can’t buy from a dealer but can possess). It was a practical dividing line, but hard to reconcile logically with the statute.

And she got all irate about being questioned about it too.

Dear Melissa,

As a regular reader of your newspaper, and long time sport shooter, I was pleased to read your article “After a sting, a gun dealer gets stung”, which I felt was a balanced report on the topic of straw purchases. I’m sure you’re aware that straw purchasing is a serious problem, and I was happy to see you highlight the sportsman’s community working with law enforcement to try to deal with the problem.

The vast majority of hunters and sport shooters are concerned with ensuring that the laws against straw purchasing are enforced, and that we keep firearms out of the hands of the criminally irresponsible. Your article was certainly a nice contrast to much of the other reporting your newspaper does on the topic of firearms. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Sebastian
Langhorne, PA

No need to correct the minor error in law. It was a good faith effort, and straw purchasing is a bit of a legal technicality I wouldn’t expect someone not verse in the law to understand. It’s important that reporters get praise when they do good articles, even if it also gives the other side. What we want is for reporters to be fair, we can’t expect them to be pro-gun all the time. They deserve a pat on the back when they meet that standard.

And I know the more extreme among us will point out that I’ve often complained about the “enforce the existing laws” mantra catching otherwise law abiding people in their net, and that is a problem, but to be honest, I have no problems with the government disbarring violent felons from having access to firearms, nor do I think it runs afoul of the constitution. I will agree that the current “felon in possession” statutes have issues currently, and the legal net on this issue snares far too many people who are not violent individuals, but the basic idea I think is sound, and I support gun dealers working with law enforcement to try to catch the boneheads who are buying guns for violent gang members. That’s something that I think is properly against the law.