Guns & Google
...and Facebook and Instagram. It's time to end this unholy alliance.
From a 2019 New York Times Article:
Federal law barred Jody Lee Hunt from ever owning a gun. But when he wanted to buy one, it wasn’t hard: He found a seller on Facebook.
Hunt was a felon who had spent time in prison for abducting a girlfriend. But in December 2014, he used the handgun he found online to carry out a rampage in West Virginia, the authorities said, killing his ex-girlfriend, a rival business owner, and two others. In a note he wrote before turning the gun on himself, he said he wanted his victims to get “their fair pay of hurt.”
The "gun show loophole" or "online sales loophole" refers to the concern that some online gun sales in the United States can be conducted without requiring a background check. This is due to the way federal law regulates gun sales, specifically the "private sale" exception.
Under current federal law, licensed firearms dealers are required to conduct background checks on prospective buyers before selling a firearm. This process ensures that individuals prohibited from owning guns, such as felons, individuals with certain mental health issues, or domestic violence offenders, cannot legally purchase firearms.
However, private individuals selling firearms are not always required to conduct background checks. This means that in some cases, individuals can buy guns from private sellers at gun shows or online without undergoing the same scrutiny.
This loophole poses a substantial risk, as evidenced by this tragic example. It’s another reason universal background checks need to cover all gun sales, regardless of whether they occur through licensed dealers or private sellers.
How many times have you heard “criminals will find a way to get their hands on a gun”, and they are correct. But why make it easy for them? The sociopaths at Facebook and Instagram facilitate this practice with the NRA’s blessing and sadly, the tacit approval of too many members of Congress.
They, along with the other offender, Google, can sell weapons of war and ghost guns with total impunity. Why? Because they can - thanks to Section 230 that provides them with a shield from any legal liability.
It’s why, as I’ve said many times, gun violence and social media abuses are inextricably linked as the confluence of “Guns & Google”. As I continue to advocate for meaningful reform, I’m starting a new 501c4 to ramp up the pressure on legislators both state and federal to end this unholy alliance.