One of the things that anti-gunner politicians like to scream about over and over is that private sale loopholes allow criminals to buy firearms in ways that would not be possible through highly regulated gun dealers. So, with this in mind, a number of Democratic members of Congress requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate.
When the GAO looked into whether internet sales allow criminals to buy weapons they wouldn’t otherwise be able to purchase, they found that they were able to replicate this situation exactly… zero times. That’s right, not once. An editorial in The Oklahoman commented,
Imagine that: Law-abiding citizens are law-abiding.
The GAO’s results are in stark contrast to the claims of some advocates who insist most private sellers proceed with online gun sales even when a transaction involves an illegal purchaser.
The reality is that online sales are regulated. Under federal law, licensed dealers must identify buyers, keep transaction records and run background checks. Federal law also requires that gun sales across state lines be conducted through a licensed dealer. And federal law bans sales when a seller has reason to believe a potential buyer is prohibited from owning a firearm.
The editorial goes on to note that Federal agents were able to purchase weapons on the dark web, but only after seven attempts. In other words, it still wasn’t easy, immediate, or even a definite deal.
The fact of the matter is that criminals don’t obtain guns through legal means, online or not. Criminals obtain guns by circumventing existing laws. In other words, the existing laws aren’t working, so why are anti-gunners blaming a lack of laws for gun violence by criminals?
It’s just more illogical and baseless rhetoric from a group that appeals to emotion without logic so they can propose “solutions” without impact (or with negative impact) so they can feel good about what they think they have done.
We don’t need more gun laws, and the fact that the current ones aren’t working just goes to show that once again.