Can Terrorists Buy Guns in the U.S. Without I.D.?
The gun-control activist whose provocative billboards have been turning heads along the Massachusetts Turnpike for 13 years today will unveil one of his most eye-popping messages yet – a fake neon advertisement for American gun shows where people can buy weapons, no questions asked
“We Sell Guns! No ID required. No background checks. Criminals and terrorists welcome!” the billboard peals.
“Gun shows are the equivalent of Al Qaeda terrorists walking directly onto the airplane while you and I wait in the TSA line,” John Rosenthal, founder and chairman of Stop Handgun Violence, said in a recent interview. “They don’t want us to go on airplanes but they let Al Qaeda buy guns unprotected.”
That’s not a photoshopped (other than the time lapse shutter) picture folks. I’ve seen this HUGE Neon sign with my own two eyes. Pretty amazing actually. You can see Fenway Park in the background. The sign is about 200ft. behind The Green Monster.
They’ve put up some pretty provacative advertisements in the past (i.e. showing kids with gunshot wounds, to yearbook photos of kids that were killed, etc.), but this one takes the cake. I mean, before reading about this ad, I had no idea that you could grab a gun at a gun show with no background checks and what not. Personally, I tip my cap to the Stop Handgun Violence organization. The right to bear arms is also something I stand behind, but if we can’t monitor / screen those folks to prevent nut-jobs, criminals, or terrorists even from getting their hands on guns this easy, then we’re just “shooting” ourselves in the foot.
Tags: Boston, Boston Gun Ad, Controversial Ad, rosenthal billboard, Stop Handgun Violence
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August 20, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Don’t believe the hype. Private sales of firearms at gun shows (not through a federally-licensed dealer) are subject to the same state and federal laws pertaining to the sale, purchase and possession of firearms between private citizens as private sales outside of gun shows. Rosenthal is throwing up a smokescreen here to hide his true intention, to ban all private transfers of firearms.
August 21, 2008 at 9:37 am
Do you know for a fact that you can buy a gun that easily at a gun show? It seems pretty hard to believe.
August 21, 2008 at 10:01 am
Jeff, it does sound pretty shady. I’m not too familiar with the laws regarding this. Just what I learned from the Boston.com article and the buzz about the billboard. It seems like the previous post has a better understanding about the topic.