The Milwaukee Gun Show Shuffle

Lisa Kaiser of ExpressMilwaukee.com posted an article today focusing on the demographics of illegal gun use in the city. Unfortunately, her analysis is based on a number of assumptions and the focus of her ire meanders from gun shows to legal gun purchases. Throughout the piece she fails to offer any review of the criminal justice system in the city, county, or state - especially in regards to repeat offenders.

Kiaser tells us that 40% of guns recovered by the Milwaukee Police Department were found on underage offenders and felons. A shocking statistic surely, but would it somehow be better if these criminals with guns were first time offenders? If they were all senior citizens?

Her first conjecture as to where these criminals could have obtained their guns is at gun shows:

...since felons and juveniles aren’t able to legally purchase guns from a licensed dealer, they are doing so illegally on the secondary gun market—at a gun show

Kaiser suggests that if only background checks were required on all private transactions - like the small minority of those made at a gun show, we could stymie this problem. Of course, she does not address how this could destroy all legal transactions between friends and family with a cumbersome bureaucracy and licensing process. She also fails to point out that the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the Department of Justice, found that only 2% of criminal guns come from gun show purchases.

Kaiser then moves to blame the legally run gun stores. She points out that 25% of the guns recovered originated from Badger Outdoors, a gun dealer in Western Milwaukee. While this may indeed be true, she does not point out the actual number - just the percentile. She also does not point out how many other gun dealers are in the immediate area, nor what their percentiles are (A cursory Google maps search reveals about 4 total dealers in the immediate area when removing supply stores and gunsmiths). This makes it difficult to obtain any frame of reference as to the severity of the problem. It serves only to demonize a local business for a problem that has deep socioeconomic and culture roots.

This brings us back to a few points that the NRA and gun rights supporters have been stressing for decades. If there is evidence that a gun dealer is committing a crime, prosecute. If criminals are caught with guns, punish them to the fullest extent of the law. If criminal associates are making 'straw purchases', prosecute them as well. But do not attempt to restrict the rights law abiding citizens and businesses for the crimes of others. Gun owners must remain vigilant at attempts like this to scare us into giving up our rights for feel-good legislation that will do little to stop the illegal use of firearms.

Entire article here.