Easy Gun Purchases in Virginia
Virginia does not restrict the sale of firearms at gun shows, the International Herald Tribune reports in its coverage of the shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
“Virginia’s gun laws are some of the weakest state laws in the country,” Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, told the newspaper. “And where there have been attempts to make some changes, a backdoor always opens to get around the changes, like the easy access at gun shows.”
The Chicago Tribune quotes U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., whose husband was killed by a gunman in 1993, as saying Congress needs to take action. “The unfortunate situation in Virginia could have been avoided,” she says, “if congressional leaders stood up to the gun lobby.”
However the Tribune reports that it’s unknown how the Virginia shooter obtained his guns.
The shootings have prompted a debate over gun control on blogs.
