Source: oprah.com
Last night I had the distinct honor to attend the Greater Lansing screening of Living For 32 and hear from its principal subject, Colin Goddard. If you don’t know who Colin Goddard is, he is one of the few survivors of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. The documentary’s title refers to those 32 Hokies who died on that awful April morning. It also refers to the number of Americans killed each and every day by gun violence…and that statistic doesn’t even include those who die from accidental or self-inflicted gunshots. Include those and the number is closer to 80 Americans each and every day!
This powerful film depicts Colin’s reliving his memories of being shot four times during the massacre, his recovery efforts, the impacts on his family and friends, as well as his post-graduate efforts to curb unauthorized gun sales in America through the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The presentation was sponsored locally by Mom’s Demand Action who are seeking the adoption of common sense gun laws in the United States.
The film also sadly shows via hidden camera how ridiculously easy it is for anyone (including criminals) to acquire a gun without a background check or proper identification at gun shows. The lack oversight and weak application of background checks at such events is a shameful blemish on this nation and its largely inept political leadership. How many more innocent people must die before reasonable action is taken to enforce background checks on all gun sales in this country, especially when 90 percent of all Americans and 80 percent of all gun owners support such restrictions!
If you have an opportunity to see Living For 32, I highly recommend it. The film may also be purchased for download via this weblink. I would also strongly recommend attending a talk by Mr. Goddard. He is very well-spoken and frames the debate in human terms. As a fellow Virginia Tech alumni, I am very proud of his concerted efforts to bring reason back to the gun debate. Heaven knows it is sorely needed.
problogic
Panethos 
There is no “gun show loophole”. The same laws that are in effect 24/7 across VA are also in effect at a gun show. Therefore, there is no “gun show loophole”. It is legal for private citizens to sell guns to each other, whether it be at a gun show, a parking lot, a living room, or a public street. What is being proposed is to create a “loophole” by having different laws for a gun show than other places. The end game is nothing but an attempt to make it illegal for private citizens to sell their property to other private citizens. So, no. I will not agree to have another background check so a bunch of whining liberals can “feel” safer.
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But how many dangerous people bought guns through public sales where they knew there would be no background check? We can’t know because there aren’t records of those transactions to begin with. However, one instance everyone should remember is the Columbine High School massacre. Three of the guns used were purchased through private sales without background checks at a public gun show.
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Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho bought his weapons legally from licensed firearms dealers. They conducted background checks, but those checks did not turn up information on Cho’s history of mental illness.
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