Guns: how much longer will it take ....

How do you define " loophole, you personally? I ask, because exactly what you wrote there above is the general definition of loophole in laws here.

I actually provided the definition of loophole, it doesn't matter what I think it means, it has an actual meaning.
The Federal Law was never meant to address private sales, it was left out on purpose, the law only address's buying guns from FFL shops.

Okay, thanks.

Totally different situation here (perhaps due to the different legal system): if a law was never meant to address this or that, it must be mentioned, like "private sales are not regulated with this law".

If that is in fact the law, it clearly is inadequate, hence it's a loophole. Qed.

It isn't inadequate, it was meant to cover gun sales via FFL holders, it was never meant to address private sales. The law does exactly what it was meant to do, background checks via FFL compliant gun stores.

As usual, you are incapable of pointing out a single untrue thing that I have said.

Compromise and work with the NRA, and you'll get your reforms.

Fight with the NRA, and you'll be defeated and get nothing at all.

I don't really care which path you choose.

"Loophole" is a meaningless buzzword that leftists use when they can't justify their proposals with facts and logic.

When you hear them use the term, it means that whatever is being proposed is a bad idea (otherwise they would be using facts and logic to justify it).

Since leftist ideology can seldom be justified with facts and logic, leftists use the term quite a bit.

Or just do what the Parkland survivors did. Spend the summer in the grassroots, and get 27 of them voted out of office. Another election cycle, with your demographic dieing off and the millennials who now outnumber the baby bpopoers, and another couple years of teens, shaped inddlibly by Parkland becoming old enouth to vote, and we can accomplish the neutering of the NRA for good/

The whiny brats were unable to get any NRA politicians voted out of office in rural districts. Nor will anyone be able to do so in the future.

So the NRA and their protection of our civil liberties are here to stay.

Bringing dark money to a gunfight: The NRA and other groups are increasingly using untraceable dollars to influence our elections
By ALEX TAUSANOVITCH and DIANA PILIPENKO
JUL 19, 2018 | 5:00 AM

Bringing dark money to a gunfight: The NRA and other groups are increasingly using untraceable dollars to influence our elections

On Monday, the Justice Department charged Maria Butina, a Russian national closely linked to both the NRA and the Kremlin, with conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent. For years, Butina and Alexander Torshin, the sanctioned deputy chairman of the Russian Central Bank, have cultivated close ties with the gun lobby in an effort to advance the Russian government’s agenda.

An FBI affidavit supporting the complaint quoted an unnamed American saying that he helped secure “a VERY private line of communication between the Kremlin” and Republican Party leaders. He added that “of all conduits” for that communication, he was referring to a gun rights organization — from context, almost certainly the NRA.

It is hardly surprising that “of all conduits,” the NRA would be the choice. After all, secret interference with U.S. politics seems to be NRA’s stock in trade.

In the 2016 elections, the NRA reported spending more than $35 million on political advertising — without reporting a single donor, the most of any dark-money organization. It has been an aggressive opponent of common-sense regulation of money in politics, and has repeatedly bent and broken rules that guard against the influence of big campaign donors.

Just last week, it was revealed that the NRA used a shell company to funnel millions of dollars to the same campaign consultants used by four Republican Senate candidates. Federal law generally prohibits special-interest groups from using the same vendors as candidates without a sufficient fire wall in place, because candidates aren’t allowed to accept or utilize the massive, secret contributions that a group like the NRA regularly receives.

Which brings us back to the FBI’s reported concern from last January: Was the NRA acting as a conduit for money from the Russian government, or “merely” facilitating high-profile meetings for foreign agents? The evidence is still not clear.

In February 2016, Butina and Paul Erickson, a Republican operative and NRA fund-raiser, incorporated an LLC in South Dakota. The purpose of this shell company remains a mystery.

In 2015, according to the affidavit, Butina requested $125,000 to participate in political conferences. A transfer from Russia in that amount to a U.S. bank would ordinarily raise regulatory red flags and the filing of a suspicious activities report. But a clever use of shell companies would all but erase the source.

The NRA is only a small part of a worrisome trend. Amid increasing signs of Russian influence, 40% of political ads run by outside groups do not report where their money is coming from. Lobbyists and foreign agents are exploiting loopholes in the law, and otherwise failing to register.

There’s no reason to stand idly by and let this happen.

The DISCLOSE Act, championed by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), would reveal donors who fund political spending by dark-money groups like the NRA. The Honest Ads Act would provide more disclosure for online ads and further protections against foreign money. A host of other proposals would tighten rules that require lobbyists and foreign agents to register and report their activity.

Sadly, this administration is weakening defenses against secret and foreign money, not strengthening them. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin just announced that the government will no longer require dark-money groups to report their donors to tax authorities, making it harder to determine when foreign cash is passing through these groups.

The FBI affidavit notes that Butina reassured a co-conspirator: “Only incognito! Right now everything has to be quiet and careful.” When it comes to American politics, there should be no “incognito” mode.

You are the shiny brat. Your rural demographic is aging, shrinking, and moving to cities. Rural areas are getting hollowed out. The kids see no future there and move away. The parkland kids won and they will win again in 2020 as a higher share of the electorate.

The nr a doe not do compromise which leaves no alternative but rooting them out.

No whining on my end.

If you want to see some whining, look here:


http://twitter.com/DineshDSouza/status/966078572321562625

Nonsense.

They failed to defeat NRA politicians in rural districts, and they will continue to fail to defeat NRA politicians in rural districts.

Wrong. The NRA has always been willing to compromise.

No one has the power to root them out.

It's shameful you'd use the pain of these young people to satisfy your greed.

Florida school shooting: These are the 17 victims
Image: 16 of the 17 fatal victims of the Parkland school shooting.
16 of the 17 fatal victims of the Parkland school shooting.
Feb. 16, 2018, 4:26 PM EST / Updated Feb. 17, 2018, 9:59 AM EST
By Jonathan Sperling
Alyssa Alhadeff, 14

Student

Alyssa Alhadeff
Alyssa wanted to become a lawyer as well as a professional soccer player, according to her mother Lori, who attended a vigil for victims on Thursday.

She was a member of the school’s Parkland Soccer Club, who honored her in a Facebook post.

“Alyssa Alhadeff was a loved and well respected member of our club and community. Alyssa will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and all the other victims of this tragic event,” the post read.

Scott Beigel, 35

Geography Teacher and Cross Country Coach

Image: Scott BeigelScott BeigelFamily photo
Beigel was one of several adults at the school who died while protecting students from streams of gunfire.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Beigel was shot and killed when he unlocked his classroom door in order to allow students to take refuge from the gunman. He was mortally wounded while trying to re-lock the door.

Martin Duque Anguiano, 14

Student

Image: Martin DuqueMartin Duque.Courtesy Miguel Duque
Martin was described as “a very funny kid, outgoing and sometimes really quiet,” in a description posted by his older brother, Miguel, on GoFundMe.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Miguel also paid tribute to his brother on Instagram, stating, “Words can not describe my pain. I love brother Martin you’ll be missed buddy. I know you’re in a better place. Duques forever man I love you junior!!! R.I.P Martin Duque!” The caption was accompanied by a photo of Martin.

RELATED: FBI got tip on Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz in January, but didn’t ‘follow protocols’

Nicholas Dworet, 17

Student

Image: Nicholas DworetNicholas Dworet
Nicholas was a swimmer at the school who had committed to competing at the college level at the University of Indianapolis at the beginning of February. He was named by the Sun-Sentinel a second-team All-County swimmer in Broward County for his 100-yard freestyle time.

His brother, Alexander, was grazed by a bullet in the back of his head.

In a statement made on Friday, Nicholas’ family said that he “dreamed of making the Olympic swim team and going to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo” and that “he believed he could accomplish anything as long as he tried his best.”

Aaron Feis, 37

Assistant Football Coach and Security Guard

Image: Coach Aaron Feis has been identified as a deceased victim in the shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.Coach Aaron FeisMarjory Stoneman Douglas High School Football team
Feis died while using his body to shield students from bullets as the gunman opened fire.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, a personal friend of Feis’, noted that the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School alum and former football player was a beloved protector of those in the community.

"When Aaron Feis died — when he was killed, tragically, inhumanely — he did it protecting others, you can guarantee that, cause that's who Aaron Feis was," Israel said. "The kids in this community loved him, they adored him. He was one of the greatest people I knew, he was a phenomenal man."

RELATED: Parkland school shooting: Football coach Aaron Feis died shielding students

Jaime Guttenberg, 14

Student

Parkland shootingJaime Guttenberg via Facebook
Guttenberg was a dancer who was described as the “life of the party” during a statement made by her father, Fred, at a candlelight vigil on Thursday.

“My heart is broken. Yesterday, Jennifer Bloom Guttenberg and I lost our baby girl to a violent shooting at her school. We lost our daughter and my son Jesse Guttenberg lost his sister. I am broken as I write this trying to figure out how my family get's through this,” Fred wrote in a Facebook post that was also made on Thursday.

Guttenberg’s Facebook page has been made into a memorialized account and features photos of her posing with friends and family.

Christopher Hixon, 49

Athetic Director, Wrestling Coach and Security Specialist

Image: Chris HixonChris HixonMarjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Hixon came from a family with an extensive background in the military and served in the U.S. Navy. He also was a huge influence on the school’s wrestling team and was killed while patrolling the school’s campus as part of his job as security specialist.

Douglas wrestler Karlos Valentin described the impact that Hixon has on his wrestlers in a statement made to the Sun-Sentinel.

“Coach Hixon, for me, was a father figure,” said Valentin, a senior heavyweight. ”We were pretty much with him six days a week – three-to-four-to-five hours. His loss was just terrible."

Luke Hoyer, 15

Student

Image: Luke HoyerLuke HoyerFamily photo
Luke was described as a “good kid” who “never got in trouble” by his grandparents, who live in South Carolina.

His uncle, Toni Brownlee, also posted about his death on Facebook: “This has devastated our family and we’re all in shock and disbelief. Our hearts are broken. Luke was a beautiful human being and greatly loved.”


Cara Loughran, 14

Student

“This morning, I had to tell my 8-year-old daughters that their sweet cousin Cara was killed in the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School yesterday. We are absolutely gutted,” Fontana wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. “While your thoughts are appreciated, I beg you to DO SOMETHING. This should not have happened to our niece Cara and it can not happen to other people’s families.”

According to The Baltimore Sun, Loughran’s death was also felt by Baltimore Ravens running back Alex Collins, who received Irish dance training at the Drake School in Florida. Loughran was one of three dancers at the school who also attended Douglas.

Gina Montalto, 14

Student

Image: Gina MontaltoGina Montaltovia Facebook
Gina's family described her as a hardworking student with a keen sense of humor who "melted each heart with an infectious smile that light up a room."

"She was a kind spirit, always eager to lend a helping hand," the family said in a statement. "Gina will be missed not only by her family, but by everyone whose life she touched."

Gina was also a member of Douglas’ winter guard on the school’s state-champion marching band, which was scheduled to perform at a regional competition in Tampa on Saturday, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

The winter guard’s instructor, Manuel Miranda, wrote a Facebook post about Montalto on Wednesday.

“My heart is broken into pieces. I will forever remember you my sweet angel,” Miranda wrote.

Joaquin Oliver, 17

Student

Image: Florida Victim Joaquin OliverJoaquin Oliver
Joaquin was a hip hop and sports lover who became a naturalized American citizen in January 2017, after moving to the United States from Venezuela at the age of 3, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Because students often had difficulty pronouncing his name, Oliver went by the nickname “Guac,” short for “guacamole.”

"He's just a goofball. He's the only kid you'd know that would dye his hair bleach-blond, walk around school, put some tiger stripes in and just be unique. He was a unique soul," said Tyra Hemans, 19, who said she had been friends with Oliver since freshman year.

Alaina Petty, 14

Student

Image: Alaina PettyAlaina PettyCourtesy of the family
Alaina was extremely devoted to her local community, according to a statement made by her family via the Latter-day Saints Living publication.

“It is important to sum up all that Alaina was and meant to her family and friends,” the statement said. “Alaina was a vibrant and determined young woman, loved by all who knew her. Alaina loved to serve.”

RELATED: After Florida shooting, Trump offers comfort — to gun owners

Meadow Pollack, 18

Student

Image: Meadow PollackMeadow Pollackvia Facebook
According to her cousin, Jake Maisner, Meadow was the youngest member of her family and enjoyed spending time with her family, the ­Sun-Sentinel reports.

Maisner also added that his cousin had planned on attending Lynn University in Boca Raton after she graduated.

Helena Ramsay, 17

Student

Image: Helena RamseyHelena Ramseyvia Facebook
Her relative, Curtis Page Jr., posted on Facebook that Helena was “a smart, kind hearted, and thoughtful person. She was deeply loved and loved others even more so. Though she was some what reserved, she had a relentless motivation towards her academic studies, and her soft warm demeanor brought the best out in all who knew her. She was so brilliant and witty, and I’m still wrestling with the idea that she is actually gone.”

Page also noted that Helena was planning on going to college next year.

Alexander Schachter, 14

Student

Image: Alex SchachterAlex Schachtervia Facebook
According to a GoFundMe page setup by Schachter’s family in the wake of his death, Schachter played the trombone and baritone as a member of Douglas’ marching band.

Schachter’s family stated on the page that “He was a sweetheart of a kid!” and “survived by his heartbroken parents, three siblings, grandparents and countless cousins, aunts, uncles and friends.”

Carmen Schentrup, 16

Student

Image: Carmen SchentrupCarmen Schentrupvia Broward County Schools
Last September, Carmen was named one of 53 National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists in the county. She was one of 10 Douglas students to qualify as a semifinalist, according to The Eagle Eye, the school’s student-run news magazine.

Carmen was also a piano student who had performed on Saturday at Broward College for the South Florida Music Teachers Association Spring Festival.

Peter Wang, 15

Student

Image: Peter WangPeter Wang.via Sun Sentinel
Peter was a member of the JROTC program at Douglas. His cousin, Aaron Chen, told the Miami Herald that Peter was last seen wearing his uniform and holding the door open so that people could escape. He had planned on celebrating the Chinese New Year with his family.

Peter’s friend, Gabriel Ammirata, also told the paper that he “funny, nice and a great friend. He’s been my best friend since third grade.”

I'm not using their pain for anything at all.

That said, people who try to violate civil liberties for fun deserve to suffer. It is good to see the bad guys get what they deserve.

Fourteen year old children aren't the "bad guys." As for the rest of your comment, well, you're on your own with that,