California law already requires background checks on gun purchases from shows like the one at the Cow Palace this weekend. But next week, the Senate will begin debating a bill that would extend that law to every state, including some of the states where Crossroads of the West does business.
Crossroads of the West owner Bob Templeton says gun owners fear the government wants to take their guns.
"There's a concern that at some point in time, maybe way, way, way in the future the government would like to know where those guns are so that they can regulate restrict or perhaps even confiscate them," Templeton said.
He says that fear is justified because Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has said she wants to end gun ownership.
"She has publicly stated that in the past that gun ownership should be very severely restricted and civilians probably shouldn't even have guns," Templeton said.
Templeton says Feinstein said that during the hearing on her assault weapons gun ban in 1993. A check of the record failed to turn up that statement, but the claim that Feinstein wanted to end private gun ownership is from a 60 Minutes interview she did in 1995. She said if she had the votes for an outright ban she would have pushed for it. But she was talking about possession of assault weapons, not guns in general. On those websites you only hear her answer, not the question that puts it in context.
There is no question opponents of the background checks are afraid and that fear is driving up sales of guns and ammunition.
The other side is using fear as well; some supporters of stricter gun control have produced this political advertisement targeting senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The ad is running in Kentucky, McConnell's home state. McConnell's staffers are calling the ad deplorable.
