PA Bill Number: HB2311
Title: Establishing the School Mental Health Screening Grant and Development Program.
Description: Establishing the School Mental Health Screening Grant and Development Program. ...
Last Action: Laid on the table
Last Action Date: Sep 23, 2024
Pennsylvania: Local gun show participants react to President's executive actions on gun control :: 01/11/2016
ALTOONA, Pa. -- The annual Altoona Gun Show is underway at the Blair County Convention Center. There, 6 News found many, if not all the people we talked with, opposed to President Obama's executive actions on gun control.
"The concern would be, just like everyone's concern would be, the possibility that we would get our guns taken from us," says Robert Ferrence, from Altoona, Pa.
Many agreed with his sentiment, on or off camera, at the show Saturday including federal firearms supplier, Michael Sipes, who called the executive actions an "assault on the Second Amendment."
"It's an assault on the integrity of an American citizen," he went on. "I mean, what does he [the president] want to achieve?"
As part of President Obama's executive actions, he says at many gun shows no background checking is required for sale. But for Sipes, he says that's not true.
"We do paperwork, by law we're supposed to. This is my business, this is what we do for a living, this isn't just a hobby," says Sipes. We do this for a living so we're bound to abide by federal, state and local regulations."
Sipes is the owner of Hanover Shooter Supply in Hanover, Pa. and has been in business for 30 years. He says one solution to mass shootings nationwide is eliminating gun free zones. He calls those areas "shooting galleries."
Ferrence agrees, adding having guns means having protection.
"If we didn't have our guns, we would be, I feel, really overtaken by foreign countries and terrorists because we'd have no way to protect ourselves," says Ferrence.
In part, the executive actions are meant to address the so-called gun show loophole. To that, Sipes questions it.
"I hear the word gun show loophole out there and I've yet to have anyone explain to me exactly what that is."
At the Altoona show, it was business as usual with different solutions offered to a not national debate.
"I guess you could say build more prisons and keep them in prison," says Ferrence. "They're letting them out, they're letting terrorists out of Guantanamo Bay."
"I'm hopeful that once again we make this country great again, safe again," adds Sipes.
6 News has been following the growing debate. Per the Centre County Sheriff's Office, applications for gun licenses have gone up, practically doubling.
Experts say if you do get a gun get it legally, handle it responsibly, and get classes so you can shoot it safely.
The Altoona Gun Show continues Sunday, January 10th.
