There's a tearful ad in Washington about a woman who was shot by her husband. She survived. The…

There's a tearful ad in Washington about a woman who was shot by her husband.  She survived.  The graphic overlay reads, "In Washington State, a convicted domestic abuser can buy a gun online or at a gun show without a background check."

This is misleading on two fronts.

First, there's really no such thing as online sales of guns.  You have to conduct the sale in person.  They are just trying to scare people into thinking that bad guys can just order a gun and have it shipped to them.

Second, they leave out the fact that it's illegal.  They make it sound like this is a perfectly legal operation, when the buyer is explicitly violating the law.

Then the ad tells us to vote for I-594, which will give us universal background checks for almost all gun transfers (including handing the gun to a friend in your own home, just to look at).

But literally, their statement -- "In Washington State, a convicted domestic abuser can buy a gun online or at a gun show without a background check" -- will remain true even if I-594 passes.  They will still be able to buy guns online and at gun shows without a background check.  The seller will be breaking the law by selling it to them, of course, but a strong illegal market for guns already exists.

Further, few people use this so-called "gun show loophole" to buy a gun if they have criminal intent.  The data shows strongly that crimes committed with guns are far more often gotten through legal means, or through the black market, than from this "loophole."

No one will be prevented from getting a gun with this law, and there will be no significant change in violent crime.

But you might get arrested for handing your gun to a friend.?