On Friday morning I set off to a gun show in Salt Lake City Utah, a drive from Southern California. Being born in Utah over 50 years ago and visiting the state many times over the years, there are many things I enjoy in the state of Utah. One of the things I love is the red sandstone in Southern Utah. I got on the 15 freeway her in Southern California and began my drive North.
The desert of California has a certain beauty early in the day. Wildflowers were blooming in the hills and mountains of the barren desert of California. Things were more barren as I approached Nevada. One of the first features at the state line of Nevada and California is a dry lake bed. From there it is about 40 minutes to Las Vegas.
I quickly moved through Las Vegas and back out into the open desert. Soon I was at the Nevada and Arizona state line. As a child I remember the route that headed North around the mountain. However, in 1973, the path through the Virgin River Gorge was finished. That short stretch of highway through Arizona saves an hour off what it took to get around the mountain before it was finished. After making it through the gorge, I climbed up towards the state line with Utah and Arizona. From there I could see the red sandstone of Southern Utah in the mountains in front of me.
Further up the 15 came the off-ramp for the small town of Kanosh. Less than a year ago, our family buried Grandpa Rogers in the Kanosh Cemetery. He made it to 100 years old and was loved by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As I passed the off-ramp, I took a picture, knowing that Grandpa was out there with Grandma below the snow covered mountains.
I arrived late and my brother Alan’s house. It was nice as my other brother Wayne was there as well. Wayne and I got up early and went to the gun show. This was my first gun show ever. In the state of California, to purchase a gun, the process is like the trip to Utah. You have a lot of paperwork, you pay a fee to the state and then you have to wait 10 days to get your gun. Part of the thought I had was, why go to a gun show if you still have to do paperwork, wait and go to a gun store 10 days later to get your gun. Hence, never going to a gun show.
So at the Utah gun show, people had guns on the tables. There was also knives, ammo, first aid supplies and a whole lot of other things. As for the guns, if you were from the state of Utah, you could purchase a gun. It looked like there were people doing paperwork at some of the vendors tables, but when they finished, the took their gun with them. Of course there were several walking displays as well. Those with a gun over their shoulder and a sign stating what they were carrying and what it was being sold for. Some cash, show some id verifying that you were from the Sate of Utah while not acting like a lunatic and a person could purchase a gun.
In California you can only purchase one handgun every 30 days. You are exempt from that rule if it is a private party transfer. However, it looked like if you to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with a new handgun every day, you could do that with one purchase in Utah. In California, you would have to plan ahead a year in advance, actually starting before Christmas the year before.
So I have first handed seen the “Guns Show Loophole” in action. Would changing it save lives? Maybe. Would changing it keep firearms out of the hands of those that should not have them? With all the rules we have in California and the lack of follow-through and prosecution of those the violate the current laws of the state, people who should not have guns still get them.
My thought are, I made it to a gun show in a “free” state without getting hurt. The only thing that was upsetting about the whole day was the polish sausage from the concession stand at the gun show. It was costly and was not good at all. One could say it was assaulting. Therefore, the gun show loophole is not a problem and we need legislation to prevent the public from being served food that is disgusting. On the other hand, I should have known better.
We left the gun show and headed back to our brothers house. We arrived as the sun was going down behind a storm in the west. The wind was gusty during the night and the trip to the car at 3:45 California time was chilly in shorts as the temperature was 34. Of course the temperature was colder several miles south where radiated through the glass as it was 27 degrees out. I guess that is what you get when you wear shorts in the winter in Utah. Then again, it was only in the low 60’s upon my arrival back in Southern California. The trip was great and the gun show was interesting. I am just glad they do not require you to sit in your car for 10 days in California before you can pick up you new firearm.
Storm in the West past Utah Lake
