Santa Clara County May Ban Gun Shows from Public Fairgrounds

Santa Clara County may ban gun shows from the fairgrounds in response to the mass shooting that left 17 dead in Parkland, Florida. The proposal by county Supervisor Ken Yeager comes up for discussion at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

“Allowing firearms to be sold at the fairgrounds is contrary to one of the county’s main missions: promoting the health and wellbeing of our residents,” Yeager said. “More and more often, I am getting approached by people who tell me how disturbed they are when they see billboards or signs advertising gun shows at the fairgrounds. That is not a use they want to see at one of our most prominent public spaces.”

The South Bay fairgrounds host about two gun shows a year, with each event generating about $6,000 in revenue for the county. Other counties in California have adopted restrictions similar to the one proposed by Yeager.

State law prohibits guns from public buildings and at public meetings, with certain exceptions, but it does not extend to county-owned or county-leased property.

The county has recorded four shooting deaths in the first two months of 2018, according local law enforcement. Nationwide, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 315 are shot each day and 93 of them die from their injuries.

“Last month’s horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is another tragic reminder of how fast and easy it is to commit mass murder with a gun,” Yeager said. “Longtime Santa Clara County residents may remember how close we came to our own mass shooting in January, 2001 at De Anza College. We can’t eliminate the threat of mass shootings, but we have a responsibility to do everything we can to reduce the risk of them.”

The county has hosted gun buybacks in years past, which resulted in upward of 2,000 firearms being taken off the streets—no questions asked.

WHAT: Board of Supervisors discusses gun show ban
WHEN: 9:30am Tuesday
WHERE: County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding St., San Jose
AGENDA: Click here to view the March 6 board agenda
FURTHER INFO: Clerk of the Board, 408.299.5001

11 Comments

  1. Another ridiculous proposal that will solve nothing and could conceivably make the situation worse. An unarmed man can only flee from violence and violence is not overcome by fleeing from it. Arm teachers and other people who wish to be armed and let the criminal enter a campus or elsewhere at their own risk. An armed citizenry makes gun violence dangerous, for the criminal (!!!) not their victims. Well directed counter-violence is the answer, not wetting oneself at the sight of guns.

    Have these people, with their abnormal fear of guns and sheepish aversion to violence forgotten that it was an NRA member, Stephen Willeford, who stopped the church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas just a few months ago, in November 2017. Willeford used an AR-15 (!!!!!!!!!) and his NRA sponsored training to shoot and stop the crazed killer’s murderous rampage and the happy ending is that the criminal is dead.

    We need more dead criminals, not fewer guns. Trying to stop crime by reducing the number of guns is like trying to cure disease by reducing the number of doctors. The gun is to crime what the camera is to pornography.

    Violence is a tool. Let’s use it to fix the problem.

  2. Chicago has the toughest anti-gun laws in the country, and one of the highest gun violence rates.
    Parkland happened because the FBI screwed up, and Parkland PD was not up to the task. Another summit won’t change that, nor will it prevent further gun violence.

  3. > More and more often, I am getting approached by people who tell me how disturbed they are when they see billboards or signs advertising gun shows at the fairgrounds.

    Ken:

    Do you regards this as scientific evidence that billboards or signs cause disturbances in people?

    Instead of banning gun shows, why not just ban billboards or signs?

    Or, since we’re dealing with admittedly disturbed people, why not just offer them a nice hot cup of calming tea?

  4. I understand that we’re living thru some tumultuous times; however, all of these new ‘proposals’ are doing nothing to deter the bad guys from acquiring guns by “any” means. I support increasing the age-limit to purchase guns (both hand-guns and long rifles) to 21 as well as comprehensive and detailed background checks for anybody wanting to purchase such and make the wait period be an entire month (30 days) rather than the regular 10 days. Also, every two years make any and all registered gun-owners renew their permits via an in-person examination at a DMV-like agency and give them one month (30 days) to take care of it; any time within three months before their permit expires. If folks fail the examination, give them one more try. If they fail again then temporarily apprehend their weapons until they pass. If for whatever reason they fail to show-up to take their exam then fine them $5,000USD or the option of performing six (6) months community service, or due time at a county jail (whatever is most convenient).

    I’m a registered, responsible law-abiding gun owner and I do not mind doing the above.

    • > I support increasing . . . comprehensive and detailed background checks for anybody wanting to purchase such and make the wait period be an entire month (30 days) rather than the regular 10 days.

      Totally pointless and worthless if local government officials and school officials are going to make agreements to HIDE felonies and evidence of other criminality from a student’s records. This is why the background check on Nikolas Crus FAILED to prevent him from ILLEGALLY buying guns.

      We don’t need any more gun laws. WE NEED LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO AREN’T POLITICIZED LEFTIST SJW HACKS.

      http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2018-02-28.html

      “THE SCHOOL-TO-MASS-MURDER PIPELINE”

      ‘This primitive, stone-age thinking was made official Broward County policy in a Nov. 5, 2013, agreement titled “Collaborative Agreement on School Discipline.” ‘

      • SJ OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE – You’re correct! I forgot about that *face plant*. Wasn’t there an article not too long ago about that? If that’s the case…then our leaders are pretty much doing nothing about it when it comes to tackling the issue of ‘Gun Control’.

  5. Not sure if I’m late to the “Ban Everything!” party but would really appreciate if Santa Clara County also considers banning automotive shows in response to the mass truck ramming that left 8 dead in New York City last November.

  6. A small minority consisting of angry marginalized gun proponents vehemently objects to the banning of gun shows at the Santa Clara County Fair Grounds. Surprise ? These are the same right-wing losers (& commenters) who object to virtually everything done by those elected by the majority of their neighbors. The fact is that while they constantly blame these honorable elected representatives,it’s actually the majority of their neighbors that they really abhor. They always lack the votes to elect like-minded candidates,have very little political influence & hate the liberals & progressives who greatly outnumber them. Who really gives a #!%@ what they think ?
    They’re a motley collection of racist & bigoted white supremacists,wife-beaters,bedwetters,cowards,momma’s boys & inept imbeciles. You obviously wouldn’t allow your children to sit on their laps & certainly would object strenuously to your daughters marrying such heinous scum. The thought that these enraged gun lovers have ready access to guns & ammunition is frightening enough. Making it harder for like-minded idiots to arm themselves is reason enough to ban future gun shows at the Fair Grounds. If they don’t like it that’s just too damn bad,they can still shoot their mouths off to their little black hearts content. When it comes to these sad South Bay conservatives & their bleak future,any gun with a barrel that’s too long to stick in their pie hole while pulling the trigger should be banned immediately ! And a Goodie Knight to you all !!!

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