Group seeks ban on sales of guns in classified ads

By Vic Ryckaert

vic.ryckaert@indystar.com

June 27, 2002

A gun safety advocacy group wants Indiana newspapers to ban classified ads selling firearms.

Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence calls the sale of guns through the newspaper a "loophole" in the laws regulating firearm sales because private sellers are not required to follow waiting periods or conduct background checks on buyers, which licensed dealers must do.

"Like the gun-show loophole, the newspaper loophole allows felons, domestic abusers, minors and other persons in prohibited categories to buy firearms," said Robin Olds-Stackhouse, the group's executive director.

In a study released Tuesday, the group found that 14 of 18 Indiana newspapers surveyed, including The Star, allow people to sell guns via the classifieds. The group surveyed 282 papers nationwide; 65 had total bans and 63 only allowed ads for rifles and shotguns.

Olds-Stackhouse said there is no way to know how many guns are sold this way.

The group reports that papers in Huntington, Jeffersonville, Kokomo and Lafayette prohibit classified ads for guns; three papers allow ads for the sale of rifles and shotguns only; 11 papers, including The Star, have no prohibitions.

Brian Priester, the Star's vice president for market development, said requests to ban some advertising are not uncommon, but a change in the paper's guidelines is unlikely.

"Our policy is to allow legal products to be advertised," Priester said. "We have been asked to ban advertising for liquor, beer, cigarettes and underwear. All of these products are legal, as are guns. If any of these products are made illegal, we will not allow them to be advertised."