McCarthy answers anti-gun critics of H.R.2640

[JeffKnox]

Anti-gun mastermind Josh Sugarmann wrote a piece critical of H.R.2640, The NICS Improvement Bill and it got Rep. McCarthy's attention.
I think some of her assertions are interesting, particularly her point that the 80+ thousand veterans added to NICS by Clinton did not meet the DOJ standard for inclusion in NICS and therefore were rightfully going to be removed.
She also poo-pooed a suggestion from Sugarmann that the mentally ill would be able to regain their rights with a simple doctor's note. She made it clear that restoration of rights was going to require "an adversarial due process setting before a judge" and that the rights restoration process would be "as rigorous as [the process for] being placed in the NICS system."
I guess that "doctor's note" argument gets around.
The final point that I thought was rather funny was McCarthy's assertion that the reason NRA is so effective and their adversaries like Sugarman's Violence Policy Center and the Brady Bunch were impotent was that, "The NRA is consolidated into a single cohesive unit, but the groups working for common sense gun laws are many and each possess their own agenda and points of view."
Yeah, that's it, it's our cohesive unity and lack of splintered factions, differing agendas, and varied points of view.
Note to McCarthy: It's not that we're a single cohesive unit, we're not; it's the fact that there are millions and millions of Americans who care enough about gun rights to work for them and vote for them and there simply aren't that many Americans that committed to taking away our rights.
McCarthy's full blog post follows.

Jeff

Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-carolyn-mccarthy/a-response-to-josh-sugarm_b_58113.html

A Response to Josh Sugarmann

Posted July 27, 2007 | 12:26 PM (EST)
By Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)

As the author of the NICS Improvement Act, I must take issue with Mr. Sugarmann's criticisms of my legislation. After Virginia Tech, the public took a long overdue look at the failings of our current background check system. What they found was staggering. Hundreds of thousands of disqualified individuals slipping through the cracks to purchase guns legally with no questions asked.

Because of the Virginia Tech shooter's personal history, much of the focus was put on the rights of the mentally ill to own firearms. And while I strongly believe those who have been adjudicated mentally defective by a judge should be included in the NICS system, we should also remember that half of the states have submitted less than 60% of their felony convictions into the NICS system and a third of those served with a restraining order stemming from domestic violence are also excluded from the NICS database.

This legislation does include a reinstatement process for those disqualified from owning a gun because of a mental adjudication. It is important to point out that any reinstatement procedure must take in an adversarial due process setting before a judge. A doctor's note cannot restore the gun rights of someone who has been mentally adjudicated. In fact, the process for regaining gun rights will be as rigorous as being placed in the NICS system.

Mr. Sugarmann also points out that veterans placed in the NICS system by the Veterans Administration will be removed from the database. This is simply because the VA's guidelines for placing veterans on the NICS list are not consistent with that of the Department of Justice (DOJ), who administers the database. Many veterans lost their gun rights for simply seeking counseling for depression or another non-violent condition related to their military service. The DOJ only places mentally ill individuals into NICS if they have been adjudicated a threat by a judge.

The author must also consider the political realities of Washington. Despite the efforts of Mr. Sugarmann and many others, the National Rifle Association still wields tremendous influence in the halls of Congress and their blessing is required for any bill that enforces or creates gun laws. This bill is the only vehicle that could have passed the House and ensured that hundreds of thousands of convicted felons, spousal abusers, and mentally ill individuals would be unable to purchase a gun legally. Will a few existing disqualified individuals slip through the cracks? Unfortunately, yes, but once this measure becomes law, fewer and fewer new offenders will be able to buy guns because of a NICS loophole.

In listing the three anti-gun violence organizations that have reservations about my bill, Mr. Sugarmann inadvertently addresses why the NRA has such power while the efforts of organizations working to prevent gun violence have been futile for close to a decade. The NRA is consolidated into a single cohesive unit, but the groups working for common sense gun laws are many and each possess their own agenda and points of view. Only when these groups join forces for common legislative goals will we be able to prevail not only in the halls of Congress, but in state legislatures and city halls across the country as well.

 

[SoCalShooter]

Thanks for the link and the article. My serious goal is to introduce as many people to shooting and get them interested as much as possible.

 

[Standing Wolf]

My serious goal is to introduce as many people to shooting and get them interested as much as possible.

Amen! I've made it my business to become an NRA-certified pistol instructor so I can a.) introduce as many people as possible to shooting, and b.) encourage as many as possible to go for their concealed carry permits. In a year's time, I'd guess I've helped at least 50 people get their permits, and probably introduced three times that many to safe shooting. I don't make much money, but the job satisfaction is sky-high.

 

[kcmarine]

Hm... McCarthy going AGAINST anits.

And in other news... hell has frozen over.

 

[Glockman17366]

She had no choice...the NRA is the entity that got that bill through the House. Remember, it's not law yet...and still needs work.

Also, her embarassment stemming from the ABC news question about barrel shrouds (right after the VA Tech massacre) probably still stings.

And another thing...after VA Tech, I wrote to her...wrote that if her husband had had a firearm for defense...he'd probably still be alive today. Maybe that letter (and I'm sure many others wrote the same thing) got through to her.

 

[mike101]

Did ABC nail her on the barrel shroud issue too? I saw Tucker Carlson make a monkey out of her on MSNBC.

Did she really call the Brady Bunch impotent? That just makes my day. They just closed the blog over there, temporarily. I think they're trying to come up with a way to keep pro-gunners out.

 

[G36-UK]

The NRA is consolidated into a single cohesive unit, but the groups working for common sense gun laws are many and each possess their own agenda and points of view.

Okay. First, the NRA are "a single cohesive unit", then they're "many groups"?

So the JFPO and GOA are seperate, but they still want the same common sense laws the NRA want.

(And yes, I am aware that she meant the antis, but what they want can't legitimately be considered "common sense", as I've mentioned a few times on my blog.)

 

[fordfan485]

here is the clip that tucker makes mccarthy look like an idiot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ospNRk2uM3U

 

[coyote_jr]

check the sig