NRA Blog Statement on NICS Deal

The NRA has a blog entry up in regards to H.R.2640:

The NICS bill, as written, wouldn’t expand the definition of a prohibited person. It wouldn’t disqualify anyone currently able to legally purchase a firearm. In fact, it would provide an opportunity for people who’ve been disqualified to clear their name. Right now, folks don’t have that ability. Gun owners lose nothing in the bill as it’s currently written, and in fact the bill improves the system for those who’ve been caught in the bureaucratic red tape.

I understand that, and I agree, that a good deal was worked out, but:

So why is this being called a gun-control bill? In part because one of the bill’s authors is anti-gun Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy. It’s easy to call any piece of legislation from McCarthy anti-gun, even if it’s not. But the biggest reason the media’s calling this “gun-control” is because they’re desperate to report on a gun-control victory in Congress.

Do you guys have any idea how much harder it makes explaining this bill to other gun owners because Carolyn McCarthy has her name on it? What efforts were made to get her off it? Did you guys even try? Sure the media is desperate to report this as a gun control victory, and by not getting McCarthy away from this legislation, you just made that a whole lot easier for them to do.

Here’s the simple truth: If this bill turns into a piece of gun-control legislation, the NRA will withdraw its support. We won’t stand idly by while the bill is amended by the anti-gunners in the House or Senate. This is a bill that’s designed to improve the reporting by states to the NICS system, as well as provide an opportunity for people to clear their names once they’ve completed treatment for an illness, and that’s it. The addition of any anti-gun provisions will turn this piece of legislation into a poison pill, and the NRA will actively oppose its passage.

I’m glad the NRA has stated this, but I’m still nervous. Fire is being played with here. I do not trust the leadership of this Democratic Congress on the gun issue any farther than I can throw them, and I certainly don’t trust the loon from New York who is sponsoring this. I do hope NRA has its ducks lined up, and this will go through smoothly without any special additions. I do think it’s a good deal, but I still think NRA has screwed up by letting Carolyn McCarthy have any part in it. I’d really like an explanation for how that happened.