Republican-compromises
Anti-gun Sen. Charles Schumer's staff is leaking out to the
press the Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn is "on the verge" of caving in and
agreeing to a ban on private gun sales -- and requiring virtually every
American to get the government's approval before exercising their
constitutional right to become a gun owner.
According to The Washington Post (2/23/13), the
remaining sticking point is Coburn's reluctance to require a 4473 for
every private transaction. Were this to occur, ATF's practice of going
into gun stores and copying all the 4473's -- a practice which has been
documented by GOA -- would soon produce a national gun registry.
Schumer's people have also let it be known that they may have
Susan Collins (R-ME), John McCain (R-AZ), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in the
bag. (Note to gun owners in these states: These Senators really need
to hear from you!)
Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that the final
version of the "Schumer sell-out" prohibits any paperwork from being
kept on private gun sales.
Even then, the "Schumer Sell-Out" would still result in
one out of seventeen legal gun purchases being permanently and illegally
blocked.
According to scholar John Lott, 8% of all gun purchases are currently blocked by the FBI. But, according to a recent study by the Department of Justice,
only 1.8% of the 8% are blocked because they are "denied." That means
that 6.2% are neither "denied" nor "approved." However, because most
gun sellers won't sell a firearm under these circumstances, even after
three days, these legal gun purchasers are permanently denied their
constitutional rights by bureaucratic fiat.
Although the FBI is legally required to state a reason for
blocking a gun purchase within five days, it NEVER complies with the law
-- daring purchasers, instead, to "sue us." Most purchasers, lack the
means to do just that.
What if one out of seventeen lawful voters was illegally
turned away from the polls? What if one out of seventeen innocent men
was illegally sent to prison? What if one out of seventeen newspapers
was shut down? None of these would be acceptable to anti-gun zealots
who, with relish, deny the right of legitimate gun purchasers to
exercise their Second Amendment rights one out of every seventeen times.
The "Schumer Sell-Out" would still strip 150,000 veterans of their Second Amendment rights with no due process whatsoever.
Sure, there will reportedly be throwaway language, supposedly allowing
veterans to get the constitutional rights back. Schumer fooled Coburn
into accepting comparable language on a 2008 law, but it never had any
impact. The problem is not "getting their rights back." The problem is
preventing their rights from being unconstitutionally stripped -- with
no due process whatsoever -- in the first place.
Under the 2008 Schumer legislation, the Obama administration
can use a psychiatrist's diagnosis to strip veterans and others of their
constitutional rights. No court order is needed. Soon, under Obama's
Executive Action Number 1, millions of Americans with ADHD, and even
post partem depression could have their gun rights taken away with a
keystroke by Medicare, Medicaid, and the Department of Education.
Firemen, policemen, and soldiers with PTSD could also lose their gun
rights under the "Schumer sell-out," and there's nothing they could do
about it.
The "Schumer Sell-Out" would exacerbate the problem with
NICS system breakdowns during weekends and black Fridays -- blocking all
gun purchasers.
The "Schumer Sell-Out" would strip farmers and Americans in rural areas of their Second Amendment rights.
Sure, there is a possibility that Schumer will accept do-nothing
language in the Brady Law protecting remote Alaskan villages. But
millions of Americans would still have to travel hundreds of miles
(accompanied by their sellers) in order to transfer a firearm to their
next-door neighbor -- hoping desperately that they're not among the 6.2%
of Americans who get a non-committal response from the FBI.
The "Schumer Sell-Out" would still be ineffectual to stop
Adam Lanza (who stole his guns) and James Holmes and Jared Loughner (who
passed background checks). In fact, an internal Department of Justice memorandum concedes that it would be almost totally ineffectual.
As a result, the main purpose of the “Schumer Sell-Out”
remains, and has always been, to “break the back of the gun … lobby” and
to serve as a platform for the next round of gun control.
The Sunday New York Times (2/23/13) pointed out what this is all about. According to the Times,
Schumer is jealous to protect the 13 Democratic seats in pro-gun states
which will come up in 2014. Press reports ascribe Coburn’s role as
being one who will “provide cover” for Democrats running for reelection.
From a purely partisan standpoint, the GOP should realize
that guns will serve as a powerful political weapon for them, unless
Coburn’s acquiescence to the “Schumer Sell-Out” takes guns off the
table. In places like Arkansas and Montana, 95% of all voters would no
doubt oppose the "Schumer sell-out," as 95% of NRA members and 96% of
25,000 GOA members did in recent surveys.
Conversely, the "Schumer Sell-Out" will revitalize and engerize the handgun control movement.
Finally, the "Schumer Sell-Out" will give Obama the aura
of invincibility and make it virtually impossible to stop the rest of
his agenda.
If Sen. Coburn really wants to “compromise” with Schumer, he
should make Schumer give up some ground and demand that Congress repeal
the Gun-Free School Zones Act. Now, that would be a real “compromise”
that would save lives!
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