Gun-control bill not the solution, says firearms group

Gun-control bill not the solution, says firearms group

A gun-ownership rights group says liberal, anti-gun lawmakers have succeeded in passing another gun-control bill through the U.S. House -- and according to the group, a leading anti-gun senator hopes to do the same thing in the Senate, but without a vote.

Promoters of the bill, authored by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-New York), claim the measure strengthens the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which regulates handgun purchases. Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) is pushing for passage of the McCarthy bill through the Senate on what is called a "unanimous consent agreement" without a vote by the entire body.

The measure has the backing of the National Rifle Association, whose chief lobbyist told The Washington Post that he feels it is "good policy" and "good politics" to keep firearms out of the hands of the "mentally adjudicated" -- an element of the McCarthy bill. But Chris Cox warned that if the measure becomes a "gun-control wish list" as it makes its way through Congress, the NRA will withdraw its support and work against the bill.

Opponents of the legislation say it would prohibit anyone who has had any sort of psychological evaluation from legally purchasing a gun. Erich Pratt of Gun Owners of America, which has long opposed the bill, says the McCarthy bill is another "anti-gun, knee-jerk reaction" measure, this time in response to the Virginia Tech massacre. He encourages citizens to let their senators -- both of them -- know they do not want this attempt to strip away gun owners' rights.

"Ask them to oppose the Schumer-McCarthy legislation that would enhance the Brady Law," he urges. "You know, we don't need more gun control. If there's any lesson from Virginia Tech, it's that gun control is the problem -- it's not the solution."

According to Pratt, "wherever there are gun-free zones, that's where criminals are the most emboldened to perpetrate their crimes."

If the McCarthy bill becomes law, it would be the first major federal gun-control legislation since 1994.