Senate panel sends Brady expansion bill to the floor

It's truly amazing. You wouldn't think that something as controversial as gun control could fly through the House of Representatives, and then through a Senate committee without facing at least one recorded vote. But on Thursday of last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Senate version of the McCarthy bill by an unrecorded voice vote.

The draft bill - which is still unnumbered - is being sponsored by the chairman of the committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The Brady expansion provisions in this bill are identical to the ones in the McCarthy bill and would easily deny thousands (if not millions) of law-abiding citizens their right to own firearms. As mentioned in earlier alerts, the NRA and the Brady Campaign are both in favor of this legislation. In fact, the author of the House bill, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), has stated there is no way this bill could pass without the NRA's support: "The National Rife Association still wields tremendous influence in the halls of Congress," McCarthy said, "and their blessing is required for any bill that enforces or creates gun laws."

The reason why some gun owners support the Leahy-McCarthy measure is they think the bill will make it easier for many Americans to regain their rights - such as military veterans who have been illegitimately denied a firearm. What they don't realize is that this is a pie-in-the-sky promise. Veterans will have to find a pro-gun shrink that will certify that said veteran is not a danger to himself or others. (Question: Would you ever certify that someone you don't know could NEVER be a danger to himself or others?) They will then have to hire a good attorney, take the government to court and hope they can force the FBI to delete their names from the NICS system.

It must be stressed that thousands of veterans have already been illegally banned from owning guns without being convicted of anything. Not only that, thousands more will have their names placed on the Brady list of banned buyers if this legislation passes. It is beside the point that they might be able to get their rights restored. They never should have lost them in the first place. Further, they will be forced to spend a lot of money to regain their gun rights - rights which were unconstitutionally stripped by the Leahy-McCarthy bill.

We've already seen that at the state level, getting your guns back - after being decreed a supposed danger to society - is easier said than done. Consider what is ALREADY happening in California. University of San Francisco professor W. Michael Becker - a licensed psychologist and attorney - points out how in the Golden State, a gun owner can easily lose his guns if he's deemed to be a danger to himself and others. And while state law allows the gun owner to get his guns back (after he's no longer considered a danger), the retrieval process is by NO MEANS automatic.

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Texas fruitcake: "Police said they may never know why a man who wrecked his car along a downtown freeway opened fire on the people who stopped to render aid, killing two before fatally shooting himself. A Dallas police officer responding to the incident and another passer-by who stopped to help were seriously wounded in the Sunday morning shooting, authorities said. Police said no one heard any words from the suspected gunman, 20-year-old Nick A. Salinas, of Cedar Hill. "We may never know," said Dallas police Sgt. Gary Kirkpatrick. "But it's something we hope to find out." Police identified the shooting victims as Robert Daniel Langston, 22, of Duncanville, and Jesus Reyes Terrazas, Jr., 24, of Dallas... Witnesses told investigators they stopped to help a motorist on the side of Interstate 35 when someone inside the car shot at them. One witness left in his car after the shooter pointed a gun at him, police said. Terrazas was part of a group of four who saw the accident scene and turned around to help. Someone in the group returned fire, Hale said. Police said they don't believe the return fire hit Salinas. The man was licensed to carry a concealed weapon."


Arizona man breaks into home, finds self held at gunpoint: "A man broke into a Mesa home and found himself held at gun point. Edward Linton walked into the home through the garage door where the resident confronted him. The resident then threw him outside and held him at gunpoint while he waited for police to come. Right now Linton is in police custody. No word yet on if he'll face any charges."


Pennsylvania: DA clears clerk who killed Beechview robber: "A gas station clerk acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a robber and will not be charged, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said today. Walter Wetzel Jr., 58, of Mt. Washington, killed Raymond Crawford, 30, of Northview Heights, July 14, at the BP station on Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Beechview, police said. Zappala said Crawford had already pulled a gun at two other businesses that night before he confronted Wetzel. "He went right to the clerk and pointed a weapon at him," Zappala said. Crawford demanded money, cigarettes and blunts, and when Wetzel bent down behind the counter to get some of the items, he came up with a gun and shot Crawford twice in the chest, Zappala said. "The clerk was scared because the robber wanted more and more items and (the clerk) did not have access to the safe," Zappala said. Zappala said the shooting was justified but generally speaking, he said he would prefer store clerks give robbers what they want, let them get out and call police. "I would have preferred no one would have died," Zappala said."