June 2007

In Washington, D.C., CCRKBA announced its opposition to H.R. 1874, by Rep. Robert E. Andrews of New Jersey, to require microstamping of all firearms manufactured or imported in the United States, and ballistics testing of all firearms in the custody of the federal government. Titled the Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act, it has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
CCRKBA also announced its opposition to two bills introduced recently by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy of New York. One, H.R. 1859, titled the Anti-Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act of 2007, would reinstate the prohibition on the possession or transfer of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and also ban the transfer of what McCarthy terms “a semiautomatic assault weapon with a large capacity ammunition feeding device.” The other, H.R. 1895, titled the Anti-Gun Trafficking Penalties Enhancement Act of 2007, would allow more frequent inspections of gun dealers to “ensure compliance with federal gun law,” and to “enhance the penalties for gun trafficking.” Both proposals were referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
On Capitol Hill, CCRKBA announced its support for H.R. 1897, by Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a CCRKBA Congressional Advisor and awardee. Known as the National Park Second Amendment Restoration and Personal Protection Act of 2007, the bill would protect the Second Amendment rights of individuals to carry firearms in units of the National Park System. It was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Following the murder of over 30 students and faculty members at Virginia Tech University last month by a crazed gunman, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine issued an executive order intended to prohibit the sale of guns to anyone found to be dangerous and forced to undergo involuntary mental health treatment. Under the order, their names would be included in a database of people banned from buying guns. Kaine said the database “should include any determination that someone is mentally ill and so dangerous to himself or others as to warrant involuntary treatment.” He also instructed the State Police to request orders for involuntary inpatient care and involuntary outpatient care from district courts and to include that information in the database. The Kaine action came after it became known that, in December 2005, a Virginia judge directed the future murderer to undergo outpatient treatment. Since the perpetrator was an outpatient, Virginia did not send his name to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
In Huntsville, Alabama, one man was shot and killed as he allegedly broke into a local residence just before four o’clock in the morning one day in late April, reported The Huntsville Times. According to Huntsville police reports, a man was startled by a loud banging at his front door, and he and his roommate armed themselves and went to investigate. They discovered someone kicking in the front door. One of the offenders was shot and killed as he entered the residence with a pistol in his hands. The other offender ran away.
CCRKBA Chairman Alan M. Gottlieb sent a letter to ABC News President David Westin, asking that reporter Sam Donaldson be barred from ever again reporting on gun rights issues, because he agreed to serve last month as master of ceremonies at a fund raiser for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Gottlieb said Donaldson’s appearance reinforces the opinion of American gun owners that ABC and its reporters for the most part share an anti-gun philosophy. “We believe that the appearance of such a high-profile ABC reporter and commentator as the host of an event that raises money for one of the nation’s most hysteria-driven gun control organizations is a terrible breach of propriety,” Gottlieb said. “Donaldson is actually out there in the spotlight helping this anti-gun organization raise hundreds of thousands of dollars that will be used to trample our Second Amendment rights. Any appearance of fairness that Donaldson may have on the gun rights issue just went out the window.”