'Compromise' on Gun Rights Inevitably Surrenders Constitutional High Ground

Much ink (or perhaps many electrons) has been spilled since Sunday, in the wake of an announcement by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) that the gun rights group will support the Senate “gun control” bill, S. 649, as amended by Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Toomey (R-PA), with S. Amendment 715. As National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea reports, a great many gun rights advocates are outraged by what they see as either an enormous tactical blunder, or worse, an outright betrayal on the part of CCRKBA.

Taking a very quick and cursory look at some of the “tactical” objections, many point out that what is perhaps the “flagship” provision of S. Amd. 715, the 15-year prison sentence for officials who attempt to abuse S. 649’s record keeping requirements in order to build a national gun registry, depends on the Department of “Justice” prosecuting itself for wrongdoing. Has “Project Gunwalker” already been forgotten?

Prominent and highly regarded Second Amendment scholar and attorney Dave Kopel argues compellingly that many of the “pro-gun” provisions of Amd. 715 (presumably due to Sen. Manchin’s inexperience with drafting this kind of legislation) would in effect be actually strongly anti-gun. And again, this does not scratch the surface of the “tactical” objections to this “compromise.”

The more fiery critics do not believe CCRKBA chairman Alan Gottlieb has miscalculated, but has instead deliberately stabbed gun rights advocates in the back. The Sipsey Street Irregulars’ Mike Vanderboegh presents, that view, as does Western Rifle Shooters Association, and prominent libertarian commentator Claire Wolfe may be even more blisteringly critical–not an easy feat.

Read more from this story HERE.