NRA's Smart Strategy

The NRA is now widely reported to be working with Congress on tougher legislation that would help ensure mentally ill prospective gun buyers are prevented from obtaining firearms.

It's clear that the VT killer could have been stopped at many levels.

• the campus police did not effectively act to limit student exposure
• the campus administration did not act to warn students earlier
• the state of VA failed to allow students to protect themselves by allowing CCW on campus
• Counselors failed to be aggressive in this case, political correct thinking stopped them from trying to expel this student.
  
• Legal cases acted to inhibit the expulsion of students.
  
• Legal liability trumps safety in the minds of school administrators
• The killer's parents did not intervene effectively

This list is going to grow, but I already see one positive outcome of this tragedy.

The Anti-Gun media, interest groups and left leaning folks will have a harder time trying to marginalize the gun lobby.

Now even the Washington Post, a key bastion of left leaning thinking is waking up to report that the evil NRA is trying to help tighten gun control laws when it comes to this kind of case.

While this may horrify the more extreme pro-gun groups, it is welcome to the vast majority of gun owners and non gun owners alike.

This common sense approach will win new support for the NRA and strengthen its hand with Congress on preventing "stupid" gun control measures from seeing the light of day.

The NRA is smart to help. The Assault Weapons legislation now pending in Congress and other key issues require a strategic alliance with Congress that shows moderation where moderation is required. The gaping holes in the mental illness reporting process require tough legislation to mandate the reporting of any confinement to a mental institution and I hope it even goes further than that. I think we need to legislatively fix responsibility for reporting to schools administrators, counsellors, and mental health providers.


Anyone who is prevented from acquiring a firearm through the background investigation should also be provided with Appeal rights so they can challenge the decision if in fact they are erroneously included in the database of those who don't qualify for gun ownership.

This is a real opportunity for increasing public awareness of gun owners civic minded positions and improving support for the NRA among prospective members, Congress and even the media.

So before some go ahead and try to crucify the NRA for "getting in bed" with gun control advocates, they should think hard about what is to be gained by a reasonable approach to gun control.