On gun control

By: Terry85
Published On: 6/13/2007 6:46:39 PM

I applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for it's passage of a bill today that would fix flaws in the national gun background check system that allowed a Virginia Tech student to obtain weapons despite mental problems. I applaud the NRA for endorsing the bill, and I applaud the fact that it looks like the bill will get passage in the U.S. Senate as well. That having been said, I have a major problem with concessions that were made to the NRA in order to get them to endorse the bill. Read more, after the jump.
The NRA did win some concessions in negotiating the final product.

It would automatically restore the purchasing rights of veterans who were diagnosed with mental problems as part of the process of obtaining disability benefits. LaPierre said the Clinton administration put about 80,000 such veterans into the background check system.

So let me get this straight, you can be mentally insane and still purchase weapons, as long as you're an armed services veteran? Now, I have nothing against those who serve in the military, or those who have done so previously, but why the hell should anyone, regardless of military background (or lack thereof) be allowed to purchase weapons if they have been diagnosed with mental problems?

Not only that, but why aren't the background checks being extended to every single American wishing to purchase a gun, period! As some of you already know, I'm getting ready to move to Arlington -- and in looking for a new apartment, I was told I would have to have a background check run on myself at nearly every single place I was interested in. If having a background check run is almost always necessary in seeking a place to live, why isn't it a necessity when looking to purchase a deadly weapon?

Comments



The law is only for people who have been committed, not for everyone who has ever been diagnosed (personwho - 6/14/2007 1:41:18 AM)
The federal database is only for people who have been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital at a hearing, not for everyone who ever got a psychiatric diagnosis in their life.  Are you saying Brooke Shields should never be able to own a gun because she had post-partum depression?  Have you never heard of recovery from psychiatric illness or better yet, overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of psychiatric illness?  Just because someone has PTSD, it does not mean they are now or ever have been a danger to themselves or others.  Same with the mood disorders and the psychotic disorders.  Mental illness does not equal violence except in the propaganda of big Pharma and TAC and a few other groups pushing forced drugging.

We have a violence problem in our society, we have a gun problem, but putting all the blame on people with psychiatric labels who are actually more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than the perpetrator is an easy and lazy way out that solves nothing and just makes people/politicians feel as if they have actually done something. 

And if you think they will stop with people with actual mental illness when it becomes convenient to use the mental health laws for dissidents, well you aren't thinking clearly.  England is already using their mental health laws to detain suspected terrorists indefinitely without evidence.



Good points (LAS - 6/14/2007 11:53:37 PM)
obviously we are in some sticky territory here. I'm not sure we will ever find an equitable solution. Certainly we don't want to stigmatize people; more importantly we want them to get HELP.

I find it so sad that the Mrs. Cho was so desperate to get help for her son that she began taking him to priests to try to get "the devil out of him." And yet never thought to go to a psychiatrist?

And the idea that Cho has privacy rights beyond the grave I find incomprehensible. In this case, the public not only has the right to know, but the NEED to know. There are a lot of things we could learn from his case history--things that could perhaps prevent a similar tragedy.

OTOH, I have personal knowledge of a case of a deranged man who shouldn't have been able to buy a gun but did and shouldn't have been teaching kids in a public school, but was. (!!!) Sometimes I wonder if we all aren't just too scared of lawsuits.

In any case, as thorny as it is, I'm glad we're talking about it.



Terry 85, good luck on your move! (LAS - 6/14/2007 11:57:04 PM)
Try buying some sudafed. And remember that they keep THOSE records longer than they keep records on gun-buyers.

Madness!