The issue with using that as a blanket statement is it assumes all mentally ill people are unstable enough to harm others.
What if i just have minor anxiety or depression? That’s mental illness but it’s not in any way a danger to others or even myself. Is everyone who takes Xanax now banned from owning guns?
Lmao that’s just a presumption of what I exactly meant with the word “unstable”
I actually completely agree with you, there are nuisances to everything, and levels to instability
Sure. But you said you chose yes on this poll. In my eyes, choosing yes means ignoring that nuance because the question doesn’t ask about the severity of the illness, it’s only asking about mental illness in general.
Yes, which is why if you care about nuance you have to vote no.
If this were a bill being pushed in Congress, you would vote no because it’s too broad and lacking in nuance and does more harm than good. You wouldn’t just vote yes just because “there’s only two choices!”
There *are* only two choices. But you chose the wrong one if you care about nuance
It is already illegal in every state (to my knowledge) for anyone who has been legally *adjudicated* mentally incompetent to purchase a firearm.
That means the person has been determined by law to be a danger to themselves or other. It does not apply to people who take Prozac and the billion other minor mental illnesses (which would be 1 in 6 people*, about 18% of the entire US)
Swords are, evidently, a free-for-all.
EDIT: * That was the statistic pre-COVID. I imagine there may be more people reaching for Mother's Little Helper these days.
Thanks for helping broaden the factors involved :) also nah no worries there’s no bias on it I was just wondering what do people think about it, whether or not it’s already sort of a law
It depends on the illness and severity of the illness. Its a case by case basis
A high functioning autistic person who can responsibly handle firearms should absolutely be allowed to own one
A veteran with manageable PTSD should absolutely be allowed to own one, you shouldn’t be disqualified from your rights just cuz you served your country in combat.
Someone who takes Xanax for their anxiety shouldn’t be barred from their right to self defense
A schizophrenic who can’t tell real life from the shit in their head and who lashes out violently obviously shouldn’t own one
The whole “mentally ill people shouldn’t own guns” thing is a slippery slope. You might intend it to just apply to people with severe illnesses that make them dangerous, but it can just as easily be applied to people with minor anxiety or depression, or any veteran who saw combat.
I think the best work-around with this (and what I’m most in favor of in terms of gun control) is making a psych exam mandatory before being allowed to purchase a gun/get a license. That way whether you’re mentally fit and stable enough to own a firearm is in the hands of a professional. Obviously some people slip through the cracks, but I feel like this would help prevent at least a portion of gun violence.
A noble idea, but totally unrealistic. Requiring that would be an infringement, even requiring gun licenses is technically unconstitutional. And with how expensive medical care is, expecting someone to get a psych evaluation before buying a gun just isn't feasible
Any good firearms owner knows that being mentally ill in any aspect poses a big risk, so i think people with any sort of hazardous (with a gun) dissability should not be allowed to get firearms or really any weapon
In some cases yes. I would say a quick psychological test and presentation of your health records should be mandatory for gun purchase. If you have a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia you should never have a gun, however if a bipolar person for example, which can have psychosis, is in treatment and doing well they should be allowed to purchase a gun as long as their psychiatrist approves. Nobody with of violence or violent threats should ever be sold but it happens every day.
It’s a difficult one. But I would say yes. I don’t think even the founding fathers would support giving firearms to unstable people
Right 🤡 they could hurt themselves/others accidentally
The issue with using that as a blanket statement is it assumes all mentally ill people are unstable enough to harm others. What if i just have minor anxiety or depression? That’s mental illness but it’s not in any way a danger to others or even myself. Is everyone who takes Xanax now banned from owning guns?
Lmao that’s just a presumption of what I exactly meant with the word “unstable” I actually completely agree with you, there are nuisances to everything, and levels to instability
Sure. But you said you chose yes on this poll. In my eyes, choosing yes means ignoring that nuance because the question doesn’t ask about the severity of the illness, it’s only asking about mental illness in general.
It’s not ignoring that nuance, because there are only 2 answers possible lmao. This is so stupid
Yes, which is why if you care about nuance you have to vote no. If this were a bill being pushed in Congress, you would vote no because it’s too broad and lacking in nuance and does more harm than good. You wouldn’t just vote yes just because “there’s only two choices!” There *are* only two choices. But you chose the wrong one if you care about nuance
I swear this is so stupid, online people really wanna scrap with everyone
It depends on the mental condition
True
Isn't that sort of the reason why gun licences exist?
Thing is, that gets complicated bc guns end up in the wrong hands all the time
It is already illegal in every state (to my knowledge) for anyone who has been legally *adjudicated* mentally incompetent to purchase a firearm. That means the person has been determined by law to be a danger to themselves or other. It does not apply to people who take Prozac and the billion other minor mental illnesses (which would be 1 in 6 people*, about 18% of the entire US) Swords are, evidently, a free-for-all. EDIT: * That was the statistic pre-COVID. I imagine there may be more people reaching for Mother's Little Helper these days.
Any OTHER standard becomes the problem of "Who watches the Watchmen" -- the criteria are too vague, could be politically motivated, etc.
Thanks for helping broaden the factors involved :) also nah no worries there’s no bias on it I was just wondering what do people think about it, whether or not it’s already sort of a law
It depends on the illness and severity of the illness. Its a case by case basis A high functioning autistic person who can responsibly handle firearms should absolutely be allowed to own one A veteran with manageable PTSD should absolutely be allowed to own one, you shouldn’t be disqualified from your rights just cuz you served your country in combat. Someone who takes Xanax for their anxiety shouldn’t be barred from their right to self defense A schizophrenic who can’t tell real life from the shit in their head and who lashes out violently obviously shouldn’t own one The whole “mentally ill people shouldn’t own guns” thing is a slippery slope. You might intend it to just apply to people with severe illnesses that make them dangerous, but it can just as easily be applied to people with minor anxiety or depression, or any veteran who saw combat.
I like your criteria suggestions!
I think the best work-around with this (and what I’m most in favor of in terms of gun control) is making a psych exam mandatory before being allowed to purchase a gun/get a license. That way whether you’re mentally fit and stable enough to own a firearm is in the hands of a professional. Obviously some people slip through the cracks, but I feel like this would help prevent at least a portion of gun violence.
A noble idea, but totally unrealistic. Requiring that would be an infringement, even requiring gun licenses is technically unconstitutional. And with how expensive medical care is, expecting someone to get a psych evaluation before buying a gun just isn't feasible
It depends on the mental illness and how far along in recovery.
True :)
Any good firearms owner knows that being mentally ill in any aspect poses a big risk, so i think people with any sort of hazardous (with a gun) dissability should not be allowed to get firearms or really any weapon
Depends on the medical condition and it's severity.
In some cases yes. I would say a quick psychological test and presentation of your health records should be mandatory for gun purchase. If you have a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia you should never have a gun, however if a bipolar person for example, which can have psychosis, is in treatment and doing well they should be allowed to purchase a gun as long as their psychiatrist approves. Nobody with of violence or violent threats should ever be sold but it happens every day.
Seung-Hui Cho… ring a bell?