NRA Statement

[T-Roy]

The background check does include a check to see if you've ever been institutionalized. The guy from the first episode of Doomsday Preppers in Tennessee has lost his 2nd Amendment rights because his cardiologist referred him for counseling and he declined to go, so they sent the sheriffs and "arrested" him to a mental hospital for 3 days for evaluation. Don't necessarily agree with this particular case, only site it to show that the tool is there.

The problem is since the mental health care reforms if the late 50's-early 60's institutionalization has been increasingly frowned upon. Now it's pump people full of mood altering drugs, dump them back into society, and hope for the best. I think court ordered time in a facility for the obviously disturbed instead of revolving door justice would serve society better.

But you can't infringe on the rights of a few 100,000 potentially dangerous ill people in order to protect 300 million, that's not how we do things in America. We infringe on 150 million law abiding citizens to protect the few 100,000.

 

[TruBEZ]

Hopefully they don't go overboard.

 

[Bsquared62]

Guys, I hate to tell you, but there are several things that will prevent us from really being able to detect mental illness in gun buyers. First, there's the issue of money. Does anybody know what a psychological evaluation that would actually tell us anything would cost? At least $1,500 - $2,000 for the evaluation and report. Who's willing to pay for this? Does it fall under ObamaCare? Second, the ugly truth is, nobody can predict violence. The best predictor of future behavior? Past behavior. Third, most of the shooters would not have been found psychologically unfit. Columbine? Nope. Aurora? Doubt it. Fort Hood? Please. The guy was a psychiatrist. Virginia Tech or the Amish schoolhouse. No way. There were no previous behaviors to provoke suspicion and (to my knowledge) no diagnosed mental disorders. Fourth, anybody know the percentage of people with mental disorders in the US? 28% of the general population in the US have a mental disorder.

The word that we're looking for here is "evil." These people are evil because they've been desensitized to violence. Look around us. If we want to stop these shootings, the media has GOT to stop publicizing the shooters. (They won't even show fans running loose on the field at an NFL game. Why? Because they don't want to encourage it.) We also HAVE TO stop the violent video games, movies, etc..., or at least provide a context for it if we choose to allow our children to participate.

Sorry. I think that rant has been building for a couple of days.

Agreed. Violence is the issue. Guns are just a tool to the offenders. Godlessness, lack of purpose, lack of respect, lack of morals - all these traits lead to anti-social behavior.

IMO, unless the public can have an open conversation on the reasons behind this behavior, nothing will change. It is not politically correct to have that discussion for an individual, but for a legislator it is the kiss of death - a sure path to one term. America has issues that no other country has, and their solution doesn't work here (health care, gun control, etc).

personally, I think a good compromise would be mandatory training, expansion of waiting periods (to reduce crimes of passion and suicide), and reduction of magazine size. If we give on smaller issues, perhaps we can still win the war. Ignoring reality will be Romney all over again...

 

[Bryan]

Hopefully they don't go overboard.

They won't go overboard. They just will make some small "reasonable changes". Then a few more reasonable changes....................

 

[tywest]

True no matter the minority Troy

 

[Bryan]

Agreed. Violence is the issue. Guns are just a tool to the offenders. Godlessness, lack of purpose, lack of respect, lack of morals - all these traits lead to anti-social behavior.

IMO, unless the public can have an open conversation on the reasons behind this behavior, nothing will change. It is not politically correct to have that discussion for an individual, but for a legislator it is the kiss of death - a sure path to one term. America has issues that no other country has, and their solution doesn't work here (health care, gun control, etc).


personally, I think a good compromise would be mandatory training, expansion of waiting periods (to reduce crimes of passion and suicide), and reduction of magazine size. If we give on smaller issues, perhaps we can still win the war. Ignoring reality will be Romney all over again...

I cannot see any "good" compromise that involves diminishing the rights of law abiding citizens.

This is going to happen like boiling a frog. You throw a frog in a pot of hot water and he will jump out. You put a frog in a pot of cold water and turn on the heat he will stay in that pot and die.

There are going to be changes. The assault Weapon Ban is most likely to be reinstated. I would not be surprised if the Democrats don't use this as leverage to get non-gun related legislation passed. "Give us Obama Care, and higher taxes or else." The only consolation is that it can be changed with one or two good election cycles.

 

[batoncolle]

After reading some of the posts in this thread, it is a wonder we have enjoyed the 2nd Amendment for this long.

Fact A mental health check would not have prevented this latest shooting.
Fact Connecticut is one of the strictest gun control states in the country.
Fact The worst mass murder in US history was done by a bombing.
Fact The current President is supported by the members of the Weather Underground, former unrepentant terrorist bombers.
Fact The current administration illegaly sold firearms through Fast & Furious that resulted in the deaths of an American Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry, hundreds of Mexicans, including children, and who knows how many other Americans. Yet to this day no one has been prosecuted.

And all we do is sit here on these forums and moan and complain or go out and panic buy instead of spending a little of that money and our time in EXPANDING our rights - forget about defending them.

How are you not on the phone every day demanding people in this administration be prosecuted for Fast & Furious and the president impeached???

Fact Only 3% of the people actually fought in the Revolutionary War. The rest were either cowards, traitors, or just did not care. I would be surprised if we could even get to 3% in today's America...

 

[jwc0305]

If a baseball bat or a machete' or a pitchfork was used, do you think they would be out to ban those things? I don't think so. The gov't can't exercise the power that some of them would like, until they can get rid of the guns. I have already written my Congressman and both U.S. Senators voicing my strong opinion in no uncertain terms on how they should vote on this subject (in order to gain my vote) WHEN it is brought to the floor (and it will be) by fall of this year. If everyone would take five minutes and do so, it would make a difference. My .02 cents

 

[Hasselhoss]

This ^

Sums it all, and its the best case scenerio for america. They need to look at other countries murder rates where all weapons are banned. They nearly double or triple the us.

Can you cite those numbers?

 

[poopdaddy]

the right to bear arms
not so you can hunt with an ar,sks,m1,or ak
it is for our protection
the US will not be invaded as long as most households have guns
the horror that this gutless punk did would have been worse with a 12 gauge with buck shot
or a can of gas and a match
or a car in the parking lot
it was not the gun.
how many die from car wrecks? do we ban cars?
do we talk of banning cars when a drunk kills with a car? no.we blame the drunk.not the car
so why when a piece of crap kills with a gun,we blame the gun?
take the guns
take the freedom

i hear the old "if they want my gun i will give them the bullets first"
but you know it will be 20 of them and one of us.
we won't need the 2nd amendment until they try and take it
then we WILL need it