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Recently in Seattle someone fired a handgun into a crowd. The weapon was legal, he had a concealed weapons permit. One bullet three injuries. In the aftermath we learn that this person has a past history of mental illness. Considering events of the last few year involving mentally ill people and legal firearms, don't you think it's time to change the rules about mental illness and acquiring weapons?
Lemme hear what the rest of you second amendment defenders think.
Sure, I don't want a wacko holding a gun legally... duh.
Yeah then there needs to be a movement to do so. All you gotta do now is basically fill out a form and it asks you if you've ever been admitted, and from what I gather there is no checking because the medical records are private. The guy in the folk life festival was a heroin addict attending a methadone clinical and had schizophrenia, but he was still able to legally buy and carry a concealed weapon.
Yeah its the same here, but they check your criminal record, not your medical records and records of being admitted to a mental health facility.
It really seems like this isn't a once and a blue moon thing anymore. Crazy people with legally procured weapons - Virginia Tech guy, a guy in this area shooting up a mall (i think it happened twice), this guy now - it seems like its popping up quite a bit. I just feel like if your clinically insane or an addict or some nice combo of both you shouldn't be able to legally carry a concealed weapon or legally purchase firearms.
It also occurs to me though that sometimes they have a combo of legal and illegal weapons and there isn't much you can do about someone going out and obtaining things illegally to do harm...
you can get a weapon illegally even easier why does it matter?
Thank you.
I just applied for my NY carry permit a couple months ago. In addition to the application process costing in excess of $150, I had to be fingerprinted 5 times, get 4 references, and fill out something authorizing an investigating of any mental health history I may have. I'm curious whether such a check is part of the application process in WA. I'm not in favor looking through medical records, to find a diagnosis of mental illness, even if one has never been admitted. Beyond being an invasion of privacy, it has the potential to be taken too far. What starts off as making sure people don't have a history of schizophrenia or heroin/crack abuse, could end up with people being disqualified for any number of reasons. "Oh, this guy has arthritis in his hand, he may not be able to control his weapon. Denied" "This one is on Prozac for depression. Denied." Do you have any idea what percentage of the population in the US is treated for depression?? My personal experience at work suggests it's approaching 15 to 20 percent. Should all those people be denied carry permits based on "mental illness"???
AmbulanceMonkee - As far as I understand it, there is no check on mental health history, only a criminal background check in WA. For the record I don't think that depression should be a grounds for denial unless perhaps the person has threatened their own life or other people's lives in the past. I don't know, all I want is the law to have common sense, but it doesn't really matter because if someone wants to kill people they will find a way.
Lets give all the stupid people guns and hope they shoot themselves. It'll be better for all of us that way- they wont have to suffer being the stupid ones on the planet, and the average intelligence on earth will increase as well.
What if they start hunting smart people and try to build a super-race of retards.
Human breeding statistics already show that to be happening, with out hunting.
Basically, intelligent couples have fewer kids then less intelligent couples. So, the less intelligent win simply because they can and do out breed the more intelligent. Its just a matter of time.
