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Obama said something during his second debate that offended me. He said that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill. That comment suggested that every mentally ill person is capable of violence. That isn't true.
I'm mentally ill and I'm not violent. I've never committed a crime. I haven't even gotten a jay walking ticket. My mom is also mentally ill and she's not violent either. She's one of the sweetest people alive. The majority of the mentally ill are harmless.
Yes, it's true that some mentally ill people are violent and those who show any signs of violent behavior shouldn't be allowed to own guns. But Obama didn't say that guns should be kept out of the hands of certain mentally ill people. He said that they should be kept out of the hands of all mentally ill people.
Obama obviously thinks that mentally ill people are dangerous and that's prejudice. Let me give you an example. Some women kill people with guns. Would it be fair if I said that because some women are violent that guns should be kept out of the hands of all women? Of course it wouldn't be fair. That would be prejudice. And saying that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill is just as prejudice.
Obama was trying to gain more votes with his second debate but he lost one. And if he offended other mentally ill people, he may lose more.
If that offended you and you want to vote for Romney without looking into it first. If you think you will be better off with Romney make sure your looking at his facts not voting against Obama because of one comment.
I agree that not all people who have been diagnosed as "mentally ill" should have their 2nd Amendment rights stripped away. Same goes for felons. Not all felonies are acts of violence, nor are they all indications that someone might be prone to violence. Someone convicted of DUI with a BAC of 0.09, for instance, shouldn't be lumped in with those who commit armed robbery.
No person is perfectly healthy physically. No person is perfectly healthy mentally. So are we talking degrees of illness? What about a person like Zimmerman? Should firearms be restricted as far as those with a certain IQ level? Should stupid people be able to have guns? Apparently all the gun crime and abuse of fire arms is done by the stupid. Smart people who are aware of the consequences of their actions simply don't cause trouble or get into trouble as far as guns are concerned...Maybe we should have it that certain Presidents not be in control of nuclear weapons?
What people are not realizing is that it is now very easy to diagnose someone as "mentally ill". If there were a law that prohibited anyone that was "mentally ill" from having a fire arm to protect themselves, then that would encompass most of America. It is easier to cure a mental illness from a person than your medical record.
In one way, it sounds like common sense. Of course crazy people should not have guns! But, what is mental illness? The list grows larger and larger every year and most of us could be diagnosed with a legal form of mental illness. Think about it . Oh, you had post partum depression 10 years ago. Nope, can't have a gun. Oh, you attempted suicide 40 years ago! Nope, can't have a gun. Oh, you have Aspergers, nope you can't have a gun. This would be a slippery slope. Mental illness is very vague. It is hard to test and all a Dr. has to do is declare you "mentally ill". It is not like cancer, where we have very reliable tests. Be careful what you wish for, people. Because it just might affect you.
What people are not realizing is that it is now very easy to diagnose someone as "mentally ill". If there were a law that prohibited anyone that was "mentally ill" from having a fire arm to protect themselves, then that would encompass most of America. It is easier to cure a mental illness from a person than your medical record.
In one way, it sounds like common sense. Of course crazy people should not have guns! But, what is mental illness? The list grows larger and larger every year and most of us could be diagnosed with a legal form of mental illness. Think about it . Oh, you had post partum depression 10 years ago. Nope, can't have a gun. Oh, you attempted suicide 40 years ago! Nope, can't have a gun. Oh, you have Aspergers, nope you can't have a gun. This would be a slippery slope. Mental illness is very vague. It is hard to test and all a Dr. has to do is declare you "mentally ill". It is not like cancer, where we have very reliable tests. Be careful what you wish for, people. Because it just might affect you.
I think it can be done. It's done right now with security clearances (both secret and top secret) for employees that require them.
You are required to disclose if you've ever been to a mental health professional or have been treated (even by a GP) for what is deemed mental health issues. If so, this does not mean that BAM you cannot get a clearance. What it means is that they may question your doctor and then look at the nature of your illness to determine if you are a security risk.
Anxiety/depression/bi-polar, etc. all have been able to receiving security clearances. Anyone deemed "continually unstable" or has a mental illness that makes his/her impulse control suspect would not be granted a clearance.
While it would be costly, I think this is what would have to happen if you were going to deny gun rights to a mentally ill person.
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