"Mental Illnesses" and the gun debate

[Hock]

I am a veteran, I have PTSD, I conceal carry as well as have multiple guns for self defense and hunting. Now the it is being pushed by both sides to have tighter controls over people with "mental illnesses" having guns, basically mentally ill people having no guns nor having access to them. I cannot say that I'm against the idea, but what I am not comfortable with both sides saying "people with mental illnesses." I am not a threat to society, in fact I am more aware of my actions when I have my pistol with me than without.

I think what it comes down to is that I feel I am going to be sold out so that one side can be looked at as participation while the other is pushing more and more to disarm people like me who only carry a weapon to protect themselves and their family.

Whats your thoughts?

 

[SMSgt]

PSTD is not a "mental illness." Some cases of it can lead to it, but it is not arbitrarily a mental illness.

 

[Buffalohunter60]

A friend of mine has PTSD. He was Special forces in Vietnam...he went on to be a police Officer in La. He certainly is not mentally ill but suffers from the occasional nightmare,. but I fear that access to your medical records could be abused and with the attac k on our second amendment, I have no faith in this government to do what is right and just. They do not need to know your status.

 

[Mike McLellan]

You're not alone. Anyone who shows ANY symptoms of ANY mental or emotional anomaly can be deemed, by our leaders, to be "at risk". Remember it won't be clinical psychologists or psychiatrists who will do the vetting. It'll be some yo-yo head in some some government office who will hover over your application with his trusty "DENIED" stamp clutched in his chubby little fingers. PTSD, paranoiah, depression, bi-polar, eating disorders, obesity, crones, autism, altzheimers, religeous fervor, delusions of any kind, phobias of every kind, and, just to keep guns away from angry ladies, PMS. Did I forget anyone?

 

[Hock]

You're not alone. Anyone who shows ANY symptoms of ANY mental or emotional anomaly can be deemed, by our leaders, to be "at risk". Remember it won't be clinical psychologists or psychiatrists who will do the vetting. It'll be some yo-yo head in some some government office who will hover over your application with his trusty "DENIED" stamp clutched in his chubby little fingers. PTSD, paranoiah, depression, bi-polar, eating disorders, obesity, crones, autism, altzheimers, religeous fervor, delusions of any kind, phobias of every kind, and, just to keep guns away from angry ladies, PMS. Did I forget anyone?

And that's what I'm worried about. Somehow the bill will be written where there's the metaphorical bureaucrat standing there waiting to disqualify people from purchasing firearms based on what is said on a computer screen or the police showing up at more door to confiscate my guns because they think I can't handle them.

Later,
Hock

 

[Harry58]

Here is the current restriction for mental illness under NICS:

■A person adjudicated mental defective or involuntarily committed to a mental institution or incompetent to handle own affairs, including dispositions to criminal charges of found not guilty by reason of insanity or found incompetent to stand trial.

Adjudicated is "ordered by the court." So, this does not apply to someone going to their doctor for treatment of PTSD.

What concerns me is the Dems trying to expand the definition to something much more broad.

 

[mg357]

I had a grandpa who served in ww2 and when he returned home after the war he had ptsd and was later diagnosed with epilepsy which was directly related to his war service. He was definitly NOT mentally ill, he was also a gun owner not a shooter but he did own guns.