woolfe9998
Lifer
- Apr 8, 2013
- 16,242
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Other than the actual events of this incident, what disturbs me the most is the fact this this man was somehow legally able to obtain a shotgun. History of gun abuses, history of mental illness and yet none of that prevented him from owning that shotgun.
At what point should someone not be able to buy a gun or, conversely, lose the right to ones they already possess? When does the safety of others trump the right to bear rms?
Mental health screening for firearm ownership is a tricky problem. Shrinks and other doctors can only report on their patient's violent tendencies when manifested as a threat of imminent action. If this were not so, people wouldn't be able to speak freely to mental health professionals. I've always supported the idea of this kind of restriction, but in practice it won't screen out very many.