President 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 statement suggested that every mentally ill person is capable of violence and that isn't true. I'm mentally ill and I'm not violent. I've never committed a crime. I've never 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.
Whether Obama believes it or not, the majority of the mentally ill are not violent. 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 guns should be kept out of the hands of all mentally ill people.
There are harmless mentally ill people who own guns. If Obama wins again, they may lose them. If that happens, they will be unable to protect themselves and their families.
Obama was trying to gain more votes with his second debate but he lost one. And if other mentally ill people were offended, he may lose more. What Obama doesn't seem to understand is that the mentally ill can vote also.

My father is a veteran of Vietnam and he does have depression (lots of people do).  His main reason for not using the VA is that they tend to assume that anyone that walks in the door has a mental illness that needs medicating, but here is the rub, once you start receiving medication for ANY psychological illness through the VA you lose your right to purchase firearms, forever.  I would bet that if this "rule" is not yet in Obamacare, it will be.

There are tons of mental conditions that can affect a person slightly but which will not render that person mentally incompetent nor a danger to himself or others. For example, ADD and extremely mild forms of autism. Obviously you don't want guns in the hands of people with serious illnesses such as schizophrenia or severe depression disorders...but someone with mild issues such as ADD is not a threat.

I don't know about people suffering from mental illness being a danger to themselves and others. What's the clinical description of someone who feels the urge to vote Democratic, and/or believes what they say?

Quote from: Rjohnson on October 28, 2012, 06:32:16 PM
President 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 statement suggested that every mentally ill person is capable of violence and that isn't true. I'm mentally ill and I'm not violent. I've never committed a crime. I've never 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.
Whether Obama believes it or not, the majority of the mentally ill are not violent. 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 guns should be kept out of the hands of all mentally ill people.
There are harmless mentally ill people who own guns. If Obama wins again, they may lose them. If that happens, they will be unable to protect themselves and their families.
Obama was trying to gain more votes with his second debate but he lost one. And if other mentally ill people were offended, he may lose more. What Obama doesn't seem to understand is that the mentally ill can vote also.

You rise a very good point, I dated a lady that had mental illness in the family, and she too suffered and had to take medication, but functioned quite well.
I've met so called "normal" people that didn't function anywhere near as well as she does.

But I think the hidden message in what he said was just another gun ban in the works.

Obama has offended just about anyone that has been paying attention. Gun violence by the mentally ill is a very rare occurrence, and yet recieves the most media attention when it happens.

99% of gun violence is carried out by ruthless criminals, with money as the motivating factor. There are laws against criminals having guns, that are not enforced. The reason that Obama and the left use the mentally ill, is as a scare tactic to get the guns out of everyone's hands, and erode the second amendment.

Their flawed logic is only used as a means to garner more power over the population. They sensationalize an event like the guy in the Colorado movie theater, and say, "See, if we don't get rid of guns, crazy people are going to kill everyone!!!"

This is the truth. The democrats only care about themselves. They will throw the mentally ill, and anyone else that stands in their way, under the bus.

Quote from: JustKari on October 28, 2012, 07:14:44 PM
My father is a veteran of Vietnam and he does have depression (lots of people do).  His main reason for not using the VA is that they tend to assume that anyone that walks in the door has a mental illness that needs medicating, but here is the rub, once you start receiving medication for ANY psychological illness through the VA you lose your right to purchase firearms, forever.  I would bet that if this "rule" is not yet in Obamacare, it will be.

why do you believe these crazy things?

you do not lose your 2nd amendment right just because you have been treated for depression at the VA.

Quote from: Halford9 on November 01, 2012, 09:17:19 PM
why do you believe these crazy things?

you do not lose your 2nd amendment right just because you have been treated for depression at the VA.

Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution

From here:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/general-information/nics-index

There is obviously a difference between having depression and being a 'mental defective' or committed to a mental institution.

The one I was surprised at was " Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions."

I'm not sure if I agree with it or not, have never thought about it, but still surprising though.

Quote from: redlom xof on November 02, 2012, 03:20:26 AM
There is obviously a difference between having depression and being a 'mental defective' or committed to a mental institution.

The one I was surprised at was " Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions."

I'm not sure if I agree with it or not, have never thought about it, but still surprising though.

What's the obvious difference? Looks like a pretty broad brushed list to me...........

A search for mental defective, yields this:

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Mental+defective

Quote from: Halford9 on November 01, 2012, 09:17:19 PM
why do you believe these crazy things?

you do not lose your 2nd amendment right just because you have been treated for depression at the VA.

I can assure you, you do.  You give up your rights for free medications from the VA, and if I was a betting woman, I would wager most don't even realize what they are giving up.

The government probably thinks it is fine because they don't take away guns you already had, so you are maintaining your right to "keep and bear" the arms you already had.  I don't agree with it.  I have known this to happen to at least three Vietnam era vets that are local to me.  Not one of them realised what they had lost until they went to purchase and were denied.

Quote from: JustKari on November 02, 2012, 09:08:14 AM
I can assure you, you do.  You give up your rights for free medications from the VA, and if I was a betting woman, I would wager most don't even realize what they are giving up.

The government probably thinks it is fine because they don't take away guns you already had, so you are maintaining your right to "keep and bear" the arms you already had.  I don't agree with it.  I have known this to happen to at least three Vietnam era vets that are local to me.  Not one of them realised what they had lost until they went to purchase and were denied.

I know people that got out recently, that are Iraq and Afghanistan vets. There is nothing wrong with them, but when they get home, they are pushed by military shrinks, to the point of anger. They are then diagnosed with PTSD............which would preclude them from purchasing firearms.

As a matter of fact, as we see the continued over use of anti-depressants, children diagnosed with ADD, etc., it won't be long before the 2nd amendment doesn't apply to the majority of Americans.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/astounding-increase-in-antidepressant-use-by-americans-201110203624

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/adhd-diagnoses-up-by-66-perent_n_1370793.html

Now...............suppose the wording of the law was changed, so that anyone with a family history of mental illness was denied gun ownership. I believe that would take care of the bulk of the population, wouldn't it?