Declared him mentally unstable because of the suicidal and stalking issues he had. Then the instant federal background check would have flagged him and denied him.
I think we need to turn our attention to the mental stability of this shooter and the evidence coming out that he was already suspected as a threat and no action was taken- it is also clear that the university had plenty of foreknowledge that he was 'psycho' and yet they referred him to counselors and pretty much dropped it. Looks to me like they had all the red lights and didn't really take it serious enough.
Driving a car does. How would you feel about mandatory public transportation. After all driving a car is not a personal freedom its a public one.
are you aware of any psychiatrists ever seeing this guy? you think counselors have the right to determine someone mentaly unstable so as to subject them to a psychiatric evaluation they wouldn't go to otherwise?
Why waste my time with that dribble? Give me something worth responding too. I might come back later when I have some time.
He went to the counselors by choice. They dropped it. They failed him and VT. You asked me how they could have prevented him getting a gun. I told you.
Driving a car is entirely a privilege and not a right. The government licenses drivers. We force citizens to take tests to prove they can drive. We suspend drivers' licenses for issues entirely unreleated to driving. My car is not designed to kill. If used properly, it's designed to drive from place A to place B safely. We have all sorts of standards to make sure cars are safe. We force people to have them inspected annually. Your gun is designed to kill. That's it's purpose. If used properly, it kills.
Falcons, Casey, Charlton Heston, etc.: This is actually a fair question...what is your response to it?
I'm sorry but that is a bad comparison. Unless I get behind the wheel drunk, I don't see how me driving a car can kill people, intentionally or accidentally, more than you carrying a gun on you.
Like I said, I agree that they are apples and oranges, but the bottom line is that both are used to protect yourself.
Again...what would the counselors have done that would have raised to a level where it would have been picked up in some database to prevent him to buy a gun?
Very simple. Backup...safety in numbers...and policy. In the absence of all these swat teams and police squad, one might have to do. Thanks for the personal insult. Say high to the rest of the flock.
True, that's why I lamented that we don't still use muskets. But the principles behind an armed citizenry go beyond whether gun control prevents crime. The context has to do with the oppression and tyranny citizens suffered in Europe and England because the citizens were unarmed against standing armies. The colonists did not want America to become like Europe where the government could threaten civil liberty by force. The militia and the right to bear arms was viewed as a deterent against government abuse of power. That is why they did not want a standing army in the early part of our nation. The problem today is that citizens cannot possibly arm themselves against the firepower of our government so if the government were to trample civil liberties and become increasingly tyrranical there is little deterent. Also if the government really went wacko and the citizens did resist it would take a total commitment from the military to fight against ones own citizens. So there is a small deterrent today with an armed citizenry. The saddest part today is that there are cases where people with mental problems or severe personality problems have access to very lethal weapons and it is very difficult to 'police' this. And ad to this that our society is producing more and more unstable types. Because of this I certainly favor broader measures to protect people and manage the purchase of firearms- as long as efforts are ensured that do not limit law abiding citizens to own firearms. It is a difficult problem because our society is moving in a violent, angry and unstable direction on a whole. I own a couple hunting rifles but have never owned a pistol. Don't care to have to use a gun for protection, I don't even lock the doors at night.
Continue the process of care? My college had a doctor that you could see for free I'm quite sure he could make any notes the FBI would be interested in.
