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Anytime someone says "the government should…" related to a social problem.

No, just stop. I don't need the government running my life just because there are some people who can't run their own.
Scariest thing in the world to hear, "I'm from the government and I am here to help."

The government can kick rocks and pound sand.
 
. . . . The mentally ill live under someone's roof. Someone knows. Someone turns a blind eye. Own your sh!t. Own your household. Own your life and your families security. It's your job.

Quit relying on others to fix your problems.
Truth there, and a good answer to the OP question. Fixing the "gun safety" problem one family at a time.

I am not a paragon, but I'll provide the following as an example. I grew up with guns and I currently own guns. I have never not owned some sort of gun since age 11. Dad & Grandpa and a few uncles started teaching me about guns and gun safety long before I ever owned one.

Over the years, I acquired a wife who was not interested in shooting whatsoever. In spite of that, she willingly learned from me how to handle and "make safe" every gun in the house. Eventually, a couple crumb grabbers joined our household whereupon every gun was locked up and stored out of reach. Not that they were without instruction, and as those youngsters grew older - like about ages 9 & 10 - they each became owners of air rifles and willing students of gun safety. They also knew that my duty weapon - brought home daily - was totally off limits to them. It was also secured so they had no access to it. We did not have any problem with that arrangement. Ever.

One of those young men subsequently became an airline pilot and served a few years as an armed Federal Flight Deck Security Officer. I'd like to think that I gave him a good foundation for the rigorous training the U.S. Marshall's put him through before issuing him a sidearm. Ditto for the the other young man, who safely (apparently) handled firearms during his 52 months of honorable service with the U.S. Navy.

Now I'll talk a bit more about that second young man as an example of another aspect of the OP's question. Mental illness.
Sadly, my youngest son developed schizophrenia following his service in the navy. He, my wife, and I, were all made well-aware that the VA had appropriately followed federal law in documenting that he had been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, which legally prohibited him from even touching a firearm for the next five years. Each successive involuntary stay in the mental ward bumped the five year end-date. He never regained the right to touch a firearm.

Not to suggest that our son was locked up most of the time. Actually, my son lived with us in our home from the date of his initial diagnosis in 2001 until his death in late 2014. In all that time, he never touched a firearm, even though there were always multiple firearms in our house. I maintained full control of whichever firearm I happened to be carrying, and every one of the other firearms was securely stored in such a manner that he could not access them even if he had wanted to. Nobody forced us to do that, it was just common sense (fact is, no one even asked if there were guns in our home). Fully compliant with his treatment, my son never even wanted to access our guns; in fact, he wouldn't even go into a gun store with me because he did not want to become a problem for anyone.

Again, that was just an example to show that it can be done; children and the mentally ill can be prevented from gaining access to firearms. Of course, it does take a family. That's the part, you might think, that sort of points a finger at all the non-families that are propagating like flies.

Society, the ball is in your court.
 
America doesn't have a "gun problem." America has an undiagnosed mental illness problem. But it's much easier and takes much less effort to point a finger at a symptom than to actually address the issue. The issue doesn't get you votes. Empty gun control threats get you votes. Nothing like standing in the blood of children to line ones own pockets.
 
Thank you for the suggestion. I think that is a step in the right direction. We as people for responsible gun ownership need to talk to our representatives about how we are going to assure the safety of all people. So stricter laws after people use guns irresponsibly... is a good start.
I'm curious as to this group you keep referring to, this "We the People for Responsible Gun Ownership" exactly who is this and what is your/their mission? Are you promoting some new action group, and is it for or against Gun Ownership? Finally, what is this "Stricter Laws" bullsh!t you speak of, we have over 20,000 gun laws on the books nation wide, how about we enforce a few of them first and see how it goes, or do we have 20,000 feel good gun laws that are actually worthless and unenforceable?
 
Fairly simply put here just for the sake of reaffirmation: responsible gun owners without ill intent have/do/and will follow the laws in place. Criminals, and those who wish to use them for harm, will not. Standards for "keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill" are already in place, but only apply to law-abiding, responsible gun owners, and are not the answer to solving this riddle. It is not that simple. When the root of the problem is mental illness, you have to ask, is that illness conditional, environmental, or related to some socioeconomic factors? If we're specifically discussing massa school shootings, what do these shooters have in common? What is the root of their illness? Likely not schizophrenia or psychopathy. Is there a link been social acceptance, intolerance, bullying, and pent up aggression? All curiosities that should be considered. How do you classify, document, report, and prevent someone at risk? Another good question to consider. A start with proper handling, maintenance, and a learned respect for firearms and firearm safety is something I personally believe everyone should have before ever possessing a firearm, but the laws in place and laws in motion do nothing to stop individuals who have no intention of following said laws.
 
Truth there, and a good answer to the OP question. Fixing the "gun safety" problem one family at a time.

I am not a paragon, but I'll provide the following as an example. I grew up with guns and I currently own guns. I have never not owned some sort of gun since age 11. Dad & Grandpa and a few uncles started teaching me about guns and gun safety long before I ever owned one.

Over the years, I acquired a wife who was not interested in shooting whatsoever. In spite of that, she willingly learned from me how to handle and "make safe" every gun in the house. Eventually, a couple crumb grabbers joined our household whereupon every gun was locked up and stored out of reach. Not that they were without instruction, and as those youngsters grew older - like about ages 9 & 10 - they each became owners of air rifles and willing students of gun safety. They also knew that my duty weapon - brought home daily - was totally off limits to them. It was also secured so they had no access to it. We did not have any problem with that arrangement. Ever.

One of those young men subsequently became an airline pilot and served a few years as an armed Federal Flight Deck Security Officer. I'd like to think that I gave him a good foundation for the rigorous training the U.S. Marshall's put him through before issuing him a sidearm. Ditto for the the other young man, who safely (apparently) handled firearms during his 52 months of honorable service with the U.S. Navy.

Now I'll talk a bit more about that second young man as an example of another aspect of the OP's question. Mental illness.
Sadly, my youngest son developed schizophrenia following his service in the navy. He, my wife, and I, were all made well-aware that the VA had appropriately followed federal law in documenting that he had been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, which legally prohibited him from even touching a firearm for the next five years. Each successive involuntary stay in the mental ward bumped the five year end-date. He never regained the right to touch a firearm.

Not to suggest that our son was locked up most of the time. Actually, my son lived with us in our home from the date of his initial diagnosis in 2001 until his death in late 2014. In all that time, he never touched a firearm, even though there were always multiple firearms in our house. I maintained full control of whichever firearm I happened to be carrying, and every one of the other firearms was securely stored in such a manner that he could not access them even if he had wanted to. Nobody forced us to do that, it was just common sense (fact is, no one even asked if there were guns in our home). Fully compliant with his treatment, my son never even wanted to access our guns; in fact, he wouldn't even go into a gun store with me because he did not want to become a problem for anyone.

Again, that was just an example to show that it can be done; children and the mentally ill can be prevented from gaining access to firearms. Of course, it does take a family. That's the part, you might think, that sort of points a finger at all the non-families that are propagating like flies.

Society, the ball is in your court.
Oh man. I could hardly read after you called the kids "Crumb Grabbers". Cracked me up.
The rest....Sigh. Must have been terrible for you and the family. Don't know what else I could say. :(
 
Mental illness is celebrated in America. Victimhood is celebrated in America. Quit making it cool and common. Address the issues. Be a parent and not a friend. I don't buy into the theory of "I had no idea he had guns" or "he's always been weird and isolated, killing animals etc. but I never thought he/she would do this…."

The mentally ill live under someone's roof. Someone knows. Someone turns a blind eye. Own your sh!t. Own your household. Own your life and your families security. It's your job.

Quit relying on others to fix your problems.
SPOT ON!! Having said that, I say we round up all the water-heads and nut-jobs and toss 'em off a cliff like the Spartans did…. but without all the pedo-homo stuff.
















:s0108:
 
@yakyak86 Welcome to the forum. Hope you stick around and gain some knowledge from the site.

In WA state, RCW 7.94.030 is the red flag law. I'm not sure what Oregon has, but I'm sure there is something similar. And not that I don't think this can be, and probably has been many times, exploited and taken advantage of, to take someone's rights away because a spouse or family member is mad at another person.....But it does give family members, household members or law enforcement the opportunity to file a petition stating that a person poses significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others by having a firearm based on their mental state. I would think this might be one of the answers to your question.

** Edit to add ** RCW 7.94.050 also. **
 
I appreciate the emphasis on safety training. Can someone tell me the ways we are keeping guns out of the hands of mentally ill people?
IMHO.....
Like some convicted criminals.......
The dangerously mentally ill needs to be locked up/away.

Though sadly......there is a number of people (and Politicians) that will have none of that idea. So.......

Embrace_the_Suck.jpg

Or at least......

Vote Correctly!

Aloha, Mark

PS......note that, the Mentally Ill and Politicians are sometimes synonymous. So of course, they sometimes act similarly and with the same goals in mind.
 
I don't own a gun but I have operated one for sport. I'm afraid this might not be enough for you to speak with me. I understand, Be well.
Well, THAT explains a lot.

BUT, But, but.........in my past (working) life I had plenty of opportunities to say.......

i-m-from-the-government-i-m-here-to-help.png

So then......don't take it as a negative. You're entitled to have an opinion. Rrrrright. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. So congratulations (for coming out)......

Dont_like_guns.jpg

Relax, enjoy the view. I got work to do........LOL.

neighbor-has-no-guns.jpg

Aloha, Mark
 

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