Poll: Gun Owners With Mental Illnesses

[latenightapplepie]

No. But neither should people who don't have mental illnesses really.

 

[Xsistence13]

All mental illnesses, without a doubt not. Just revise a Florida policy where the people who have been bakeracted cannot own a gun.

 

[Blindrooster]

It doesn't matter, really. Keep the laws the same. Someone with serious mental illniss couldn't get guns anyways. besides, we usually diagnose them as mentally ill AFTER they do something stupid. On the other hand, if the person is smart enough and determined enough to kill somebody it's not that incredibly difficult to get a hold of a gun.

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

A lot of mental illnesses are utter bullshit and/or improperly diagnosed by asstards out of medical school that want some reason to give Big Pharma enough money to justify all the kickbacks they get from them.

Fuck the American Medical System. I'd rather live in Canada...sooner rather than later.

If you're mentally-unstable enough to have to see someone that says you're mentally ill, you thereby give up your right to own guns. Sucks to be you. Should be required to give up voting as well, and perhaps a few months in shitty minimum-wage jobs might do ya some good...

Please tell me you're joking.

As someone with bipolar disorder, I can tell you this: you've obviously never experienced a mental illness, or you would be more sympathetic.

I DO work a shitty minimum-wage job, and pay for my own treatment. I DO take responsibility for myself, and know some things are unwise for me to do (such as own a gun).

However, my having a mental illness does not automatically mean I am stupid and cannot think for myself. I'm quite intelligent enough to make decisions for myself and do not need other people to restrict my freedom and tell me what I can and cannot do.

So, while I hope you were joking, I also hope you realise that suggesting that people with mental illnesses have their freedoms curtailed and be treated like inferior citizens is quite offensive.

 

[Gruevy]

They should make a special case for people whose OCD routine involves shooting a politician once a day.

 

[AK47Marine]

It's already illegal in most states for people listed as dangerous to themselves/others due to mental complications to own firearms, in the case of Mr. Laughner he was undiagnosed and even if he was the system that supposedly funnels mental health info in to the same giant info pool of the NCIC (where are firearms background checks go) is to say the least pretty jacked up. Not the fault of the federales but more to do with issues with privacy laws and the mental health care side of the equation.

So should dangerous individuals be allowed to purchase firearms is really the question and the answer is no of course not, but like everything else there's always issues with that. Especially with undiagnosed individuals.

 

[Wintermoot]

it shouldnt be sold to people with disseases like hearing voices and stuff like that (the people that say stuff like "the voices made me do it")

 

[Ham_authority95]

Welcome to the Escapist!
Rule 1: Don't talk aboot the Escapist.
Rule 2: No outside food.
Rule 3: Don't be a jerk.
Rule 4: Don't repeat my threads.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.146207-Poll-Fun-control#3329136

So, why the fuck are you railing your 1 1/2 year old thread for anyway? There where threads before yours...

 

[Simskiller]

It really depends on the mental illness. Most people with OCD or ADHD aren't unstable. This should be taken on a case-by-case basis. If you're stable and functional, go right ahead I say.

I don't know... I have ADHD and if I owned a gun with a laser sight... well lets just say I MIGHT get distracted and wave the shiny light around and it MIGHT go off in the direction of some people... purely by accident. Honest.

If no, I cannot own a gun because of people deciding because of who I am(even though it isn't an illness), I don't need to defend myself from people trying to stab me or burn my house down for said previous reason.

If yes, I can.

Depends on how you define "Illness".

I demand my right to defend my house from the nutjobs in my neighborhood(Read: Everyone) who want to take away my daughter while killing me in front of her to prove a sick point.

Ahh, America, how I hate most of your citizens.

You have a daughter? Cool, I tip my hate to you good sir. Keep Child and Family services away.

I don't think a ban would apply to all mental illnesses, in the case of OCD; the worst thing that would come of that is needing an even number of guns.

I hope that was intended as a pun.

... *Squints* I... see no pun there?

 

[Something Amyss]

... *Squints* I... see no pun there?

Sorry, was giving you the benefit of the doubt that you understood OCD and were merely making a bad joke.

 

[Koeryn]

I said 'undecided', because you have no 'depends' option. Because it really depends. Paranoid Schizophrenic? No, you should absolutely NOT own firearms.

I believe that mental illnesses and their current state of treatment should be a required part of the background check, with a list of "ABSOLUTELY NOT" items.

 

[badgersprite]

The reason I think people with the more severe mental illnesses and psychological disorders shouldn't be allowed to own guns (and I'm speaking as a bipolar person here) is that we're way more likely to commit suicide when we have access to firearms. Guns account for a huge proportion of suicides in the US. And presumably in other countries with similar laws and similar mental illness figures.

I'm not saying that the absence of guns makes people less likely to kill themselves. My own grandfather hung himself after the government reclaimed his firearms, but, hey, the next time I sink into a depressed state and my condition renders me unable to think or reason clearly, the last thing I want to have in the house then is a lethal implement like a gun. I damn well want to live, but my disorder very much overrides me the person when it strikes. If I don't trust myself around guns, then it goes without saying that I don't really trust people in similar mental health situations either...

 

[mindlesspuppet]

Eh, pretty much anyone can/would be diagnosed with some mental illness. There's a lot of money to be made in medicating people who aren't sick.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

The reason I think people with the more severe mental illnesses and psychological disorders shouldn't be allowed to own guns (and I'm speaking as a bipolar person here) is that we're way more likely to commit suicide when we have access to firearms. Guns account for a huge proportion of suicides in the US. And presumably in other countries with similar laws and similar mental illness figures.

I'm not saying that the absence of guns makes people less likely to kill themselves. My own grandfather hung himself after the government reclaimed his firearms, but, hey, the next time I sink into a depressed state and my condition renders me unable to think or reason clearly, the last thing I want to have in the house then is a lethal implement like a gun. I damn well want to live, but my disorder very much overrides me the person when it strikes. If I don't trust myself around guns, then it goes without saying that I don't really trust people in similar mental health situations either...

I can see what you're saying, but the United Stats is actually ranked pretty low as far as suicide rate is concerned. I suppose a gun would certainly make things easier mechanically, but in the end if you decide to take your own life it wouldn't be hard to find alternate means.

To add to this; most guns are outlawed in Japan, yet their suicide rate is the 5th highest in the world.

Edit: Sorry for back to back posts, thought I edited ><

 

[Deverfro]

I wouldn't say ban guns all together as thats really denying someone their rights, but if they have a record of unstable behaviour then I'd say no.

But really, its not the old west anymore, do private citizens really need guns?

 

[Leg End]

If no, I cannot own a gun because of people deciding because of who I am(even though it isn't an illness), I don't need to defend myself from people trying to stab me or burn my house down for said previous reason.

If yes, I can.

Depends on how you define "Illness".

I demand my right to defend my house from the nutjobs in my neighborhood(Read: Everyone) who want to take away my daughter while killing me in front of her to prove a sick point.

Ahh, America, how I hate most of your citizens.

You have a daughter? Cool, I tip my hate to you good sir. Keep Child and Family services away.

Ummm... please elaborate.

As I have no idea how to interpret that, but, as I read it, that is a very low blow.

In which case, why you gotta do that?

 

[DanielDeFig]

I'm against all civilians owning guns.
But if you are going to have such laws, and add to it, removing the ability for mentally ill people to own a gun, then i hope they are able to admit the difference between some of the more serious (judgement inhibiting) illnesses from unrelated ones (like OCD).

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

What qualifies a 'mental illness'? Non-conventional thinking?

Ideally people wouldn't shoot each other, but pointing the finger at 'crazy people' is the basest of tactics.

-It's dismissive to call him a lunatic. Don't make that mistake.-

 

[Snowalker]

Mental illnesses in general? Hell no, having to make your room neat and tidy every morning won't cause you to want to shoot up Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson across the street.

Well, what if they came in and fucked yo shit up?

Oh wait you have legal right to shoot them then.

I was under assumption that when they said mental illness, they meant mental illnesses with violent tendencies.
Just saying.

 

[Zacharine]

The reason I think people with the more severe mental illnesses and psychological disorders shouldn't be allowed to own guns (and I'm speaking as a bipolar person here) is that we're way more likely to commit suicide when we have access to firearms. Guns account for a huge proportion of suicides in the US. And presumably in other countries with similar laws and similar mental illness figures.

I'm not saying that the absence of guns makes people less likely to kill themselves. My own grandfather hung himself after the government reclaimed his firearms, but, hey, the next time I sink into a depressed state and my condition renders me unable to think or reason clearly, the last thing I want to have in the house then is a lethal implement like a gun. I damn well want to live, but my disorder very much overrides me the person when it strikes. If I don't trust myself around guns, then it goes without saying that I don't really trust people in similar mental health situations either...

I can see what you're saying, but the United Stats is actually ranked pretty low as far as suicide rate is concerned. I suppose a gun would certainly make things easier mechanically, but in the end if you decide to take your own life it wouldn't be hard to find alternate means.

To add to this; most guns are outlawed in Japan, yet their suicide rate is the 5th highest in the world.

Edit: Sorry for back to back posts, thought I edited ><

Just coming in to put my two cents:

In Finland, we have strict gun control - you can't get a licence for citing personal defence. YOu need to be able to prove you are part of a hunting club/shooting club/other legal gun-hobby related organization and active in it.

You also need to have proof of your competence with a weapon.

Any crime can be used as grounds to revoke your licence(s) - yes, you need a new licence for every gun.

Carrying a gun in a public place is a crime, concealed or not. When not in use, the gun needs to be in a locked gun-safe or in direct transit from your home to the place of use and even then must be missing the key components required to make it functional. The only exception are made for police, MPs and on a case-to-case basis for private guards - most of those guards will never get the exception to carry a gun in public or at their workplace, you need to be able to show the necessity of having a gun as opposed to a tazer, pepperspray and so forth.

Despite these, we have a frakton of guns in the country.

But guess what? Gun-related crime is ridiculously low in relation to the amount for guns we have. The largest amount of deaths caused by guns come from suicides - the rate of which is quite large as well. A crime where gun is used, the gun can often be traced to a particular owner or a previous crime where it was stolen - giving the police more to go with about their perpetrator.

The end result? Relatively safe streets. Police able to keep a control on things. Beyond a few extremely rare areas near the capital, you don't need to fear for your life even during the night.

Of course other bas stuff still happens - muggings, theft, rape and so forth. But the victim often stays alive, the cops don't have to worry about a random punk on the streets pulling a gun on them and the perpretators are often found and punished as per the law.

Strict gun control is not directly tied to suicide rates. It, or lack of it, are also not directly tied to crime rates. All it does affect is the potential for lethal firepower at the fingertips of everyone - which in turn affects the amount of deaths from those crimes that are perpretated.