After the Virginia Tech massacre, I see no reason why state laws can't be changed to make it legal to regulate the purchasing of firearms. The shooter was not a criminal before the event, but based on his psychological background, he was not fit to own and use firearms. Something needs to be done to allow mental background checks to be made before a gun purchase. From the article, I agree with Paul Helmke, that people have been 'pushing the snooze button' for too long on this issue. While I am not one to say that mental histories should be displayed publicly for all to see, I think that someone that is a "danger to himself or others" is a public danger with a firearm, so I don't think the checking of the record is a true invasion of privacy. Something must be done to change the requirements for acquiring firearms.
Columbine and Virginia tech are just two of the many tragedies that we have a nation have sadly experienced. Both of these incidents were a result of poorly established gun laws, which in turn allowed “mentally unstable” individuals to take the lives of innocent people. Despite these tragedies, we have yet to really go about enforcing a stricter policy in gun control. I think that this is quite ridiculous. If something is not done, guns will continue to be easily obtainable, and thus tragedies like Virginia tech will continue to occur. We as a nation know we have a problem. This issue, for many years, has been put aside as though it holds no importance. It has continuously, as Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence believes, only pushed us to keep pressing the “snooze button,” rather than taking the necessary steps to make a change. But the issue here lies much deeper. Many believe that checking the backgrounds of the mentally impaired, which includes outpatients, is an invasion of privacy. But I believe different. I think that it is important to check the backgrounds of gun buyers. In doing so, we will protect the safety of others. If the person buying is an endangerment, then why should we allow them to purchase when it is highly likely that they will use the gun in a violent manner; a situation that will not only end in danger, but a national tragedy, as Virginia Tech did.
I completley agree with this article that a law needs to be passed for a mental health background check on anyone who wants to purchase a gun. I don't think that privacy issues should overrule the safety and lives of other people. Clearly this point has been proven with the Virginia Tech incident, because if the gunman's mental health record had been checked then the whole incident probably could have been prevented. I personally can't even begin to understand how mental health advocates or people for gun ownership rights can see such horrible things happen and still feel that it would be an invasion of privacy or a violation of civil rights. If law makers let these groups get in the way nothing will ever change and I strongly feel this issue is a big problem in our society today.
While restrictions on who is able to purchase a firearm are certainly necessary, I don't believe that more stringent background checks are the solution to this problem. Any private ownership of firearms constitutes a danger to oneself and others, regardless of the established mental state of the owner. I agree with the opinions expressed in the article that suggest that this would only contribute to the stigmatization of those with mental illness and reluctance to seek psychological help. Rather than pass legislation that limits gun ownership by excluding certain groups, I believe that laws should be passed that limit gun ownership to a specific group: those with the necessary qualifications and training to handle firearms.
Virginia Tech. is considered to be one of the worst mass shooting in United States history and the worst part about it is that it may have been prevented if the gunman’s mental background was looked at. It was proven that he was a threat to himself and to others and yet he was still able to buy a gun. There should be new laws requiring mental health background checks for all people who want to purchase a firearm. I agree that as a nation the US is “pushing the snooze button,” and that action should be taken right away to prevent further occurrences like the Virginia Tech. Massacre. Granted some think that this would be an invasion of privacy, but since it would be to directly protect people I think it would be worth it. There have already been too many incidences where people were able to buy a gun when they were not mentally stable and have taken it out on other people. Unfortunately, it has cost thirty-two people their lives for Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to notice this. How many more people most be killed before the rest of the US catches on?
This article makes a good point that there should be some type of law passed where you need to check the mental health status of people who want to buy a gun. Something should deffinetly be done about that considering the outcomes of many tragic events especially the recent massacre at Virginia Tech. I believe that if this law was made earlier a lot of these events could have been prevented by simply not selling a gun to a mentally unstable person. I don’t see why this law was not created a long time ago especially after Columbine. I deffinetly agree with Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, who said, ““We’ve had these wake-up calls for years, and all we ever do is push the snooze button.” So why don’t we turn off the alarm and just do it? It would make a lot more sense to have this accomplished and it would only improve the safety of our country because the unstable people would not be allowed to own a personal firearm to use for their own sick problems. This would not even matter about people’s own personal life and problems because they are putting other people’s lives and their own lives at stake. Although it is the right to privacy I think that that should be put aside just a tad if it causes danger to the lives of other people and the own life of the sick person.
If we had a national law regulating gun sales, the 33 lives that were lost at Virginia Tech that day could have been preserved. Only twenty two states not submit some type of mental health records to the government. I do feel like it may be pushing our rights to privacy, but by submitting our mental health records, we will be saving so many lives. The boy who killed the people at Virginia Tech had previously had outpatient treatment because he was a danger to himself and he was mentally ill. If Virginia’s law made you submit all of your records then that boy never would have gotten his hands on a gun and those lives would have been saved. Even a man that was a former board member of the National Rifle Association is co-sponsoring something that will help fund money so states can send their records to the government. Obviously people are realizing that most of the people who go on crazy killing sprees are in fact, crazy and shouldn’t have guns in their possession. Gun control has been trying for years to get stricter, but they keep getting shut down. Hopefully people will come to their senses and pass that bill.
I think that one of the biggest problems with gun control/checks in our country today is the lack of consistency of enforcement between the states. It shouldn't be easier to buy a gun in Virginia than it is to buy a gun in New York. Background checks, especially pertaining to mental illness, should be stronger and more thorough than they currently are. This article titled, “Privacy Laws Slow Efforts on Gun Buyer Data,” is very interesting and deals with a very critical issue. When is it okay to breach one’s right to privacy? I believe that when the safety of others is in jeopardy, the threatening individual has lost their right to privacy. Thorough mental health and criminal background checks must be included in the process of purchasing a gun, and there can be no leniency. This article also corresponds to several ideas stemming from other articles in the past few weeks. Americans have not been willing to deal with the pressing issue of gun control, and something must be done. It is ridiculous that we can sit around and keep watching these school shootings and massacres continue to occur and not feel compelled to do something about it. Therefore, from all of these facts, if someone purchasing a gun has a history of being mentally incompetent or a threat to society it is absolutely essential that they be denied the right to purchase a gun.
I think that a law needs to be made to make it harder for people to purchase guns in the United States. With tragedies such as Columbine and Virginia Tech it is obvious that our nation needs a law that will help to make sure that it is harder for just anyone to purchase a gun. This issue has always been pushed to the back burner, in reality it can not be pushed aside any longer. We lost 33 lives on the day of the Virginia Tech Massacre due to the fact that our government was not strict enough on the enforcement of guns. I think this law needs to be changed immediately so that something like this does not happen again. Therefore, if this law is passed and someones background does not check out our nation can know that theyre safe and will not have to worry about that person ever being in control of a gun.
When an innocent life is at stake, why would privacy laws be taking priority? That seems to be the biggest issue in this case; however if lives could be saved by personal information presented to the right person, why not? If a person is mentally ill, and is diagnosed as so whether as an inpatient or an outpatient, gun stores should not be allowed to sell that person a firearm. That information, private or not, could be the difference between life or death; in the VA Tech case, 33. I don’t understand why anyone would argue against the law to expose mental illness. If someone is a danger to themselves or others, they should not under any circumstances be allowed to possess a weapon, and especially not a gun. It is for the better good of our nation for these mental health records to be released to gun providers, because mentally ill people are just that: mentally ill. They do not know what they are doing and if a gun ends up in the wrong hands, lives are almost inevitably lost.
I feel that the government making it legal to have mental patients reported to them for gun control laws is an infringement of privacy. There are people who need to be put on the list because of safety issues, to keep the public safe. If they are considered a danger to themselves and others, then it is ok. However, not everyone with a mental health condition should be reported. There should also be a way to get off the list if you receive the right treatment, so that people may continue with their lives. Otherwise, I feel too much unnecessary information about people would become too public.
It is clear that there have been many instances of tragic shootings that could have been prevented if this country had stronger gun control laws. The Brady Bill put into effect background checks for people who want to become gun owners, but the records sent to the databases for the background checks are very limited. Only certain states give the databases people's mental health records, which is something that should be mandatory to every state. No person suspected of being mentally unstable should be able to purchase something that can so easily kill so many. As a witness to the shooting at Virginia Tech, I was 50 feet from losing my life because a mentally unstable man was able to obtain a firearm and commit the worst shooting in American history. This unbelieveable tragedy should open America's eyes to the apparent problem with the wrong people owning firearms.
I think that it is ridiculous that lawmakers aren't acting to change our gun control laws. After what happened at Virginia Tech, they should open their eyes to see that our system is flawed. It should be a federal law to report mental illness and stop those who have them from purchasing firearms. Many lives could have been saved if congress was not so reluctant to act on this issue. Although I don't think that one's mental records should be available for all to see, I don't think that letting metally ill people do whatever they choose to is a good idea either. If the shooter at Virginia Tech had been checked for mental stability, he would never have been able to purchase firearms, and the massacre could have been prevented.
13 comments:
After the Virginia Tech massacre, I see no reason why state laws can't be changed to make it legal to regulate the purchasing of firearms. The shooter was not a criminal before the event, but based on his psychological background, he was not fit to own and use firearms. Something needs to be done to allow mental background checks to be made before a gun purchase. From the article, I agree with Paul Helmke, that people have been 'pushing the snooze button' for too long on this issue. While I am not one to say that mental histories should be displayed publicly for all to see, I think that someone that is a "danger to himself or others" is a public danger with a firearm, so I don't think the checking of the record is a true invasion of privacy. Something must be done to change the requirements for acquiring firearms.
Columbine and Virginia tech are just two of the many tragedies that we have a nation have sadly experienced. Both of these incidents were a result of poorly established gun laws, which in turn allowed “mentally unstable” individuals to take the lives of innocent people. Despite these tragedies, we have yet to really go about enforcing a stricter policy in gun control. I think that this is quite ridiculous. If something is not done, guns will continue to be easily obtainable, and thus tragedies like Virginia tech will continue to occur. We as a nation know we have a problem. This issue, for many years, has been put aside as though it holds no importance. It has continuously, as Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence believes, only pushed us to keep pressing the “snooze button,” rather than taking the necessary steps to make a change. But the issue here lies much deeper. Many believe that checking the backgrounds of the mentally impaired, which includes outpatients, is an invasion of privacy. But I believe different. I think that it is important to check the backgrounds of gun buyers. In doing so, we will protect the safety of others. If the person buying is an endangerment, then why should we allow them to purchase when it is highly likely that they will use the gun in a violent manner; a situation that will not only end in danger, but a national tragedy, as Virginia Tech did.
I completley agree with this article that a law needs to be passed for a mental health background check on anyone who wants to purchase a gun. I don't think that privacy issues should overrule the safety and lives of other people. Clearly this point has been proven with the Virginia Tech incident, because if the gunman's mental health record had been checked then the whole incident probably could have been prevented. I personally can't even begin to understand how mental health advocates or people for gun ownership rights can see such horrible things happen and still feel that it would be an invasion of privacy or a violation of civil rights. If law makers let these groups get in the way nothing will ever change and I strongly feel this issue is a big problem in our society today.
While restrictions on who is able to purchase a firearm are certainly necessary, I don't believe that more stringent background checks are the solution to this problem. Any private ownership of firearms constitutes a danger to oneself and others, regardless of the established mental state of the owner. I agree with the opinions expressed in the article that suggest that this would only contribute to the stigmatization of those with mental illness and reluctance to seek psychological help. Rather than pass legislation that limits gun ownership by excluding certain groups, I believe that laws should be passed that limit gun ownership to a specific group: those with the necessary qualifications and training to handle firearms.
Virginia Tech. is considered to be one of the worst mass shooting in United States history and the worst part about it is that it may have been prevented if the gunman’s mental background was looked at. It was proven that he was a threat to himself and to others and yet he was still able to buy a gun. There should be new laws requiring mental health background checks for all people who want to purchase a firearm. I agree that as a nation the US is “pushing the snooze button,” and that action should be taken right away to prevent further occurrences like the Virginia Tech. Massacre. Granted some think that this would be an invasion of privacy, but since it would be to directly protect people I think it would be worth it. There have already been too many incidences where people were able to buy a gun when they were not mentally stable and have taken it out on other people. Unfortunately, it has cost thirty-two people their lives for Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to notice this. How many more people most be killed before the rest of the US catches on?
This article makes a good point that there should be some type of law passed where you need to check the mental health status of people who want to buy a gun. Something should deffinetly be done about that considering the outcomes of many tragic events especially the recent massacre at Virginia Tech. I believe that if this law was made earlier a lot of these events could have been prevented by simply not selling a gun to a mentally unstable person. I don’t see why this law was not created a long time ago especially after Columbine. I deffinetly agree with Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, who said, ““We’ve had these wake-up calls for years, and all we ever do is push the snooze button.” So why don’t we turn off the alarm and just do it? It would make a lot more sense to have this accomplished and it would only improve the safety of our country because the unstable people would not be allowed to own a personal firearm to use for their own sick problems. This would not even matter about people’s own personal life and problems because they are putting other people’s lives and their own lives at stake. Although it is the right to privacy I think that that should be put aside just a tad if it causes danger to the lives of other people and the own life of the sick person.
If we had a national law regulating gun sales, the 33 lives that were lost at Virginia Tech that day could have been preserved. Only twenty two states not submit some type of mental health records to the government. I do feel like it may be pushing our rights to privacy, but by submitting our mental health records, we will be saving so many lives. The boy who killed the people at Virginia Tech had previously had outpatient treatment because he was a danger to himself and he was mentally ill. If Virginia’s law made you submit all of your records then that boy never would have gotten his hands on a gun and those lives would have been saved. Even a man that was a former board member of the National Rifle Association is co-sponsoring something that will help fund money so states can send their records to the government. Obviously people are realizing that most of the people who go on crazy killing sprees are in fact, crazy and shouldn’t have guns in their possession. Gun control has been trying for years to get stricter, but they keep getting shut down. Hopefully people will come to their senses and pass that bill.
I think that one of the biggest problems with gun control/checks in our country today is the lack of consistency of enforcement between the states. It shouldn't be easier to buy a gun in Virginia than it is to buy a gun in New York. Background checks, especially pertaining to mental illness, should be stronger and more thorough than they currently are. This article titled, “Privacy Laws Slow Efforts on Gun Buyer Data,” is very interesting and deals with a very critical issue. When is it okay to breach one’s right to privacy? I believe that when the safety of others is in jeopardy, the threatening individual has lost their right to privacy. Thorough mental health and criminal background checks must be included in the process of purchasing a gun, and there can be no leniency. This article also corresponds to several ideas stemming from other articles in the past few weeks. Americans have not been willing to deal with the pressing issue of gun control, and something must be done. It is ridiculous that we can sit around and keep watching these school shootings and massacres continue to occur and not feel compelled to do something about it. Therefore, from all of these facts, if someone purchasing a gun has a history of being mentally incompetent or a threat to society it is absolutely essential that they be denied the right to purchase a gun.
I think that a law needs to be made to make it harder for people to purchase guns in the United States. With tragedies such as Columbine and Virginia Tech it is obvious that our nation needs a law that will help to make sure that it is harder for just anyone to purchase a gun. This issue has always been pushed to the back burner, in reality it can not be pushed aside any longer. We lost 33 lives on the day of the Virginia Tech Massacre due to the fact that our government was not strict enough on the enforcement of guns. I think this law needs to be changed immediately so that something like this does not happen again. Therefore, if this law is passed and someones background does not check out our nation can know that theyre safe and will not have to worry about that person ever being in control of a gun.
When an innocent life is at stake, why would privacy laws be taking priority? That seems to be the biggest issue in this case; however if lives could be saved by personal information presented to the right person, why not? If a person is mentally ill, and is diagnosed as so whether as an inpatient or an outpatient, gun stores should not be allowed to sell that person a firearm. That information, private or not, could be the difference between life or death; in the VA Tech case, 33. I don’t understand why anyone would argue against the law to expose mental illness. If someone is a danger to themselves or others, they should not under any circumstances be allowed to possess a weapon, and especially not a gun. It is for the better good of our nation for these mental health records to be released to gun providers, because mentally ill people are just that: mentally ill. They do not know what they are doing and if a gun ends up in the wrong hands, lives are almost inevitably lost.
I feel that the government making it legal to have mental patients reported to them for gun control laws is an infringement of privacy. There are people who need to be put on the list because of safety issues, to keep the public safe. If they are considered a danger to themselves and others, then it is ok. However, not everyone with a mental health condition should be reported. There should also be a way to get off the list if you receive the right treatment, so that people may continue with their lives. Otherwise, I feel too much unnecessary information about people would become too public.
It is clear that there have been many instances of tragic shootings that could have been prevented if this country had stronger gun control laws. The Brady Bill put into effect background checks for people who want to become gun owners, but the records sent to the databases for the background checks are very limited. Only certain states give the databases people's mental health records, which is something that should be mandatory to every state. No person suspected of being mentally unstable should be able to purchase something that can so easily kill so many. As a witness to the shooting at Virginia Tech, I was 50 feet from losing my life because a mentally unstable man was able to obtain a firearm and commit the worst shooting in American history. This unbelieveable tragedy should open America's eyes to the apparent problem with the wrong people owning firearms.
I think that it is ridiculous that lawmakers aren't acting to change our gun control laws. After what happened at Virginia Tech, they should open their eyes to see that our system is flawed. It should be a federal law to report mental illness and stop those who have them from purchasing firearms. Many lives could have been saved if congress was not so reluctant to act on this issue. Although I don't think that one's mental records should be available for all to see, I don't think that letting metally ill people do whatever they choose to is a good idea either. If the shooter at Virginia Tech had been checked for mental stability, he would never have been able to purchase firearms, and the massacre could have been prevented.
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