Lastly :: a "Red Flag Law" is a gun violence prevention law that permits Police or Family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves .. now, this action is, naturally, after the act of weapon ownership .. requires a Court action, etc .. although, I guess I'd say it's better than nothing, it's not much better, at least, IMO .. but, it sounds impressive when a Politician says it .. and, it makes some feel something is being done ..
While the 'Red Flag Laws' sound good on the surface, I believe they have to be well thought out and constructed. A hasty implementation of this kind of law can easily lead to abuse and/or misuse. Don't get me wrong, a well crafted Red Flag Law, could indeed avoid a future tragedy.
But I'm seriously concerned about an anti-gun neighbor turning in his neighbor who owns guns on a trumped up charge, or an angry spouse going through a nasty divorce turning in his/her gun owning spouse saying something (false perhaps) that a threat was made. These laws, as proposed, seem to be based on assuming the 'charged' is guilty without any due process. The charged person then loses their property and incurs monetary expense (not insubstantial) to 'prove their innocence'. Just appears totally backward from our form of justice.
Oh and
@Uncle Willie ... here in PA you'd be a criminal. PA has a law that if you are given a legal prescription for that 'alternative substance' you are required to surrender all your firearms to the state police under penalty of becoming a criminal if you don't. And obviously you can not legally purchase any firearms. On the background check form you are supposed to answer 'Yes' to taking illegal drugs, which disqualifies you from purchasing a gun, because the National Laws still don't recognize the state laws for 'permitted' medical users. So far the PA state police have said there are no plans to collate a database of people who have this 'prescription' and go after them. But who knows what's coming 'tomorrow'.
Which leads me to wonder if the day comes a database is built of mentally ill people and they can't purchase guns ... will I be on that list because I've been under the care of psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and MD Dr. for anxiety and depression and have had prescriptions for both moods ... will HIPA laws change to release my information to yet another database in the cloud to control what I can and can not do.
Yes, we definitely need to do something but hastily passing new laws isn't the long term answer. We need a change in the moral character of our country much more than we need quick fix new laws. Both sides of our political spectrum have to stop spewing hate at each other. Trump has to stop demeaning his opponents and his opponents have to stop the 'hate Trump' philosophy to win the next election. Seems each side is just roiling up the other side creating animosity and it trickles down to the crazies in our society who then do unspeakable acts.
Our leaders have to become the adults in the room for the nation to follow. That, IMHO, would be a major start to healing our country and re-uniting it again.
I'm out ... this may be the longest post I've done here in the lounge.
You took the words right out of my thoughts....
