General Discussion

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)

29. How about we make it easier for the authorities to treat the mentally ill.

Mon Jan 14, 2013, 11:43 AM

Jan 2013

10 mentally ill people is far easier -- and less invasive as far as civil liberties are concerned -- than trying to police 80 million-plus law-abiding people as criminals.

I don't understand the so-called progressive need to treat people like criminals but treat criminals like people where guns are concerned. It's not constitutional, it's not politically viable and it isn't even practical. If even 10% of the gun owners are willing to go rogue then that means you have 8 million new criminals for a criminal "justice" system that is near broken already.

We can't even stem the tide of drugs like meth and crack why would we think that people who plan their rampages to include pipe bombs, booby traps and body armor wouldn't go to illicit sources? Chicago has a near total ban and yet it is the gun murder capital of America. More people are murdered annually within the relatively constricted confines of that city than US service members were lost in years of fighting in Iraq. The criminals got guns, the illicit gun dealers got rich and good people like Otis McDonald got prosecuted because he was rich, white and well-connected like David Gregory.

Treating the mentally ill makes more sense logistically and in terms of civil liberties.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

94 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

MENTALLY ILL MENTALLY ILL MENTALLY ILL [View all] UnrepentantLiberal Jan 2013 OP

That is true, however, it doesn't mean that Skidmore Jan 2013 #1

The nation should H2O Man Jan 2013 #3

Agree. My fear is that if we don't tackle some of these Skidmore Jan 2013 #5

History teaches us marions ghost Jan 2013 #19

You are absolutely right, but by the looks of this thread we can't even A Simple Game Jan 2013 #17

This is true and it's a sickening tragedy. UnrepentantLiberal Jan 2013 #6

What Skidmore said tavalon Jan 2013 #10

nations-jails-struggle-with-mentally-ill-prisoners PADemD Jan 2013 #2

If suicides are going to be used as a justification for gun control hack89 Jan 2013 #4

and I thought mgardener Jan 2013 #7

The desire to purchase a hand gun or assault weapon is a clear indication of mental illness bowens43 Jan 2013 #8

It is undiagnosed in those cases, though. DaveJ Jan 2013 #15

Let's see. You have panic attacks, anxiety, depression. Denninmi Jan 2013 #50

Or, a mom suffers from silentwarrior Jan 2013 #57

That's what I always thought... CanSocDem Jan 2013 #16

I have to disagree with that broad brush ecstatic Jan 2013 #68

"Opinion I disagree with" is not a medical condition. (nt) Posteritatis Jan 2013 #72

It works for me tavalon Jan 2013 #9

Republicans=Stepford Wives elias7 Jan 2013 #11

I agree with you: screw the RW and screw the mentally ill....... marble falls Jan 2013 #12

Nothing that tax cuts for the rich, entitlement cuts for the poor and another war or two won't fix Fumesucker Jan 2013 #13

I'd like to see some of these gun people submit to BainsBane Jan 2013 #14

Gun control should include mandatory mental health exams for ALL gun owners. nt Comrade_McKenzie Jan 2013 #18

What sort of test? how is it interpreted? how often is it given? HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #22

Cool - government payed for health care for gun users only. hack89 Jan 2013 #25

A little fear, a dash of ignorance, some cherry-picking--shake: mentally ill are the problem. HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #20

If law-abiding, peaceful gun owners were treated the same as the mentally ill are currently treated Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #21

Really, what these people need is treatment and reeducation Fumesucker Jan 2013 #23

Well, that's just awesome. Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #27

Are you trying to argue that drug users don't need treatment? Fumesucker Jan 2013 #30

I can't tell if you're serious or not. Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #34

The perspective is a little different than what you're used to seeing Fumesucker Jan 2013 #37

John Lennon songs? Now I know you're not serious. Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #39

Lennon was just making an observation of society Fumesucker Jan 2013 #40

Which just goes to show Lennon had a warped perspective. Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #42

Right, statistically you're much safer without a gun yet and people buy them for "protection" Fumesucker Jan 2013 #43

You should talk to Nadin Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #45

This guy was up the road only a little bit from me Fumesucker Jan 2013 #49

So, if I read this correctly Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #53

Not exactly Fumesucker Jan 2013 #59

Stalinist re-education camps? gollygee Jan 2013 #44

It comes from his statement that tens of millions of otherwise peaceful people Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #48

It sounds to me like he's trying to turn around this "mental health" issue gollygee Jan 2013 #51

So those who aren't mentally ill are treated as mentally ill while the mentally ill Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #54

OK see you're spouting off silly stuff again gollygee Jan 2013 #55

So, I'm bipolar/PTSD - why do I need a babysitter, or a parole officer? Denninmi Jan 2013 #63

If you're a danger to yourself and others? Yes. Absolutely. If you're enough of a danger Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #64

Another kind thing to say. Denninmi Jan 2013 #66

I said "if." Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #75

Actually if you'd listened to the President Cetacea Jan 2013 #76

I didn't get to hear the President but the argument you are making makes no sense. Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #78

++! n/t backscatter712 Jan 2013 #80

Yeah those Twinkie addicts are mentally ill also right? dkf Jan 2013 #81

Wait, did someone kill a classroom full of kids lately with a Twinkie? Fumesucker Jan 2013 #84

I'm talking about the impulse to buy what is about to disappear. dkf Jan 2013 #85

That's why I addressed the mass slaughter Fumesucker Jan 2013 #86

Showing empathy doesn't mean you are willing to let yourself be hurt or killed. dkf Jan 2013 #89

Having a gun increases your family's chance of suffering death by gunshot Fumesucker Jan 2013 #92

I can be disgusted at what happened... Coyote_Tan Jan 2013 #90

Something tells me sporting goods stores will still stock guns in the future. Denninmi Jan 2013 #87

But what type? dkf Jan 2013 #91

Not the expert there, can't really help you. Denninmi Jan 2013 #93

Specifically, how would you make it more difficult for the mentally ill to purchase guns? HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #26

How about we make it easier for the authorities to treat the mentally ill. Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #29

Treating the mentally ill costs big money Fumesucker Jan 2013 #31

Not treating the mentally ill costs big money Bonn1997 Jan 2013 #70

Those costs are largely hidden from the public, distributed around in a lot of different ways Fumesucker Jan 2013 #71

I don't necessarily disagree but... Bonn1997 Jan 2013 #73

How will you identify those 10 among 300 million Americans? HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #32

I blame those who actually commit the crimes Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #38

It's really odd that the unconditioned risk gets invokedfor gun owners but not the mentally ill. HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #41

"Every mass shooting was done by a person with a gun." Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2013 #52

Back to the problem of how to identify the undiagnosed potential mass murderers HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #56

The only commonality to ALL mass shootings was/is easy access to guns. Period. riderinthestorm Jan 2013 #58

I think it's not a pick-one solution problem HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #62

IMO Conservatism is a mental illness Motown_Johnny Jan 2013 #24

The fact that they don't know the difference between Mental Health & Mental Illness prooves it. patrice Jan 2013 #36

Will the right be dropping its mad quest to repeal Obamacare Proud Liberal Dem Jan 2013 #28

Good point! Are FAMILIES going to be prevented from getting help, so that gun owners can play patrice Jan 2013 #35

That's REALLY a dangerous meme. Who says who is mentally ill, how, and why? Talk about FASCISM!!! patrice Jan 2013 #33

Second Amendment absolutists are hypocrites KamaAina Jan 2013 #46

The Irony: Most of the RW are the mentally ill of which they speak kydo Jan 2013 #47

NY is proposing a state database for people with mental health issues, gun owners or not. hack89 Jan 2013 #60

Blame Big Pharma, not the mentally ill, the FDA is not doing their job Follow The Money Jan 2013 #61

Fundamental Attribution Error Bonn1997 Jan 2013 #65

the good news is that most of them will ecstatic Jan 2013 #67

There is circular reasoning Bonn1997 Jan 2013 #69

right wingers libodem Jan 2013 #74

They are experts -- I remember the gateley Jan 2013 #77

The Republicans are demanding Scarlet-Lettering of anyone with even a minor mental illness. backscatter712 Jan 2013 #79

I have come to the conclusion after reading thousands of comments on this debate that.... Kalidurga Jan 2013 #82

Joined by President Obama...a whole lot of his planned executive orders are aimed at mental illness. dkf Jan 2013 #83

Isn't it mentally ill to believe that it's okay for one bully to do what they want haele Jan 2013 #88

What rethugs say, and what rethugs do, are two totally separate things Hugabear Jan 2013 #94