People suffering from severe depression should be banned from purchasing/carrying guns

[spin]

165. Your "may issue" carry permit system exists in several states and cities. ...

The major problem with the system is that it can lead to favoritism and/or discrimination. If you are a close friend of the local sheriff, one of his prime donors, rich or famous; you will have a far better chance of getting a carry permit than the average citizen.

You also suggest that in order to get a carry permit you should have to have a good reason.

My daughter once attracted the attentions of a stalker who had a police record of violence and drunkenness. She got a restraining order against this individual but he merely laughed at it and continued to follow her frequently. She often notified the local police but they insisted they would have to actually observe the violation before they could arrest him.

Under your system she would have had good reason to get a carry permit. Unfortunately she would have had to take a concealed weapons class and filed the paperwork. She might have got the permit in several months if she was lucky.

However my daughter already had a carry permit. While the guy approached her within arms reach several times, he never physically attacked her. Consequently she wisely never flashed her legally concealed weapon to discourage him which might have been considered illegal by the authorities.

My daughter merely viewed her stalker as a considerable pain in the ass. He probably enjoyed believing that he was terrorizing her. He also was busy stalking one of my daughter's friends who was scared to death of him. My daughter's friend was even afraid to get a restraining order against this man as she feared it might make him violent. Fortunately for her, she often spent several months at a time in Puerto Rico running a business she was part owner of.

The stalker was eventually arrested. I was a witness to the violation of the restraining order and appeared in court to testify against him. He had to spend five weekends in the local lockup which probably interfered with his drinking hobby. The judge warned him that if he was arrested again, he would spend a year in jail. He never violated the restraining order after.

The bottom line is that if we had been living in a "may issue" state, it is quite possible that my daughter would not have had a carry permit as she had no real reason to have one prior to being stalked. My daughter also was not real popular with the local elected officials as she used to attend the monthly meetings at the city hall and oppose their policies. Many people in our area tried to convince her to run for office. The people who run the small town we live in oppose any and all change.