Family Blames Gun-Seller for Murderous Rampage

[Starboard Tack]

21. Jeez GSC, now peddler is a pejorative.

How much more do we have to limit the English language to accommodate your sensibilities? Do you differentiate between a drug dealer and a drug peddler?

Anyway, to the subject at hand. As you say, "Paranoid schizophrenics are extremely hard to spot in a casual encounter. And the typical gun sale is much like most other sales. Customer steps up, asks to see a particular gun, looks at it, decides he wants it, shows ID and fills out 4473, dealer makes NICS check, pays for gun, leaves with gun. And you expect a competent medical diagnosis on that basis of such a limited encounter?"

I think we can all agree that guns are potentially dangerous, especially in the wrong hands. We can say the same thing about prescription drugs. Pharmacists are highly trained in pharmacology, which includes knowing the side effects of drug combinations, pre-existing conditions etc.. Much more important is the fact that pharmacist do not sell these products without a prescription from a medical professional.
Why would we not apply the same, or similar criteria to vendors, purveyors, sellers, dealers, peddlers of firearms? I do not expect the vendor to perform a medical diagnosis, but if guns were only available by a realistic prescription, we would all be much safer.