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So you do realize that the strengthened Oregon laws failed, as they always do?
That's because most of those regulations do not address the underlying problem. If you look at the CO Theater, Sandy Hook and this shooting, the common denominator is a mentally ill individual, known in considerable detail by the families and others around them, where all of the shooters were still able to buy and access guns.
-How do you propose you regulate gun buying using mental health assessments?
There is no need for a 'mental health assessment' for buying a gun. That is something handled entirely separately via regular medical records and family intervention (notification to doctor by family members, etc.) And there can be specific triggers which identify households or individuals 'at risk', including any types of anti-depressants or other drugs for mental illnesses. You provide a framework for families to intervene via medical routes, and then an individual can be 'flagged' if they try to purchase a gun.
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Where do you get the money for a program like that?
No need; you already have ACA and other gun registration elements in place. Use the systems you have and tweak as necessary.
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Had he failed to buy them from a store, what would have stopped him from buying it under the table? Or stealing someone elses?
Those are side-issues. None of the shooters in CO Theatre, Sandy Hook or Oregon obtained weapons illegally. And you definitely have the opportunity to stop them WHEN they try to steal a weapon. Maybe they can steal ONE, can they steal 12 or 13 guns w/o being caught?
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Why are college students having such bad mental breakdowns?
I don't think it has anything to do with 'college students', per se. Sandy Hook didn't.
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What do you have to say about the very blatant and dishonest attempt to push this on the right wing?
Politicians will be politicians. That's not going to address the problem, though.
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Whom do you want the guns to be taken away from?
A start would be: those on any types of drugs/medications for mental illnesses, or drugs that can cause psychotic episodes (including some sleep meds).
Those with any history of mental illness, which has not been appropriately addressed by medications.
Those with any history of violent behavior.
Family members who are gun owners should understand they are liable for the use of those weapons by anyone in the household; thus, if they have a mentally ill child/relative, they should be responsible for moving the weapons off site at least temporarily until that individual does not have access to the house.
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What is your solution for all of this?
Noted here, and in other threads. Gun ownership is absolutely a right, but a limited right that can be temporarily or permantly removed if an individual with mental incapacity can access weapons. And that responsibility should reside with the weapons owner. Mental illness can generally be identified via normal medical history w/o the need for any form of 'check' just to own a gun.
Will we eliminate these kinds of shootings by limiting access/tracking those who are at risk via medical records? No. But we might stop some of them, maybe most of them. The real challenge is to allow this type of medical history tracking w/o violating medical records laws; you don't need to know 'why' an individual has a temporary or permanent restriction on gun buying, just that it is a restriction.
