Around the country today, one of the biggest issues at hand is the current push on Gun Control. It seems that this legislation being pushed on Americans has created one of the biggest divides, the likes of which we have not seen since the Civil War. Now there are three types of individuals when it comes to Gun Control. You have those who are Pro Gun Control, Those who are Pro 2nd Amendment, and then you have those who are confused or torn on the issue. It seems that those in favor of the proposed gun control legislation want those of us in favor of the 2nd amendment and those who are torn on the issue to believe that no one is after our firearms, that they simply wish to have a stronger more universal background check system for anyone wishing to buy a firearm, and they would like a National registry so they know who owns a firearm, thus making it a “safer” country.
At first glance this might not seem like such a bad idea. Those in favor will even tell you that there must be something wrong with you if you don’t support the measure, because it helps prevent criminals and people with mental health issues from obtaining a firearm. But we already have background checks, and we know that criminals and people with mental health issues obtain firearms by other means. So why are they pushing so hard for a stronger version of what we already have? Well for those of you who might not know much about the issue, or even those who know but feel obligated to do something, let me bring some more information to your attention before you take a stance on the issue.
Now I am all for criminals and those with mental health issues not being able to obtain firearms, however I do not think this push of gun control will be the solution to solving that issue. I believe that there is an underlining issue of violence in general that needs to be addressed, but that can be in a different article at a different time. For now I want to look at the fact that in recent events rumors stories have been spreading that in NY State there has been firearm confiscations from men and women who happen to be taking prescription medications deemed to be anti-depressants or anti-anxiety. From what I have read these are not criminals or people with a long standing issue with violence or even signs that they might cause others harm. They are simply your average men and women who happen to be on medications for one reason or another. Under the NY Safe act there are two sections to take note of, first of which is the Mental Health Law.
The Mental Health Law – The NY SAFE Act is designed to remove firearms from those who seek to do harm to themselves or others. This means keeping the minority of individuals with serious mental illness who may be dangerous away from access to firearms. This law should not dissuade any individual from seeking mental health services they need.
The second of which is, law enforcement is permitted to per-emotively seize a person’s firearms without a warrant if they have probable cause the person may be mentally unstable or intends to use the weapons to commit a crime.
It is easy to see that if universal background checks and National registry is put in place, what is going to stop the government from confiscating your firearms? I know the NY Safe act is only in NY for now, but with universal background checks, a national registry, and the government controlled “Obamacare” what is to keep that from becoming a nationwide law? Now you might be thinking “well I don’t take any medications for depression or anything even remotely similar”, but let me ask you this, do you know or live with anyone who takes any type of medication? Do you know all the possible side effects of that medication? Whichever answer you give, do you trust that no one will be able to come for your firearms, even if only something as simple as universal background checks and a national registry is put in place? You already saw that under the Mental Health Law in NY it is designed not to just keep those perceived to have mental health issues from purchasing firearms, but from keeping them away from access to firearms. That could easily be turned into confiscation of your firearms to keep a roommate, spouse, your child, or a relative they perceive to have mental health issues, or happens to take medications with an underlined side effect, away from having so called access to your firearms.
Now this has not happened yet on a nationwide scale, nor has anyone suggested they will carry out with this type of confiscation on a regular basis. However we see that under similar laws that are already in place such as in NY with the SAFE Act it is easy for the government and local officials to use background checks and local registry information, or in a wider case a national registry, along with medical records to in the long run actually confiscate your firearms, and it would not be that difficult or have that many steps for them to do so. Remember, they did not say they are coming after your firearms, but it seems that they are making it easier for them to do so later down the line. Think before you decide, there is always more than is in plain sight.
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JPerkins, Contributor