Gun Control and Mental Illness; How We Should Handle Both
Since the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy last week, news and blog sites have consistently published articles and posts - some even well written and thought out – on the topics of if we need more restrictions on guns and can we stop mentally ill people from committing heinous crimes. I believe the answer to both is no. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a former state legislator who earned and maintained an A plus NRA rating, meaning I opposed restrictions on guns and supported the concept of allowing responsible citizens to defend themselves from irresponsible criminals. I grew up hunting but no longer go because I would rather spend my leisure time playing tennis or watching my kids grow up, but do occasionally like to venture into the woods behind my home for target practice. And I have a valid handgun carry permit. In my personal and political experience, the major problem with liberals who want to make possession of any gun illegal is one, they don’t own guns themselves and two, their motivation centers more around weakening the political power of conservatives and gun rights activist than is does on addressing why people are committing crimes in [...]