I Guess The Mental Health Path Didn't Help Crimo III.....

[global1]

Didn't his parents seek 'mental health' help when he threatened to commit suicide?

Don't the Repugs always talk 'mental health' care when there is a mass shooting?

[elleng]

1. Some law enforcement agency was 'aware,' but not sufficient, it appears.

OBVIOUSLY he needed more 'care' than was provided. Seems he was 'crying out' for help, but none came; it's ALL of our responsibility, 'we' failed here, and likely will continue to do so.

[Beachnutt]

2. The best part of that son of a bitch

ran down his mothers leg...

[onecaliberal]

3. Where are the bills they introduced to help young men with this? Oh they didn't, nevermind....

[Caliman73]

4. The difficulty with mental health care is ...

It is only compulsory when there is imminent risk of harm to self or others, or if a person is gravely disabled (cannot provide life's basic necessities) because of a psychiatric condition. You can be detained for observation and treatment for up to 72 hours in most jurisdictions, but if you clear sufficiently and file a writ of habeas corpus, you have to be released. You are not compelled to seek follow up treatment, nobody chases after you to make sure you take any medication or go to therapy. You basically are out on your own.

Most states, because of HIPAA and confidentiality laws, may not even be compiling information for any "Red Flag" laws.

It is a very difficult situation. How do we compel people to receive treatment without trampling their civil liberties? If we don't treat them for whatever emotional disturbances they may be going through, then we are just kicking the can down the road.

Republicans only use "Mental Health" to avoid talking about the ease of access to firearms. They would talk about anything to avoid actually talking about solutions. Mention fully funding "Mental Health" programs and then it becomes a fight about the cost and "invading privacy". They know all the bullshit to say to keep the discussion away from actual solutions.

[global1]

5. Then We Have To Expose Their Tactic And Call It For What It Is....

hold their feet to the fire - if that is the track they want to go down - when it is the ease of access to firearms that is the real issue.

Grill them when they talk 'mental health'. Make them squirm trying to wiggle out of the commitment that they need to give to 'mental health' if that's what they are touting.

Get them to put their money where their mouth is - or just shut up.

What happens is we never call them on their weasel words. We never hold them to their rhetoric.

[Caliman73]

6. I agree.

The simple tactic used by a pair of British reporters sent Ted Cruz running away. They simply said, "Other countries have mental health problems, violent video games, etc... why is it they do not have the same problem with massive gun violence?

The only thing that messed them up is when they engaged with Cruz's stupidity about "American Exceptionalism". Cruz retreated to, "Why do so many people come to the US if it isn't great". I mean that was easily deflected. They could simply have said, "Are they coming in droves from Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK , Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, France, etc.... ? No, they are coming from places that are even less safe than the US, like Central America. None of the other nations with modern economies are beating down America's door to get in.

You are correct. People do not hold them to account for their stupid statements.

[Yavin4]

7. Once a person is known to have threatened to commit suicide, they should not be allowed to buy a gun

Why would any sane person be against such a prohibition?

[maxsolomon]

8. Because that is not a crime.

It's a huge red flag, but it isn't a felony that ends gun rights.

We don't take gun rights away from misdemeanor domestic abusers. That right trumps all others.

[global1]

9. This Is The Repugs Stand On Gun Safety - Put Money Into Mental Health Care.....

We need to be handling this situation with common sense.

If a person is a threat to themself - and they talk about suicide or harming other people - then we have to treat this situation sanely - and if that means that they are not allowed to have or buy a gun - so be it.

We should change the laws to accommodate such situations.

Yes - right now we don't take gun rights away from misdemeanor domestic abusers or suicide risks - but come on - lets treat this with some common sense and change the laws to do this.

If the Repugs rallying cry is - mental health - then let them put their money where their mouth is.

I'm tired of all the excuses that are made to just handle these situations with some common sense.

Seems like the only ones that feel protected are those that either break the law or put themselves in a situation where they are a threat to others. I'm just tired of all these excuses we make.

[maxsolomon]

10. I agree. Red Flag laws are common sense,

but this is the slippery slope that Gunners will scream about. DU Gunners usually lay low after a Rampage Shooting, but in a week or so they'll pop up with agumentum ad infinitum about infringement.

Permanently removing gun rights because of a suicide attempt - does that go on the Federal Database? Is a suicide attempt a crime? And so on. The 2nd's binary language does not allow for complexities.