What should a society do about the mentally unstable?

Helen_Davis · Post by **Helen_Davis** » Sun December 23rd, 2012, 10:52 pm

[quote=""MLE""]In any state in the nation, anybody who wants to go on the black market can get an assault rifle very easily. In Mexico, where they have strict bans on assault weapons, it's even cheaper and easier.

Why would any reasonable person think that if there were only gun control then an unstable person couldn't think up a way to go out in a 'blaze of glory' (as they might think of it)? Quite beside the ease of getting an assault rifle illegally, here are instructions online for making a thermonuclear device, for making chemical weapons out of household cleaners, for making bombs out of fertilizer.

In all my experience with the mentally unstable, none of them has had a lower than average intelligence. Most of them are freaking brilliant. And when they get fixated, they stay on it.

Far better than trying to take protective weapons away from everyone would be if more people did the slow, time-consuming work of keeping the difficult people who live near them or are otherwise in their relationship circle steered in a more positive direction.

Risky? You bet. But consider the alternative.[/quote]
MLE, I agree with you on gun control, but your post suggesting that all mentally ill people are sociopaths offended me. I have been in and out of psychatric care my whole life and I would never spring a gun on anyone. I do not hurt people. I would never think of doing this. Most of us would not. I agree with Ash-- please do some research before grouping Aspies and OCD people with truly psychotic nuts like the guy in Connecticut. Most of us are not dangerous-- just sad and deeply hurt by something or another. If I took your comment the wrong way I'm sorry, I'm just worried about the media giving people wrong ideas of mental illness now.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Mon December 24th, 2012, 12:40 am

[quote=""Divia""]I'm fully aware of the Autism spectrum, being a teacher. I see it daily.

However, the kid should never have been in society. that's the bottom line. Call me cruel. Call me heartless, it doesn't change what I believe.[/quote]

I don't think it makes you cruel or heartless. But my comments about autism were for MLE, not for you.

And quite frankly, Asperger's on its own does not lend itself to that kind of behavior. The meticulous planning involved pretty much rules that out as the cause. If it had been Asperger's induced, it would more likely have been spur of the moment. This young man undoubtedly had many, many problems.

One thing I noticed in a recent article was his love of a particular shoot-em-up video game. One of the first things the boys' doctor told us when they were diagnosed was to keep them away from violent imagery as much as possible. It gets stuck in their minds and can cause problems. Lanza never should have been allowed to play that game.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Mon December 24th, 2012, 12:49 am

Wow. Looks like I missed some hot discussion while I've been getting sick.

Time for a bad joke that will cause either eye-rolling or offense. More people are killed in car accidents each year than by gun fire: ban cars.

I'm going to take more antihistamines and tylenol now.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Mon December 24th, 2012, 3:57 am

[quote=""Helen_Davis""]MLE, I agree with you on gun control, but your post suggesting that all mentally ill people are sociopaths offended me. I have been in and out of psychatric care my whole life and I would never spring a gun on anyone. I do not hurt people. I would never think of doing this. Most of us would not. I agree with Ash-- please do some research before grouping Aspies and OCD people with truly psychotic nuts like the guy in Connecticut. Most of us are not dangerous-- just sad and deeply hurt by something or another. If I took your comment the wrong way I'm sorry, I'm just worried about the media giving people wrong ideas of mental illness now.[/quote]

Um -- what post suggesting the mentally ill are sociopaths? I don't consider sociopaths mentally ill.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon December 24th, 2012, 3:57 am

Answer to bad joke - cars are tools designed to get us from one place to the next. Guns are designed to kill. Next question?

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Mon December 24th, 2012, 2:08 pm

[quote=""EC2""]So how easy is it for a USA citizen to get hold of a mass assault weapon and ammunition? I have no idea, I'm just asking in order to be informed.[/quote]

Someone said to me this is not as mass assult weapon used by the military but a rifle with a large magazine n the news media is spinning this. My boyfriend has the same weapon. It's big and I won't lie intimidating.

As others have said each state has their own laws. In Nys where I live I can buy a rifle but I need a permit to have a handgun and another special permit for concealed. My stepfather handed me the rifle one day and said here ya go

Getting a gun is easy. I don't know of anyone who doesn't have one save two female friends. However I am in the boondocks and ppl like to hunt. So if I wanted I could steal one easily.

Like I said its the culture of America be that right or wrong. We like our guns

As for locking them up why wouldn't you if they are a threat to society? By locking up I don't mean in cells but in a facility.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Mon December 24th, 2012, 6:46 pm

Thank you everyone. I like to know stuff like this from people I have come to know and talk to on forums. It gives me an 'on the ground' view rather than spin and hype from the press.

Helen_Davis · Post by **Helen_Davis** » Mon December 24th, 2012, 8:01 pm

[quote=""MLE""]Um -- what post suggesting the mentally ill are sociopaths? I don't consider sociopaths mentally ill.[/quote]

I'm so sorry MLE, I misread one of your posts. I've been physically ill for months and it is clouding my thinking. Again, I apologize.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Tue December 25th, 2012, 3:01 am

[quote=""EC2""]Thank you everyone. I like to know stuff like this from people I have come to know and talk to on forums. It gives me an 'on the ground' view rather than spin and hype from the press.[/quote]

It is interesting to see another countries perspective on things. Gun control is very interesting. On another forum I am on people can't wrap their minds around the crazy Americans and their gun laws. I remembered when I heard that in England cops don't care guns I was like...WHAT?

How is that possible?

There was another shooting today by an ex con. he set fire to his house and killed two firemen. He waited for them to ambush them. This is near me about an hour 1'/2 away. Thing is gun control laws would have done nothing to save these guys cause he shouldn't have had a gun anyway. He was an ex con. Such a sad story.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/ ... _trap.html

Helen_Davis · Post by **Helen_Davis** » Tue December 25th, 2012, 3:22 am

[quote=""Divia""]It is interesting to see another countries perspective on things. Gun control is very interesting. On another forum I am on people can't wrap their minds around the crazy Americans and their gun laws. I remembered when I heard that in England cops don't care guns I was like...WHAT?

How is that possible?

There was another shooting today by an ex con. he set fire to his house and killed two firemen. He waited for them to ambush them. This is near me about an hour 1'/2 away. Thing is gun control laws would have done nothing to save these guys cause he shouldn't have had a gun anyway. He was an ex con. Such a sad story.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/ ... _trap.html[/quote]
Ii agree Divia. In some states if you have a history of suicide attempts you can't buy a gun-- even though I haven't made an attempt in 4 years, I'm not allowed to have a gun because there's always that risk. And I think that's a good rule.