Are political dissidents crazy?

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:53:28 -0500

Several of President Obama's Executive Orders aimed at gun control deal with keeping weapons out of the hands of nutters. Of course, no one thinks that truly disturbed people should have access to dangerous weapons, but what are the criteria of such people? On this important point, the Executive is silent, thunderously silent. It is just such an issue that can lead to abuse.

The Soviet Union was famous for using psychiatry as a punitive measure. Political dissidents were jailed with regularity. That way the world wouldn't see jails full of political prisoners. After all, who could complain. Wasn't the USSR simply taking care of the mentally disturbed?

Of course, some will deny that such a thing couldn't happen here. We would never suspect that our government would use an agency punitively, would they? Well, remember that the Administration used the IRS to punish organizations that dissented with the them by denying or delaying their applications? Now imagine how many of us will end up classified as unfit to own weapons, especially we veterans who suffer so horribly with mental illness like PTSD... http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2015/08/06/irs-scandal-blame-it-all-on-lois-lerner-and-move-on/

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Response by PO1 John Miller made Jan 4 at 2016 8:57 PM

PO1 John Miller — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 20:57:21 -0500

No, they're only crazy if they disagree with whoever the current administration is. Us Conservatives are crazy because we don't agree with Obama. Liberals were crazy because they didn't agree with GW. So the cycle continues...

Response by PO2 Jeffery Marcussen Sr made Jan 4 at 2016 9:10 PM

PO2 Jeffery Marcussen Sr — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 21:10:35 -0500

just because some one like a vet has some sort of problem like psd or some other issue. he has a problem dealing with that is deployment related does not make him/her unfit to handle a firearm. but that is exactly what the va is doing reporting service members to hls or some other law enforcement agency. and having their gun rights and firearms away from them. you think they wont or cant find some way to disarm the rest of us? obummer has already said that vets and the military are considered home grown threats. be careful my brothers and sisters your right to carry is next on the list by hook or crook obummer plans to get your guns one way or another. and i fear it will one day come to a civil war because of them taking our rights away from us one at a time till we have none left. we have already gave up a lot of our freedom for security already. done slowly and deliberately one piece at a time. before we even realise it all our rights be be gone and with no real way of protecting ourselves by the time we realise it. you can call me crazy or paranoid but anyone with half a brain can see it if they would open their eyes.

Response by SSgt Christopher Brose made Jan 4 at 2016 10:46 PM

SSgt Christopher Brose — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 22:46:49 -0500

You nailed the central issue. "Keep guns out of the hands of the mentally disturbed" makes a good bumper sticker, but the sad truth is many people today don't think in any terms deeper than bumper stickers and memes.

How do you tell who is mentally disturbed, especially when there is no record of incidents or treatment? More importantly, who would be empowered to make that determination? It's easy for liberals to make statements like "Don't let mentally disturbed people have access to guns" because they see themselves as the best judges of people -- and because they don't let themselves be bothered by details.