Gun shop owners join effort to prevent suicide

The way I see the program is that it is less about predicting and more of going on what is actually happening in front of them. Sure, no one, even trained professionals will get it right 100% of the time but if someone comes in acting "funny" or is showing the outward signs of having suicidal thoughts, than I am all for the gun shop owner from stopping the sale. And as many have already said, even with this program in place, if someone is that set on doing it, they will find the means to do so. But hopefully, this program will help reduce the numbers a little.

SGT Ben Keen - What about rights? People who sell firearms are licensed to do so in accordance with the law. If a person passes a background check and has the cash or credit in hand to make the purchase, what right does the gun dealer have to deny them their rights? I know we used to have signs in all types of shops that "Management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone" but that was used to keep minorities out. Thus, a gun dealer could say that someone looked suicidal to them when, in truth, they looked black, Muslim, or some other identity.

It’s used all the time in contemporary law enforcement as any “private business,” whether owned by a sole proprietor or even through publicly owned stock, is allowed to to trespass anyone for any reason, provided they don’t say it’s for one of those civil rights violations that you specifically mentioned. They could say that they were “causing a scene,” “being rude,” looked like they were trying to steal something, or even provide no reason at all (in most cases). This is only because you as a person could trespass anyone from your home or other property, and corporations are viewed as people under the law (as odd a concept as it may be).

Now, violating someone’s second amendment rights without any justification is another story, so provided that a proprietor steps into the back, calls the police to trespass the party, and doesn’t give a reason at all, that shouldn’t be in violation of anything as it’s a simple trespass warning, which is everybody’s right. The law is very specific and ignorance of it is never an excuse to violate it, you’d think that gun shop owners would be a bit more knowledgeable as to not put their businesses in jeopardy, but we all have our faults. If we were all perfect we wouldn’t have to worry about this plethora of laws and associated loopholes.

To me, it sounds like it’s about avoiding guilt, may it be to save lives or their own butts. Perhaps it’s a some of each. It just has to be carefully worded or not worded for that matter, otherwise, as you pointed out, it opens up any number of potential liabilities to the shop owner. I guess when you think about it, the very same laws can be applied far differently in each passing era; some fair, some unfair, and others too gray to even decide.

PO3 Sherrill, You have expressed some very valid points. With all the closed mental treatment facilities across the nation that says a lot about the failure to address these issues. We treat medical problems in other parts of the body but one of the most complicated organs the brain gets largely ignored. Never mind trying to hide family members with these problems, there is no shame it, treat it with proper professional help like You would any other ailment.

And Canada since they had stolen weapons from the US and just like here the majority of the gun crimes are with guns stolen from homes so you restrict them from the responsible populace and the bad guys find any way but Democrats just don't get it like in California they are Banning high capacity magazines over 10 shots starting in January 2017 so if someone has the magazine from their Grandpa's Browning automatic rifle from World War One or you happen to have spare mags from Desert Storm or operation Iraqi Freedom or operation enduring freedom you are now a felon thank you Governor Jerry Brown