Originally posted by Yeager
A four step process:
A) I suggest upgrading the current federal background check to the level of a government security clearance.
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You worked for Boeing; did they ever tell you what even a mere Top Secret investigation costs?
This one fails several tests: it's not workable because the FBI doesn't have the manpower and it takes over a year, it's not affordable because the per person cost is several thousand dollars. Those two factors make it fail the reasonable test as well.
B) I suggest a federal mandate requiring a Mental Health Evaluation prior to any firearms purchase.
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The problems with that one have already been pointed out in this thread, so I'll just clip them from Capt. Virgil Hilts points posted previously:
No psychiatrist or psychologist is going to be willing to do those evaluations because the liability costs would be prohibitive. Problem: The first time a psychiatrist or psychologist "lets one slip through the cracks" they'll be sued for BILLIONS. Problem: To prevent "letting one slip through the cracks", NO ONE will pass the evaluation, the failure to pass rate will be 90% PLUS. Problem: Now honest sane citizens are prevented from owning a weapon and their rights under the 2nd Amendment violated, so the courts are flooded, and rightly so, with citizens suing to get their rights back.
The wait for evaluation would be an eternity. Problem: There aren't enough psychologists and psychiatrists to handle the work load, IF any of them were stupid enough to open themselves up to the liability of "letting one slip through the cracks". Problem: The wait for an evaluation would be eternal, preventing honest law abiding sane citizens from purchasing weapons.
So again this suggestion is not workable, reasonable or affordable.
B) I suggest a requirment to pass a mandatory Frearms Safety Training course prior to any firearms purchase, after passing the mental health evaluation.
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This isn't a really big deal. It's already done for Hunter Safety and CC licensing. So it's workable, reasonable and basically affordable.
I do have one question though. Your concern is VT incidents. Just exactly how is Firearms Safety Training going to prevent any of this type of shooting? Obviously it won't have any effect whatsoever. You've just tossed this on out there to be tossing something out. It would have no bearing on firearm murders with the exception of possibly making the nutbags slightly MORE deadly.
C) I suggest a requirment that a concealed carry permit be obtained after passing both the MHE and the FST before any purchase of a concealable firearm.
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It could work and it might be affordable for some but not all. As to workable, just what would this accomplish?
Remember, the goal is to prevent VT incidents, murders, etc. So what will mandating CC do to achieve that goal? Again, it would do nothing.
So yeah, I think your list is just a Yeager feel good list to make you feel you've done something.
However, any rational evaluation of your suggestions leads inevitably to the conclusion that these things would not prevent what just happened.
The only possible exception to that is a mandated psychiatric eval for all gun purchases which is clearly an unworkable, unaffordable proposal for the reasons re-posted above.
And now... let me ask you this. IF you got everything in your wish list, would it prevent mass killings with illegally obtained weapons?
Columbine springs to mind... none of those guns were obtained legally.
So, what then eh?
