imaudigger, post: 339327, member: 7286 wrote: In the process of getting CCW permit in California.
I have to..
1.) Take an approved CCW training class, which includes a certain number of classroom hours vs. live fire hours.
2.) Provide 3 letters of recommendation from non-family members.
3.) Submit to criminal background check including finger prints.
4.) Potentially submit to mental health evaluation.
5.) Provide address/phone number of 3-4 neighbors, so the Sheriff can interview them regarding myself.
6.) Renew said permit every 2 years.The whole process takes several months and costs hundreds of dollars. Other than the cost and time required, I feel all of the above requirements are reasonable considering the kind of unstable people I see and hear about.
Here is an idea...
I think that if a doctor prescribes any medication, who's known side affect is violence, the patient should be added to a list of people that require a mental health evaluation prior to purchasing or getting CCW permit. This list should be a living document, with people dropping off the list if it has been more than 12 months since they were last prescribed the medicine. Perhaps the list would only include drugs that have been identified as connected to previous violent incidents.
I agree that the process is reasonable. In GA, you pay a small fee, get finger printed and wait on a background check. A training class, live fire evaluation and testing is not required. I was required to show more competency with a car than a firearm.
I believe your idea has merit; however, it is a slippery slope. It is the continuous issue about the right to privacy vs public welfare. I like many believe that we have gone too far to the right of privacy in the case of the mentally disturbed. The other extreme would be to deny everyone for the abuse of a few. We have to return to the concept of personal responsibility. The motive behind these incidents is much less important than the actions themselves. In many cases the shooter has telegraphed their intent by previous actions. Where and if the authorities can identify these Tipping Point(s) needs to be studied very closely. Obviously, somethings will have to be done differently.
Per an interview with the shooters mother...
"She also revealed how Mercer was placed in a psychiatric hospital when he refused to take his medication."
This is where the system is broken, and I believe nearly everybody would (should) agree.
How many laws did this guy break? I could probably think of a bunch.
Come on, we have drug companies that are selling drugs to treat depression, where the side affect is thoughts of suicide?!!! How crazy is that?
To top it off, that is a potential side affect if the drug is properly taken. What happens when it is abused and taken with other prescribed/recreational drugs?
Angel, post: 338892, member: 100 wrote: Hits very close to home. My second family lives down there so I go back and forth to Roseburg several times a year. One of my adopted "kids" was in the classroom next door and heard and witnessed it all. She was videotaping her teachers lecture when it all started. The FBI has of course taken that video and have been talking with her. I'll head down there soon to provide some PTSD counseling...It's crazy to see all of the places you drive by, walk by, visit, etc... on TV for something like this. :-/
Dam right by the college...
This is the view from across the street from the college.
When I visit I walk up at the college and sometimes see this fellow. I named him "Weedeater". He's a protected deer and known as the local "college deer". If you look closely he's missing a foot!
Umpqua River @ Sunset.
Unless that picture was taken in fairly early spring, Weedeater is likely a SHE, not a HIM.
